Shanghai Jiushi beat Shenzhen Marco Polo 102–68 at home in the 2026–27 CBA regular-season opener on October 16. Three down after one, Shanghai won the second 29–13 for a 45–32 halftime lead, then extended it to 34 for its first win.
A second-quarter reversal and three consecutive gains
Shenzhen led 19–16 after one but scored thirteen to Shanghai's 29 in the second. Sixteen net points moved Shanghai from three down to thirteen ahead, the clearest turning point.
Shanghai won the third 30–21 for 75–53 and the fourth 27–15 for 102–68. From quarter two, its consecutive net gains were sixteen, nine and twelve.
Goodwin had 22 points, six rebounds and nine assists; Russell 21 points, four rebounds and five assists. Wang Zhelin recorded fourteen points and eighteen rebounds, Zhang Zhenlin sixteen and six. Four Shanghai players reached double figures, with Goodwin ten of eighteen and Zhang seven of twelve.
Smith led Shenzhen with eighteen points, five rebounds and two assists; He Xining had sixteen points, three rebounds and three assists, and Johnson fourteen. Smith shot five of 22 and He six of eighteen, eleven of forty combined. Both leading scorers struggled.
Quarter scores and key statistics
| Team | First quarter | Second quarter | Third quarter | Fourth quarter | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shanghai Jiushi | 16 | 29 | 30 | 27 | 102 |
| Shenzhen Marco Polo | 19 | 13 | 21 | 15 | 68 |
| Statistic | Shanghai Jiushi | Shenzhen Marco Polo |
|---|---|---|
| Field goals | 39/82 | 24/76 |
| Three-pointers | 10/30 | 7/28 |
| Free throws | 14/17 | 13/13 |
| Rebounds (including team rebounds) | 60 | 34 |
| Offensive rebounds | 15 | 6 |
| Assists | 22 | 10 |
| Turnovers | 11 | 10 |
INKA SPORTS analysis: Rebounding and two-point conversion form a double advantage
Shanghai led rebounds 60–34 and offensive boards fifteen to six. Offensive rebounds retrieve missed shots to extend attacks, and Shanghai gained nine more. Of Wang's eighteen, four were offensive and fourteen defensive, respectively creating further offense and ending Shenzhen possessions.
Subtracting threes gives two-point shooting of 29 of 52 and seventeen of 48, about 55.8% and 35.4%. Shanghai led two-point scoring 58–34, threes thirty to 21 and free throws fourteen to thirteen. Twenty-four of the 34-point margin came on twos, more than the other categories.
Specific players supplied that efficiency. Goodwin and Zhang combined for seventeen of thirty, Wang four of eight. Russell scored 21 but shot seven of 23. Shenzhen's top pair combined for eleven of forty. Turnovers were eleven to ten, with no substantial Shanghai advantage; separation came more from makes and offensive boards.
Conclusion
The 29–13 second produced the halftime lead, with three consecutive winning quarters expanding it to 34. Shanghai repeatedly recovered misses and converted twos substantially better. Shenzhen's leading pair shot eleven of forty and could not reverse the later concessions. Progression and full-game statistics consistently support the win.
