After starting the new season with a loss on the road to defending champions the Guangdong Southern Tigers, Liaoning Flying Leopards Monday welcomed the Guangsha Lions to Shenyang for their home opener. This game would be a rematch of the 2018 CBA Finals in which Liaoning won their first title, but visiting Guangsha came in eager to turn the tables. Li Chunjiang's side won this time with a 103-90 victory with Liu Zheng scoring a team-high 23 points. 

Before the tip-off, Liaoning held a retirement ceremony for their former captain Yang Ming. The guard joined the Flying Leopards in 2004 and spent all of his 15 year career with his hometown club. He finished with 4,346 points, 1,161 rebounds, and 1,551 assists, and helped the team win their first championship in 2018. Yang said that he might not be the best player in Liaoning's history, but it was his loyalty and dedication that helped him receive this honor. 

Although Zhao Jiwei's three-pointer gave Flying Leopards a quick 5-0 start but the Lions regained control in the second quarter to move ahead by five. After half-time Sun Minghui found Hu Jinqiu, who dunked in two of his 17 points, and Guangsha led by a dozen. Sun picked up another of his five assists by dishing to Liu Zheng for three of his team high 23 points later in the third quarter. 

Lance Stephenson tried to bring Liaoning back in the fourth en route to a game high 33 points. But Jackson found Hu for a floater in the lane in the final minute and the Lions coasted to a 103-90 win, which saw them start the new season 2-0, while the Flying Leopards opened up with back to back defeats.