China’s national basketball team had a struggling day against Korea in the opening match at the FIBA Asia Cup on Tuesday.
Despite playing a challenging game, China ran short of 12 points in the fourth quarter.
China took the lead in the second quarter
Both teams claimed 19 points in the first quarter; however, China took two points to lead in the second quarter. After playing defensively in the first two quarters, China were more likely to finish the game on a winning note. South Korea restricted China to 14 points in the third quarter and took a massive lead. South Korea remained unstoppable and the lead continued till the victory. South Korea didn’t give them a chance for resurgence and emerged victorious in the last two quarters.
Ra Gu-na had a double-double of 25 points and 14 rebounds to lead four South Korean players in double digits. Gu Quan scored 22 points for China on five 3-pointers. Zhao Rui added 20 points, and Sun Minghui contributed 14 points.
China has recalled a number of players for the Asia Cup after certain participants in the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifications in Australia tested positive for CoVID-19.
China’s head coach Du Feng stated during a news conference that some of his important players are still ill and are being treated in Australia. Due to the current situation, the team did not undertake a “regular” practice after landing in Jakarta.
China are currently standing third in Group B and their upcoming assignment will be against Bahrain and then Chinese Taipei on Thursday and Saturday respectively.
Zhao Rui of China played vigorously and contributed numerous lay-ups during the match. He along with Fan Ziming.
Top Performers:
Minghui Sun was the most impactful player on the court against Korea. He secured 14 points to his name, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists.
Guna Ra from South Korea surpassed every player on Tuesday and claimed 25 points. He played with 28% efficiency which helped him to secure 14 rebounds and 3 assists.
The FIBA Asia Cup was scheduled to take place last year but was postponed for a long period amid the CoVID-19 pandemic.
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