Hey hoop fans, China’s back in the FIBA Asia Cup final! 🏀🔥 After a decade-long gap, the 16-time champs crushed New Zealand 98-84 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
It all started strong when captain Zhao Rui went full throttle, dishing a perfect pass to Hu Jinqiu for a smooth layup (a close-range shot off the backboard). Zhao then poured in eight straight points, pushing China ahead 10-7.
By the end of the first quarter, stars Gao Shiyan, Liao Sanning and Lei Meng teamed up for a 13-0 blitz to seal a 28-19 lead. New Zealand answered in the second quarter with rock-solid defense, holding China scoreless in the final 4 minutes and ripping off a 9-0 run to shrink the gap to 42-40 at halftime.
But China’s depth and teamwork shone in the second half. They spread the floor, knocked down clutch threes, and amped up their defense, powering to a 98-84 victory. 🎉
Bonus: This squad snapped their Asia Cup quarterfinal curse (they bowed out in 2017 and 2022) by edging past South Korea 79-71 in the quarters. Now, they’re eyeing the crown on finals night. Game on!
Reference(s):
China beat New Zealand, make FIBA Asia Cup final again after 10 years
cgtn.com
