In a tightly contested exhibition game held in Quzhou, Zhejiang Province, the Chinese men's national basketball team fell to the Spanish Liga ACB club Joventut Badalona with a score of 70-65 on Wednesday. This defeat marks the eighth consecutive loss for the team.
The game kicked off with Wang Lanqin slicing in for a layup, giving China an early lead of 17-10 in the first quarter. However, Joventut Badalona mounted a strong comeback in the second quarter. Hu Mingxuan connected with Yang Hansen, helping the hosts regain control of the game.
Despite trailing by five points in the third quarter, China’s Liao Sanning made a crucial steal and dunk, contributing a game-high 16 points for the home team. His efforts kept China's hopes alive as the game progressed.
However, Joventut Badalona continued to extend their lead in the fourth quarter. Dutch international Yannick Kraag made a pivotal steal and dunk, pushing the Spanish side ahead with a score of 67-59. Kraag finished the game with 11 points, leading his team to a narrow five-point victory.
The teams are set to face off again in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, on Friday, promising another intense matchup.
China coach Guo Shiqiang attributed the loss to three main factors: \"The first is that we made four mistakes in the last three-and-a-half minutes, two on defense and the other two on offense. The second is that our concentration and ability to execute were poor in the closing minutes. The third is that our free throw percentage was only 60%, which is too low.\"
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
