China yesterday used its NBA-experienced front line of Wang Zhizhi and Yi Jianlian to dispatch Taiwan 101-83 to continue their unbeaten run and reach the Asian Basketball Championships semi-finals.
Former Dallas Maverick center Wang scored 25 points and nabbed eight rebounds, while Yi, who plays power forward for the New Jersey Nets, also netted 25 and grabbed 14 boards.
China will today meet the winner of last night’s quarter-final match-up between South Korea and Lebanon.
PHOTO: AFP
“By winning this game we have entered the final four, from here on our opponents are going to be stronger and we will have to work harder,” China coach Guo Siqiang said.
Taiwanese forward Tien Lei kept his side in the game in the early stages with a team-high of 17 points — all in the first half — as his fired-up teammates kept pace with China, going up 43-38 with three minutes left in the second quarter.
But China turned up the defensive pressure and ended the half with an 11-0 run, while carrying over into the third quarter with nine straight points to go up 62-45 and put the game out of reach.
Chang Tsung-hsien chipped in 14 points for Taiwan.
“We only played half the game,” Guo said. “We had some problems in the first half controlling their style of play. At half-time we made some defensive adjustments and got the players more fired-up so we played better in the second half.”
China has won eight of the last 10 Asian championships and is favoured to repeat the feat on home turf.
Iran’s sharpshooter Hamed Afagh earlier yesterday netted 25 points while Memphis Grizzlies center Hamed Ehadadi scored 16 and grabbed 15 rebounds as Iran beat Qatar 75-65.
The reigning champions Iran advance to today’s semi-finals and will play a disciplined Jordan team that beat the Philippines 81-70 yesterday.
The top three finishers of the Asian Championships will qualify for the World Basketball Championships in Turkey next year.
‘DREAM’: The 5-0 victory was PSG’s first Champions League title, and the biggest final win by any team in the 70-year history of the top-flight European competition Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League for the first time as Luis Enrique’s brilliant young side outclassed Inter on Saturday in the most one-sided final ever with teenager Desire Doue scoring twice in an astonishing 5-0 victory. Doue supplied the pass for Achraf Hakimi to give PSG an early lead and the 19-year-old went from provider to finisher as his deflected shot doubled the advantage in the 20th minute. Doue scored again just after the hour mark, ending any doubt about the outcome before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ran away to get the fourth and substitute Senny Mayulu, another teenager, made it five. Inter were
FRUSTRATION: Alcaraz made several unforced errors over four sets against Bosnian Damir Dzumhur, who had never made it past the third round in a major competition Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz reached the fourth round of the French Open after laboring past Damir Dzumhur 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in the Friday night session. The second-seeded Spaniard had never before played Dzumhur, a 33-year-old Bosnian who had never been past the third round at any major tournament. “I suffered quite a lot today,” Alcaraz said. “The first two sets was under control, then he started to play more deeply and more aggressively. It was really difficult for me.” Dzumhur hurt his left knee in a fall in the second round, and had treatment on Friday on his right leg during the
The horn sounded on Wednesday night to signal a third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final, as the Florida Panthers celebrated merely by hopping over the boards and several heading over to congratulate goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. It was a subdued celebration seemingly more befitting a regular-season win for the reigning Cup champs. “I remember a few years ago, it felt like such an accomplishment from where we were at one point,” forward Matthew Tkachuk said, adding: “It’s all business and we’ve got a bigger goal in mind.” The Panthers closed out the Carolina Hurricanes in five games, with a 5-3 victory in
STRONG CONNECTION: Although she has considered switching nationalities, Garland said that if it was not for Taiwan’s support throughout her career, she would not be in Paris British-Taiwanese player Joanna Garland on Tuesday became the first Taiwanese to clinch a victory in a main singles draw of the French Open since 2020 after she outlasted the US’ Katie Volynets in Paris. The world No. 175, Taiwan’s highest-ranked female player in singles, said she would rely on her self-belief as she prepares for her second-round match at the French Open after overcoming a serious injury to qualify for a maiden Grand Slam appearance. After navigating her way through the qualifiers last week, Garland secured her first win at the main draw of a Grand Slam by battling past world No.
RSS