2-4! The provincial team is completely eliminated! The Chinese men's basketball team's second-phase schedule has been released.

South Korea's men's basketball team lost 80-82 to Chinese Taipei.

China's men's basketball team lost 73-92 to Japan.

China's men's basketball team defeated Chinese Taipei 92-74.

Japan lost 79-81 to South Korea (the final game of the first stage of World Cup qualifiers).

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Yes, without Lee Hyun-jung, the South Korean men's basketball team narrowly beat Japan at home, securing a last-gasp qualification to the second stage of the World Cup qualifiers. The stats are as follows:

Japan's men's basketball stats:

Hawkins was incredible. He went 10-for-16 for 27 points, 4 boards, and 4 assists against China, then posted 11-for-16 for 30 points and 12 boards in a loss to South Korea.

Back to the main topic, the final standings of Group B in the first stage of the World Cup qualifiers are as follows:

Japan tops the group (4 wins, 2 losses, qualified), South Korea is second (3-3, qualified), China is third (3-3, qualified), and Chinese Taipei is fourth (2-4, eliminated).

For the upcoming second stage, the top three teams from Group B (where China was) and the top three from Group D — Lebanon, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia — will form a new Group F.

In Group F, China begins in fifth place with the following schedule:

August 27, 2026, away vs. Qatar; August 31, 2026, home vs. Lebanon; November 26, 2026, away vs. Saudi Arabia; November 29, 2026, away vs. Lebanon; February 26, 2027, home vs. Qatar; March 1, 2027, home vs. Saudi Arabia.

After the second stage concludes, the top three teams from Groups E and F, the best fourth-place team from both groups, and host Qatar will advance to the 2027 World Cup.

In theory, Yang Hansen could still suit up for China's two games this August, but according to Trail Blazers reporter Sean Highkin, both the Blazers and his agency (Klutch Sports Group) want him to stay in the U.S. this summer to better acclimate.

In the past two World Cup qualifier games, Yang Hansen served as China's primary backup center, logging a total of about 31 minutes. He shot 7-of-14 for 19 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.

The 2025 NBA first-round pick (16th overall) will immediately head to the U.S. to represent the Trail Blazers in this year's NBA Summer League.