A narrow defeat! Men's Basketball Asia Cup: Australia crowned champion, while the Chinese men's basketball team secures the runner-up position after 10 years.

On August 18, Beijing time, the Men's Basketball Asia Cup has concluded. The Chinese men's basketball team fiercely battled against the defending champions, the Australian team. After an intense confrontation, the Chinese team lost to Australia with a score of 89-90, achieving the runner-up position after a decade. This match was very unfortunate; despite the loss, the Chinese team can hold their heads high, with Hu Mingxuan shining by scoring 26 points, while Australia completed a three-peat in the Asia Cup!

The Chinese men's basketball team was not highly regarded in this Asia Cup, as there are many young players with limited experience. However, this team brought great surprises by defeating New Zealand in the semifinals, reaching the Asia Cup finals for the first time in 10 years, driving fans across the nation wild. It can be said that this team has exceeded expectations. Looking ahead to the upcoming finals, we felt no pressure, but as the most successful team in Asia Cup history, with 16 championships, we naturally hoped to challenge for the title!

The opponent in the finals was the Australian men's basketball team, which needs no introduction regarding its strength, boasting numerous NBA players who were not called up due to Australia's confidence. Even sending a second team could sweep through Asia, as they have already achieved back-to-back Asia Cup victories and are certainly aiming for a third consecutive title in this tournament!

After the game started, both teams battled back and forth in the first half. Hu Mingxuan suddenly exploded, scoring consecutively to help the Chinese team establish a lead, ending the first quarter ahead by 8 points. In the second quarter, Australia launched a fierce counterattack, executing a 12-0 scoring run to level the game. Towards the end of the quarter, we struggled with missed shots, but Hu Mingxuan stepped up again, hitting two crucial three-pointers, ending the half with China leading by 4 points. In the second half, the two teams engaged in a fierce tug-of-war, exchanging leads and ending the third quarter with China ahead by 3 points. In the final quarter, the Australian team quickly regained the lead due to their physical advantage. However, the Chinese team tightly contested the score, leading to a back-and-forth exchange. In the decisive moments, Hu Mingxuan hit a three-pointer to put China ahead by 1 point. However, Liao Saning failed to mark his man, allowing Hiki to score under the basket and regain the lead. Raymond committed a tactical foul, and Australia made 1 of 2 free throws to lead by 2 points. The Chinese team called a timeout, and the crucial possession was given to Raymond. Unfortunately, he missed the three-pointer, putting us in a dangerous position. In the final moments, the opponent committed a flagrant foul, and Zhao Rui calmly made both free throws to close the gap to 1 point. Hu Mingxuan's three-pointer hit the backboard and bounced out, leading to a narrow defeat against Australia!

From this match, the Chinese men's basketball team performed very well, competing with Australia until the last moment, and there’s nothing to be ashamed of in the loss. In this game, Hu Jinqiu and Hu Mingxuan delivered outstanding performances, but Liao Saning's lapses need to be criticized. The future still holds promise!

Written by/ Sports Novel