Asian Games | Basketball Roundup: China cruises in opener, Japan and South Korea stay unbeaten

NAGOYA, Japan, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- China opened its Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games men's basketball campaign with a commanding 99-61 victory over Kazakhstan here on Friday, while Japan and South Korea both secured their second straight wins.

China seized control with a 14-0 run in the opening quarter and built a 31-12 lead. A 6-0 burst early in the second stretched the advantage to 25 points.

Kazakhstan briefly cut the deficit to 17, but China quickly responded. Liao Sanning and Cui Yongxi converted fast-break opportunities before Yu Jiahao completed a three-point play, helping China take a 58-31 lead into halftime.

China extended the lead to 79-44 by the end of the third quarter and led 86-48 midway through the fourth before comfortably closing out the win.

China forward Li Hongquan acknowledged that an early tip-off and the opening game of a major tournament had presented challenges, but was pleased with the team's approach.

"We came out with good energy. We started on defense, and I'm really proud of how we played today," Li said.

China shot 57 percent from the field and outrebounded Kazakhstan 44-23. Six Chinese players scored in double digits, with Pang Zhenglin and Yu sharing game-high honors with 17 points apiece. Li contributed 16 points and nine rebounds, while Cui added 12. Liao and Jiao Boqiao each scored 10.

In the other Group C game, Bahrain held off defending champion Philippines 89-85. Bahrain led 76-61 after three quarters before the Philippines mounted a late rally, outscoring its opponent 24-13 in the final period.

Jakarr Sampson paced Bahrain with 24 points and eight assists, while Elijah Thomas and Mustafa Rashed each scored 20. Calvin Oftana led all scorers with 31 points for the Philippines.

South Korea clinched its second victory in Group A after routing Indonesia 102-48. Leading by nine at halftime, South Korea overwhelmed its opponent 63-18 in the second half. Lee Hyun-jung scored a game-high 24 points, while Indonesia's Yudha Saputera finished with 17.

Host Japan also recorded its second consecutive victory with an 86-80 win over Saudi Arabia. Japan carried a 51-35 advantage into halftime and held firm despite being outscored by 10 points after the break.

The 12 participating teams are divided into three groups, with the top two from each group and the two best third-placed sides advancing to the quarterfinals. China will face Bahrain on Saturday for its second Group C match. Enditem