CHN / UAE – China roll on

TIANJIN (FIBA Asia Championship) - Yi Jianlian’s 14-point first quarter burst quashed United Arab Emirates early in the game and hosts China charged ahead to a 82-59 victory in their Group F eight-final round game on Monday.

Monday’s start of the week in work places might have kept back a lot of people from watching their favourite team – yet it was the largest crowd of the day – but for the team itself it was another routine day at work.

Yi scored six in a row, including converting the twin free-throws, to cap China’s 14-0 run towards the end of the first quarter, which effectively put the hosts in firm control.

UAE, fought back rather gallantly in the next two quarters – matching their much fancied rivals 16-16 in the second and outscoring China 21-15 in the third.

But China, whose dominance was never in doubt, took the game further away with a 12-4 blitz in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter.

“I think we were getting a little carried away with that first quarter lead,” China coach Guo Shiqiang said.

“We surely lost our focus in the middle two quarters. We regained focus thankfully in the fourth,” he added.

Yi Jianlian added only four points to his opening spree, but Du Feng and Sun Yue were at hand to take care of China’s scoring.

Sun Yue scored 11 of his 13 points for the game in the fourth quarter as China went into the night with a 3-0 record.

Du Feng also had 13.

UAE sank to 0-3 and their chances of a quarterfinal entry look bleak.

“I am proud of the way these boys played against such a mighty opposition,” UAE coach Mounir Ben Slimane said.

“They played without fearing the reputation and size of the opponents. And that’s a major plus from this game for us,” Mounir added.

Rashed Alzaabi was the highest scorer for UAE with 20 points.

Jasim Abdalla contributed 12 and Ali Alhattawi chipped in with 11 points.


S Mageshwaran
FIBA Asia

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