Korea dominant in win over Asian Games hosts as Thailand, Qatar, Chinese Taipei also claim wins in Day 1

JAKARTA (Asian Games 2018) – The Men’s Basketball Tournament tipped off today in Jakarta, Indonesia which saw Chinese Taipei, Thailand, Qatar, and Korea claiming wins.

Chinese Taipei completed an impressive 71-65 come-from-behind victory after trailing by as much as 10 points in the first half. They finally reclaimed the lead after a three-pointer by Peng Chun-Yen near the end of the third quarter and never looked back. Chen-Ying Chun led Chinese-Taipei with 18 points and 5 assists in the opening victory.

Thailand held a comfortable 10-point lead with 5 minutes left in the 4^th quarter, but had to survive a furious rally by Mongolia to escape with am 87-86 win. Sanchir Tungalag of Mongolia has 25 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 steals as he nearly willed his team back into the game but it just was not enough. Thailand got a big double-double from Patiphan Klahan (18 points, 10 rebounds), but injuries to Chitchai Ananti and Nakorn Jaisanuk will be concerning.

In the second match of Group C, Qatar ran away with a 90-80 win over Hong Kong. The victors had built up a lead as big as 24 points before cruising towards the end of the game. Khalid Abdi led Qatar with 19 points but also had 8 rebounds and 7 assists to his name. Hong Kong’s Lau Tsz Lai scorched the nets with 7 three-pointers for 21 points in the losing effort.

Korea took down the hosts Indonesia with a 104-65 beating. Ricardo Ratliffe had a smashing performance with 30 points, 19 rebounds, and 6 assists, leading the Korea team that featured six double-digit scorers. ANdakara Prastawa Dhyaksa fought back with 20 points of his own for Indonesia.

FIBA