China’s Men’s Basketball Team Loses to Italy in World Cup Warm-Up Match
The Chinese men’s basketball team faced a tough loss to the host Italian team in the final match of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup warm-up tournament in Italy. The Chinese team lost with a score of 61-79, unable to keep up with the Italian team’s performance.
One notable player in the match was Li Kaier, a naturalized player for the Chinese team who came off the bench and showcased his skills. Li scored 11 points and grabbed 6 rebounds, making an impressive debut for the Chinese team.
The Chinese team started the game with their usual lineup, including players like Zhao Rui, Cui Yongxi, Zhou Peng, Zhang Zhenlin, and Zhou Qi. They initially had a solid performance, leading 11-4 in the opening stage. However, their outside shooting rate dropped, allowing the Italian team to overtake the lead. By the end of the first quarter, the Chinese team was trailing 19-27.
In the second quarter, the Chinese team struggled to regain their shooting touch and made significant mistakes. They went without scoring for about 6 minutes at one point. Li Kaier made a breakthrough dunk towards the end of the first half, bringing the Chinese team’s score to 31-42.
The start of the second half saw the head coach of the Chinese team, Djordjevic, receive two consecutive technical fouls for expressing his dissatisfaction with the referees. As a result, he lost his on-the-spot coaching qualification. The Chinese team faced difficulties dealing with the Italian team’s high-pressure defense and struggled to overcome it. With many mistakes in passing the ball and difficulty finding breakthroughs in their positional attacks, the Chinese team fell further behind. The final quarter of the game saw the Chinese team playing better, but the outcome of the game had already lost its suspense.
Li Kaier played for 19 minutes and 31 seconds in the game, making an impact with 11 points and 6 rebounds. In an interview with Xinhua News Agency after the game, Li mentioned that he has been maintaining good communication with his teammates both on and off the court. However, he acknowledged that language barriers sometimes arise during the game. Li believes that through each warm-up match, he can develop a better understanding and coordination with his teammates.
The Chinese men’s basketball team will continue to prepare for the upcoming FIBA Basketball World Cup, which is set to take place in 2023. Despite the loss to Italy, the team remains determined to improve their performance and showcase their abilities on the world stage.