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E-mail Xinhua, August 1, 2024
China's men triumphed over FIBA world No. 1 Serbia 21-15 in the 3X3 basketball pool round at Paris 2024 on Wednesday.
Serbia started strong with an 8-5 lead, but China quickly turned the tide with 2-pointers from Zhang Ning and Zhao Jiaren. The Dragons maintained their lead, and with Zhao's two free throws, they sealed the victory.
Zhang led the game with 11 points, shooting seven from 12, while Zhao and Zhu Yuanbo added six and three points respectively. For Serbia, Dejan Majstorovic scored seven points, and Marko Brankovic added five.
"I still can't believe we won the game. None of the details are clear in my mind right now," Zhu said after the game.
"We played good defense, but had some turnovers on offense. We adjusted quickly," Zhu added.
In other men's games, Latvia cruised past the Netherlands 21-12, France defeated Lithuania 21-20, and Poland overcame the United States 19-17.
China's women's team, fresh off a thrilling overtime win against hosts France, faced disappointment in their second game, losing 21-11 to Olympic newcomer Canada.
Chen Mingling led China's scoring with five points, Zhang Zhiting added three points and three rebounds, and Wang Lili, who had hit the game-winner against France, managed only one point from 11 attempts. Paige Crozon and Michelle Plouffe each scored seven points for Canada, with Katherine Plouffe adding five.
China struggled throughout the match, committing 10 turnovers and taking fewer overall shot attempts (25 compared to Canada's 29) due to Canada's tight defense.
"We didn't adjust our strategies well under their defensive pressure. Canada was better prepared," Chen said after the game, noting that defensive rebounds, where China trailed 11-8, was a key problem.
Wan Jiyuan pointed out that China was not physically strong enough against Canada but emphasized the need to start games with efforts in the paint for the rest of the tournament.
In other women's games, Australia defeated Germany 21-19, the United States lost to Azerbaijan 20-17 to remain winless, and Spain triumphed over France 17-12.
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