JAKARTA – China beat Kazakhstan handily, 83-66, on Thursday to clinch the top seed in Group D of the 18th Asian Games men’s basketball tournament at the GBK Basketball Hall.
Liu Zhixuan had 18 points, five rebounds, and six assists, while Ding Yanyuhang bounced back after fouling out against the Philippines by finishing with 14 points in the match.
China recovered after leading by just one point, 38-37, at halftime to oust Kazakhstan out of playoff contention, a week after its 37-point loss to the Philippines.
China also survived the foul trouble of NBA player Zhou Qi. Fellow big man Wang Zhelin also fouled out in the game.
The result also made the Philippines the second seed in Group D, setting the stage for a showdown with Group A topnotcher Korea in the quarterfinals slated Monday.
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