China edges Lebanon in FIBA World Cup qualifier

ZHUJI, China, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Yang Hansen's basket with 2.2 seconds remaining saw China edge Lebanon 89-87 in Monday's 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian qualifier, securing back-to-back wins in the second round. China had advanced to the second round after finishing the first round with a 3-3 record, entering Group F in the lower half of the six-team standings. Lebanon had led Group F after cruising past South Korea last Thursday, but Monday's defeat dropped it to second place, with China moving up to third. "I said before the game that this would be a tough contest, and I told the team to be ready for a final possession -- and sure enough, the game came down to the last play," said China's head coach Guo Shiqiang. The two teams had met 14 times before Monday's encounter, with China winning 12. However, Lebanon had beaten China twice in their previous three meetings. With 22.5 seconds remaining and China leading 87-81 after Zhu Junlong converted one of two free throws, Lebanon rallied with six straight points to level the score, including three free throws after China committed a turnover on an inbound play and then fouled a three-point shooter. With 2.2 seconds left, Yang caught a sideline pass from Zhao Jiwei, maneuvered around his defender and finished at the rim to put China 89-87 ahead. Lebanon was unable to score on the final possession, allowing China to escape with a hard-fought win. "We have our strategy," said China forward Wang Junjie about the final basket. "The ball found Yang who was able to finish the attack." China opened the second round with a commanding road victory over Qatar, while Monday's clash against group leader Lebanon could have a significant bearing on China's hopes of qualifying for the 2027 FIBA World Cup. In the first quarter, Zhao Jiayi drained a three-pointer to give China an early lead. Although Lebanon responded with a scoring run to move ahead, China remained composed. Yang, coming off the bench, powered his way to a basket in the paint to spark China's offense. Hu Mingxuan then buried a deep three-pointer, followed by driving layups from Zhu Junlong and Liao Sanning, as China reeled off a 9-0 run to regain the lead. After Yang scored again in the paint, China closed the opening quarter 23-14 ahead. In the second quarter, Liao scored on consecutive drives to help China maintain its advantage, but a series of turnovers allowed Lebanon to trim the deficit. Zhao Jiayi and Zhao Jiwei each hit from beyond the arc to restore China's cushion, and the host went into halftime with a 46-42 lead. After the break, Lebanon opened with a 7-2 run to take the lead, but baskets from Wang Junjie and Hu Jinqiu steadied China. Lebanon then caught fire from three-point range, hitting consecutive threes to move back in front. After Li Hongquan grabbed an offensive rebound and scored at the buzzer, China trailed 69-67 heading into the fourth quarter. Lebanon's shooters continued to find their rhythm in the final period, but China held firm before Yang's late basket decided the contest. Yang had a team-high 19 points for China, along with nine rebounds and three assists. Liao contributed 18 points and Wang added 11. Omar Jamaleddine had 19 points for Lebanon, including four three-pointers. "We execute our game plan, especially in the second half," said Ahmad El Farran, head coach of Lebanon. "But when you miss seven free throws and you lose by two points, the answer is very clear." "We delivered a good performance and hopefully in November, when China comes back to lebanon, we will give them hard time, and we will do our best to win our game."