China beat tournament hosts Saudi Arabia 93-88 in FIBA Asia Cup opener

The Chinese men's basketball team defeated tournament hosts Saudi Arabia 93-88 in their first game in Group C at the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup in Jeddah on Tuesday.

Despite leading by as many as 15 points earlier in the opening contest, China's margin of victory shrank to five after a series of fluctuations in the second half.

Hu Jinqiu scored a team-high 20 points for China, while Zhao Rui tallied 19 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists to help the PRC put away the home side. The record 16-time champions will next face India on Thursday.

China coach Guo Shiqiang was satisfied with his squad's level of play.

"The opening game is always difficult for both sides, and especially for us, because we played against the hosting team. We prepared for this game for a long time, and I'm satisfied with our performance here. Our players stayed focused, and carried out the game plan very well, throughout the 40 minutes, and finally, we claimed the win," he said. 

Hu asserted that China need to perform better while facing pressure with the goal of improving in the team's upcoming games.

"No matter whether we were ahead or behind, we played with toughness and determination throughout the game. Saudi Arabia put us under a lot of pressure, so we needed to get used to the atmosphere as soon as possible, and leverage our advantages," he concluded.