China defeats Chinese Taipei 100-93 in 2027 FIBA World Cup Qualifying

China recovered from an 11-point deficit to beat Chinese Taipei 100-93 in Manila on Sunday, claiming its second consecutive Asian Group B victory in 2027 FIBA World Cup Qualifying.

After defeating Japan 87-80 in Okinawa on Thursday for the team's first win in the phase, China's players maintained their momentum as Zhao Jiwei drilled an early three-pointer in transition, before going in front 15-12 late in the opening quarter.

Chinese Taipei fought back in the second period. Chen Ying-chun, who plays for the CBA's Beijing Ducks, nailed a triple of his own to cut the deficit to three. A three-pointer from Liu Cheng, a longtime member of the CBA's Shanghai Sharks, put Chinese Taipei ahead 51-50 at halftime.

In the third quarter, Chen finished off a fast-break layup while being fouled. The 32-year-old went on to pour in a game-high 26 points.

Liao Sanning beat the buzzer with a layup on the other end, but China trailed 77-71.

In the fourth quarter, Zhao Rui set up Zhu Junlong for three of his team-high 19 points. And when Zhao Jiwei sank a deep triple to beat the shot clock, China knotted the score at 91-91.

Coach Guo Shiqiang's men went on to win by seven points. China and the Republic of Korea both have records of 2-2, while Japan leads Group B at 3-1, with Chinese Taipei bringing up the rear at 1-3. After the final two contests in the next window in July, the top three teams in the pool will advance to the next phase.