China will meet Indonesia in Asian Games quarterfinals

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As the group stage of men’s basketball at the Asian Games came to an end on Saturday, the matchups of the quarterfinals have been confirmed: China’s Team Red will take on Indonesia on Monday.

Having defeated the Philippines and Kazakhstan in Group D, Team Red as No.1 in the group will meet No.2 of Group A, which will be the host nation. The two victories at the group stage have also exposed multiple problems of Team Red in free-throw shooting, rebounding and other areas.

The South Koreans are strong competitors for basketball gold at the tournament. /VCG Photo

Indonesia lost two of their three games in Group A including a crushing 104-65 defeat to South Korea. Though the hosts do not seem to be tough rivals considering their performances, Team Red still can’t afford to careless.

Th other three games of the quarterfinals – South Korea vs the Philippines, Iran vs Japan, and Chinese Taipei vs Syria – will also take place on Monday. As two of the most hopeful candidates for gold, South Korea and Iran, plus the Philippines who have NBA guard Jordan Clarkson, have made their division a very tough one.

Jordan Clarkson will lead his new Philippines teammates against tough rivals including South Korea at the knockout stage. /VCG Photo

By comparison, China will be on a relatively easy path in the other division. Neither Indonesia, Syria nor Chinese Taipei is considered a real threat. As long as Team Red remain clear-headed and do not repeat what happened at the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship, they are expected to enter the final.

The current situation has again proved how significant China’s win over the Philippines at the group stage was. If Team Red had lost that game, it would have been China contending with Iran and South Korea. China now need to maintain their momentum if they are to return home with gold.

(Top picture: China's Team Red at the 2018 Asian Games /VCG Photo)