Jordan beat China 86-62 in FIBA World Cup qualifier

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Jordan took three pointers as their pivotal weapon to register an 86-62 rout of China in a FIBA World Cup Asian qualifier in Amman on Friday.

Jordanian players made 11 of 23 shots beyond the arc, while the visiting Chinese side missed 26 out of their 32 three-pointer attempts. The young Chinese squad also fared below par on the free throw with only 10 of 24.

"Today is the worst game for us over the two years. We had bad three-pointer shots and free throws, and let opponents get 21 offensive rebounds. We didn't play as physically as them and we couldn't make shots facing the contact," admitted China's head coach Li Nan.

Li Nan, head coach of Chinese men's basketball team, during a press conference in Amman, Jordan, February 22, 2019. /VCG Photo

Dar Tucker put up the game-high of 32 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out five assists for Jordan.

The 35-year-old Zaid Abbas, formerly having played in several Chinese clubs, notched 20 points and 10 boards.

"The home atmosphere helped us a lot. I'm happy with the team's performance. Our opponents are a very young team," said Jordanian coach Joseph Anthony Stiebing.

Zhao Rui led China's scoring sheet with 20. Former NBA center Zhou Qi added 19 points and 10 rebounds.

China will visit Syria in Sunday's final round, while Jordan take on New Zealand.

Chinese basketball player Zhou Qi in action during a FIBA World Cup Asian qualifier game against Jordan in Amman, February 22, 2019. /VCG Photo

China have already been assured of a place in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 finals as the host team, but are still playing the qualifiers as preparations for the quadrennial competition.

The 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup will be played in eight cities across China from August 31 to September 15.

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency