China Team Red defeat Croatia 81-69 at Stankovic Cup

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Team Red of the Chinese men's basketball national team remains unbeaten at the Stankovic Continental Cup 2018, after defeating Croatia 81-69 in Shenzhen in south China on Thursday.

China's point guard Zhao Rui was in unstoppable form, shooting a game-high 18 points, including 3 three-pointers from 5 attempts. He also got 5 rebounds and 3 assists.

China Team Red player Zhao Rui (L), who scored 18 points, passes the ball during the Stankovic Continental Cup match in south China's city Shenzhen, August 16, 2018. /VCG Photo

Houston Rockets' center Zhou Qi was also efficient, scoring 6 points from only 3 shooting attempts. He dominated in the paint with 9 rebounds and 4 blocks, forming the "no fly zone" for the hosts.

Offensively, Croatia relied heavily on Dino Cinac and Domagoj Vukovic, both of whom scored 15 points.

"We played well in the first three quarters but in the fourth we lost concentration in defense," lamented Croatia head coach Drazen Anzulovic.

"We have 3 games in 3 days and it's hard for us to play. In the first half we tried to make the game equal. In the second half, we gave chances to players who didn't play much in the first game. We hope to be ready for the final game tomorrow. We want to win this tournament."

China Red team coach Li Nan (C) talks to players during the break time of the match. /VCG Photo

Team Red head coach Li Nan praised Croatia after the game. "Yesterday we watched the game between Croatia and Tunisia, and they played well in defense and offense. We paid a lot of attention to today's game, as it is the last warm-up match before the Asian Games."

Li added that he was satisfied with his players' defensive efforts. "We hoped to play well today, but also to control some main players' minutes for the Asian Games. In the first half, we were good in offense.

Although the field goal percentage got lower in the second half, we picked up our defense and got the victory. However, we had too many turnovers in the game. If we want to play well in Jakarta, we have to cherish possession of the ball."

Ding Yanyuhang scored 17 points in less than 20 minutes, but subsequently suffered a knee injury that may affect his participation in Jakarta.

However, Li remained upbeat about Ding's condition. "Ding was always working hard after he came back from injury. He is not at 100 percent, but he tries to catch up with our team's rhythm. His right knee hurt in the game, but I don't think it will be a big problem. We all hope he can play better."

Zhou Qi (L) manages to attack with ball, scoring 6 points during the match. /VCG Photo

"Not Ding Yanyuhang, not Zhou Qi, there's no core player in our team. However, there's always someone who stands out when the team needs it. That's what we have been practicing in recent years," added Li.

With Team Red's time in the Stankovic Cup over, the next challenge is the 2018 Asian Games, where their first game will be against the Philippines on Aug. 21.

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency