NAGOYA, Japan, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- China opened its Asian Games men's basketball campaign with a 99-61 rout of Kazakhstan in Group C on Friday.
China seized control with a 14-0 run in the opening quarter to build a 31-12 lead. A 6-0 burst early in the second stretched the advantage to 25 points.
Kazakhstan cut the deficit to 17, but China quickly responded, with Liao Sanning and Cui Yongxi scoring on fast breaks before Yu Jiahao completed a three-point play.
China led 86-48 midway through the fourth quarter and comfortably closed out the victory.
"It was a morning game, and the first game of the tournament is always the hardest for every team. However, we came out with good energy. We started on defense, and I'm really proud of how we played today," China forward Li Hongquan said.
Six China players scored in double figures, with Pang Zhenglin and Yu sharing game-high honors with 17 points apiece. Li finished with 16 points and nine rebounds, while Cui added 12.
Askar Maydekin led Kazakhstan with 11 points, while Daniil Severgin scored 10.
The men's tournament features 12 teams divided into three groups of four, with the top two from each group and the two best third-place teams advancing to the quarterfinals.
China is in Group C with Kazakhstan, Bahrain and the Philippines, and will face Bahrain on Saturday. ■
