Wang Junjie (L) and Hu Jinqiu (R) of China compete during the men's semifinal basketball match between China and Japan at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Nagoya, Japan, Sept. 18, 2026. (Xinhua/Luo Yuan)
NAGOYA, Japan, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- China lost to host Japan 97-77 in the men's basketball semifinals at the 2026 Asian Games on Friday, missing the final for the second consecutive Games.
Japan took control early, using a 9-0 run to build a 28-15 lead in the first quarter. Hu Mingxuan's 3-pointer helped China cut the deficit to eight points with 3:42 remaining in the second quarter, but Japan responded with an 11-0 run to take a 49-30 lead into halftime.
Japan repeatedly capitalized on fast-break opportunities and shot 14 of 19 from the field in a highly efficient third quarter, at one point stretching its lead to 35 points.
China narrowed the deficit in the fourth quarter but could not mount a full comeback, eventually falling by 20 points.
"We normally play good on the rebounds, but we lost on the rebounds today," Chinese forward Cui Yongxi said after the game. "And on defense, we did no good. We missed a lot of shots and they played a lot of transitions. They played hard on us, and we didn't play harder."
China captain Hu Mingxuan said defensive communication problems allowed Japan to dictate the game.
"We had issues on the defensive end, including communication breakdowns, which allowed our opponents to run their offense smoothly and made us have to follow their rhythm," Hu said. "When we tried to correct those problems in a timely way, we were already trailing by a large margin.
"It was clear today that we didn't match their intensity. Our in-game reactions probably weren't as sharp as theirs either. I think we didn't prepare adequately for the difficulties we would face, and that's what led to these issues."
Hu Jinqiu led China with 16 points. Cui Yongxi added 13 and Hu Mingxuan had 11.
For Japan, Ren Kanechika scored 19 points, while Alex Kirk, a U.S.-born player who was naturalized to represent Japan in 2024, recorded a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. ■
Ogawa Atsuya (C) of Japan competes with Wang Junjie (R) of China during the men's semifinal basketball match between China and Japan at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Nagoya, Japan, Sept. 18, 2026. (Xinhua/Luo Yuan)
Ogawa Atsuya (L) of Japan competes with Wang Junjie of China during the men's semifinal basketball match between China and Japan at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Nagoya, Japan, Sept. 18, 2026. (Xinhua/Luo Yuan)
Ogawa Atsuya (2nd L) of Japan breaks through during the men's semifinal basketball match between China and Japan at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Nagoya, Japan, Sept. 18, 2026. (Xinhua/Luo Yuan)
Kirk Alex (2nd L) of Japan goes to the basket during the men's semifinal basketball match between China and Japan at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Nagoya, Japan, Sept. 18, 2026. (Xinhua/Luo Yuan)
Yu Jiahao (R) of China vies with Schafer Avi (L) of Japan during the men's semifinal basketball match between China and Japan at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Nagoya, Japan, Sept. 18, 2026. (Xinhua/Luo Yuan)
