Nagoya (Japan), Sep 13 (IANS) China cruised to a 105-59 victory over Bahrain for their second straight win in men’s basketball at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Saturday, while Iran edged Chinese Taipei 72-69 in another preliminary round match.

China made a fast start, scoring the opening nine points and building a commanding 32-11 lead by the end of the first quarter.

Bahrain found their rhythm in the second period, outscoring China 18-14, but still trailed 46-29 at halftime. China regained control after the break, taking the final two quarters 25-13 and 34-17.

“I think we relaxed a little after building a big lead in the first quarter and gave them some easy scoring opportunities,” China guard Liao Sanning said. “We then refocused on defense and got back to the intensity we had shown in the opening period.”

Liao finished with a game-high 23 points and six assists, along with a game-best plus-minus of +39. Li Yuezhou went a perfect 6-for-6 from the field to contribute 18 points.

China had five players score in double figures and held advantages of 46-22 in rebounds and 23-12 in assists.

China head coach Guo Shiqiang said at the post-match press conference that his team had analysed the strengths and tendencies of every Bahrain player before the game. He stressed the importance of maintaining execution and focus for the full 40 minutes, adding that China did a good job containing Bahrain’s key players.

In Group B, Chinese Taipei carried a 50-49 lead into the final quarter, but Iran held firm down the stretch to secure a three-point victory. Chen Ying-Chun scored a game-high 29 points for Chinese Taipei, while Mohammad Jamshidi led Iran with 18.

Jordan bounced back from their opening defeat by beating Qatar 76-65. Perrin Buford paced Jordan with 20 points as his side established a 42-30 halftime lead and recorded 21 assists to Qatar’s seven.

Defending champion Philippines also recovered from an opening-round loss, defeating Kazakhstan 109-78 in Group C. The Philippines made 16 3-pointers and had five players score in double figures, led by Jerrick Ahanmisi’s 22 points and Robert Bolick’s 20.

The results left all four teams in Group B with one win and one loss. China leads Group C with a 2-0 record and will face the Philippines on Monday in its final group match.

The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games will officially open on September 19 and run through October 4.

–IANS

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