China edges Saudi Arabia in men's basketball Asia Cup opener

JEDDAH, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Hu Jinqiu scored 20 points as China opened its FIBA Asia Cup Group C campaign with a 93-88 win over host Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

China, the most successful team in the tournament's history with 16 titles, had lost its opening game in the previous two editions.

Saudi Arabia started strongly, taking a 14-7 lead before China recovered to finish the first quarter ahead 30-22. Hu added 13 points in the second quarter to help the visitors hold a 53-43 advantage at halftime.

Zhao Rui and Yu Jiahao combined to push China's lead to 15 points after three quarters, but the hosts rallied late to close the gap to 90-85 with 1:42 remaining. Zhao then made an off-balanced shot to help secure the win.

Hu, the 2024-2025 CBA regular-season MVP, shot 9-of-10 from the field for a team-high 20 points. Zhao finished with 19 points, while Yu added 15.

"The Saudi team put us under a lot of pressure, but whether we were trailing or leading in the score, no one gave up. It's the first match, we were still adjusting to the competition," said Hu.

China is without Zhou Qi and Yang Hansen, with Yang focusing on his development with the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers and Zhou sidelined by injury.

"We have a relatively young team this time, and every match is tough for us. But we have the confidence to show our spirit and play with the strengths we've developed in training," said head coach Guo Shiqiang.

China will meet India in its second Group C match on Thursday. ■