8.01.2013
China
took out their opening day loss frustrations on a hapless Malaysia
squad, overwhelming them to the tune of 113-22, on the second day of the
2013 FIBA Asia Championship, Friday at the MOA Arena.
To make the feat more impressive, China managed the titanic margin of victory sans star player Yi Jianlian, who sat out the game in street clothes.
"Every player gave respect to our opponents. This is a long tournament and we need to make sure that all our players are ready to give quality minutes," said China head coach Panagiotis Giannakis.
"What matters is who is going to have the best performance in the knockout game.
"For me, we have to win every game. We just want to play a good game tomorrow but we know that whatever the result, both teams will have a good future."
With the win, China now holds a 1-1 win-loss record, after succumbing late on Thursday versus South Korea. Malaysia on the other hand, was turned away by Iran yesterday, 115-25.
"It was good exposure for the young Malaysian players," said Malaysia team manager Paul Advincula. "I thank China for giving us the opportunity to play against some of the best players in China."
A triple from Wang Shipeng gave the Chinese an 11-0 lead with six minutes still left in the first quarter. Wang Zhizhi then stepped into the ball game halfway into the first period and scored on layup for an 18-0 lead.
To add to Malaysia's misery, Zhu Fangyu sank back-to-back triples for a 28-0 deficit. They finally got on board though with a layup from Min Joe Foong with 54 seconds remaining, for a 31-2 China lead after the first 10 minutes.
Wang Zhizhi sank a triple at the 7:56 mark of the second to give China a 38-2 lead. Tian Yuan Kuek then scored down low for Malaysia.
Ban Sin Ooi managed to make two triples midway through the second quarter to allow Malaysia to break into double digits, although they still trailed 46-10. At the half, the score read 55-12, in China's favor.
By the intermission, Guo Ailun led China with 10 points, while Wang Zhizhi and Wang Zhelin added nine apiece.
Malaysia on the other hand were led by Ooi's six markers.
China continued to show their dominance as they built a 79-19 lead, heading into the final quarter. A quick 7-0 run from Wang Zhizhi and Zhu Fangyu then stretched that to 69 points at 88-19.
Even with their gigantic lead, China's head coach Panagiotis Giannakis instructed his players to step their defense up a notch. As a result, the Malaysians found it hard to even cross the half court.
China's lead ballooned to 86 before Malaysia scored their first point of the fourth quarter, at the free throw line with less than three minutes remaining in the game, for a 105-20 count.
"It doesn't matter who we play against. We will respect our opponents and we will play our game," said Wang Zhizhi. "We still have a long way to go."
The difference in the final score, 91 points, was one shy of the FIBA World Championship record of 92, forged back in 1974 when the Soviet Union dispatched Central African Republic 140-48. - AMD, GMA News
The scores:
China 113 - Zhelin Wang 21, Zhizhi Wang 17, Guo 16, Zhu 16, Zhou 9, Zhang 8, Li 8, Liu 7, Sun 6, S. Wang 5, Chen 0
Malaysia 22 - Ooi 9, Foong 4, Gan 3, Tong 2, Kuek 2, C. Wong 2, Soo 0, Ng 0, W. Wong 0, Choo 0, Mak 0
Quarter scoring: 31-2, 55-12, 79-19, 113-22
