China's men's 3×3 basketball team concluded their historic FIBA World Cup campaign with a 21-16 quarterfinal loss to Spain in Ulaanbaatar on Saturday. The match saw intense physicality from the start, with Spain leveraging aggressive drives to establish early momentum.
Zhang Dianliang's clutch outside shooting kept China competitive, while Wu Xingrui and Guo Hanyu briefly gave their team a late lead through free throws and a two-point jumper. However, critical offensive fouls allowed Spain to regain control, closing the game with five unanswered points.
Despite the elimination, this marks China's best performance in the tournament's history, surpassing previous group-stage exits. The team's quarterfinal breakthrough signals growing competitiveness in international 3×3 basketball – a format gaining traction across Asia.
Spain advances to face Germany in Sunday's semifinals, while Chinese players return home with valuable experience ahead of future competitions.
Reference(s):
China eliminated by Spain in quarterfinals at FIBA Men's 3×3 World Cup
cgtn.com