China's national basketball team suffered an 80-76 defeat against the Republic of Korea (ROK) in their opening 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian qualifier match on November 29, 2025. The closely contested game saw both teams demonstrate intense offensive plays at a packed home venue in China.
Missing captain Zhao Rui due to injury, China initially showed promise with Zhou Qi opening the scoring. However, the ROK squad dominated early through precision three-point shooting, building a 47-34 halftime lead led by Lee Hyun-jung's nine three-pointers. The visitors maintained their advantage despite China's fourth-quarter resurgence that narrowed the gap to three points.
"Our players fought valiantly until the final buzzer," said Team China's head coach in a post-game interview. "The ROK's three-point efficiency proved decisive today." The loss marks a challenging start to China's World Cup qualification campaign, with analysts highlighting defensive adjustments needed before their next match.
