China's men's 3×3 basketball team carved a new chapter in sports history Thursday, defeating France 18-16 in overtime at the FIBA World Cup in Ulaanbaatar to secure their first-ever quarterfinal appearance.
After an initial 21-17 loss to Austria, the squad rallied dramatically against France in a do-or-die Pool C decider. Trailing for most of the game, Guo Hanyu and Wu Xingrui sparked a late comeback with clutch plays, forcing overtime after capitalizing on French technical fouls in the final seconds.
'This victory belongs to every player who kept believing,' Guo told reporters after the match. The team sealed their historic win through coordinated plays in the untimed overtime period, with Xiang Zhichao delivering the decisive basket.
China now prepares to face the winner of Friday's Australia-Spain play-in game. The breakthrough performance highlights the growing competitiveness of Asian teams in international basketball's fast-paced 3×3 format.
