China fails to advance to quarterfinals
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-08-27 21:16
SAITAMA, Japan - Greece overcame a terrible first quarter with an impressive
third period Sunday and advanced to the quarterfinals of the basketball world
championship with a 95-64 victory over China.
China's Yao Ming sits on the bench during
their match against Greece at the world basketball championships in
Saitama August 27, 2006. [Reuters] |
Greece (6-0) remained one of four unbeaten teams left in the tournament by
outscoring China 26-6 in the third quarter to take a 67-42 lead. That 10-minute
performance was a far cry from the opening period when Greece missed 16 of its
first 19 shots in falling behind 18-11.
On Wednesday, Greece will make its fourth quarterfinal appearance in the last
five world championships, facing France (4-2), which beat Angola 68-62 in the
second round.
Theodoros Papaloukas had 19 points for Greece, which committed just three
turnovers while forcing China (2-4) into 24.
Yao Ming, the 2.26-meter (7-foot-5) center who plays for the Houston Rockets,
had 10 points and eight rebounds for China. He was 3-for-5 from the field and
4-for-4 from the free throw line.
Yao, who entered the game as the tournament's leading scorer with a 28.4
average, was unable to get the ball down low because his teammates usually
turned it over before they had a chance to even try to get it to him. He had
eight rebounds.
Greece followed its 3-for-19 start from the field by making 14 of its next 17
shots in taking a 41-36 halftime lead.
Then as Greece started to play offensively the way it did in finishing
undefeated in group play as did the United States, Spain and Argentina, China
fell apart.
China had six points and nine turnovers in the third quarter. Yao's dunk on
an inbounds pass with 6:51 left in the third quarter were his final points of
the game and brought China within 46-40. Greece closed the period with a 21-2
run with most of the points coming on breakaway layups after turnovers.
Greece finished sixth in 1990 and fourth in 1994 and 1998. It did not qualify
for the 2002 worlds.
China, which lost its first three games in this tournament before winning its
last two to advance to the second round, was trying for its second quarterfinal
appearance. China was eighth in 1994 and 12th in 2002.
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