China Basketball Team Responds After 77-97 Asian Games Loss to Japan

China's men's basketball team has vowed to reflect on its performance and regroup after suffering a 77-97 defeat to Japan in the semifinals of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

The loss on September 18 ended China's hopes of reaching the men's basketball final and meant the team will instead compete for the bronze medal. It was also the second consecutive Asian Games in which China failed to reach the final.

Following the game,China Basketball Team, the official social media account of the Chinese Basketball Association, issued a statement acknowledging that the semifinal had exposed multiple problems on both offense and defense.

“The loss is heavy-hearted,” the team said in its post, adding that the tournament was not yet over. The squad would conduct a thorough review of the problems revealed during the game, adjust its condition and continue competing in the remaining matches.

China head coach Guo Shiqiang also discussed the team's performance after the game. He said problems appeared on both ends of the court from the beginning until the final whistle and ultimately contributed to the defeat.

Guo said the team had not been patient enough throughout the game and was often put in a passive position by Japan. He acknowledged that China's pre-tournament objective had been to win the Asian Games title, a goal that was no longer achievable after the semifinal loss.

However, Guo said the team would now focus on its remaining match and attempt to finish the tournament strongly.

China struggled to contain Japan's offense during the semifinal. Japan established an early lead and continued to extend the advantage, with China trailing 49-30 at halftime. Japan eventually built a lead of more than 30 points before China reduced the margin during the final period. The game ended 97-77.

The result also highlighted the growing competitiveness of Asian basketball. Guo said the overall level of basketball in Asia has been improving, while acknowledging that there remains a gap between Asian teams and the world's top basketball nations.

China will now turn its attention to the bronze-medal game against Iran, scheduled for September 20. The team will have to recover quickly from the semifinal defeat and prepare for another highly competitive matchup.

The Chinese team's official response did not dwell on individual blame. Instead, its message focused on reviewing the performance, correcting problems and continuing the competition.

With a medal still at stake, China's next game will provide an immediate opportunity for the team to respond on the court.