Game Over. Italy wins 89-52. Yao 28 min, 3-12 FG, 3-3 FT, 9 points, 2 assists, 6 rebs, 2 fouls (per FIBA live game tracker)
I really don't understand China. They looked so much better in the pre-Olympic warmup games. Maybe its nerves being in the Olympics or perhaps better competition. I have a feling Del Harris won't be China's coach for the 2008 games unless they pull off a win over Serbia.
Yao will be indeed not shave for the next six months. That goes all the way into the NBA season past the all-star break. Maybe he might have to renege on that promise.
sigh. last game. they should really shake it up. play guo instead of liu. du instead of li. and looks like Yi is good off the bench so keep doing that and start Mo.
I wouldn't be surprise if China finishes last. It's between China and Angola. Serbia is going to destroy China again by 20pts.
Yao can take solace in the fact that international play just isn't a big man's game. Being able to score close to the basket with hooks and layups aren't as easy in international play as in the NBA. Defenders just hang around the paint area clogging up the lanes if they know the perimeter shooters suck. Yao can't go Shaq on folks and think offensive fouls won't be called because the NBA game allows much more contact than the international game. China's team is done. They should just all practice a million 3 pointers every week in preparation for the games in Beijing.
http://english.eastday.com/epublish/gb/paper1/1369/class000100002/hwz208507.htm Italy trounces China 89-52 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yao Ming scored only 9 points and China suffered its third loss in a Group A match against Italy at Athens Olympics men's basketball preliminary competitions. Italy trounced China 89-52 to make 2-2 in the group to enter the quarterfinal, and China suffered the most disastrous loss since the tournament began. "There isn't much to say about the game. We were simply overwhelmed. We were not able to pass, catch, form our offense or defense." said head coach of China Del Harris. Giacomo Galanda put on a shooting display with six three-points and led the game with 24 points. Michele Mian and Gianmarco Pozzecco both chipped in 10 points, while none of the Chinese players could scored a double figure. "We tried to avoid passes to Yao Ming. My players understood our philosophy and played well in defense." said Carlo Recalcati, head coach of Italy. The Rocket's center Yao displayed a surprising low form, contributing 9 points and 6 rebounds in 28 minutes, which is his lowest in four games. "The game was quite successful for us. It went just the way we excepted. We want to keep Yao Ming under control as he is one of the strongest players in this tournament, and we did." said point guard of Italy Massimo Bulleri, who had 3 points and 3 assists in 14 minutes. Roberto Chiacig scored all his 14 points in the first half to make Italy lead the game at the first quarter by 22-11 and did not give the rival any chance to surpass after that. Italy launched a 14-5 run in the second half to lead into the second half 44-26. Comparing Italy's 18-29 in the field goals, China made only 7 of its 27 shots and had 11 turnovers in the first two quarters. Italians continued their attacking show in the second half, extending their lead to 21 points after the third quarter. Luca Garri and Gianluca Basile combined a pair of three-pointers to finish a 9-1 run in the last two minute of the third quarter. China tried to stay in the game with its outside shooting, but 14 of 53 from the field could do nothing but let Italian add their rebound numbers. Harris, who coached China at June, dispelled the saying that the short time caused China bad performance in the tournament. "Actually the players started with Jonas Kazlauskas from March. It would be enough if we had more experienced players. It will take not months, but years for China to catch up European or American teams." "We had potential young players in the team, and I think we have four years of time to prepare for the Beijing games." said Harris. After the loss, China must defeat world champion Serbia and Montenegro on Monday to earn a quarterfinal berth. http://english.eastday.com/epublish/gb/paper1/1369/class000100006/hwz208528.htm We are like a skint thrown out of luxury restaurant: Yao Ming -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Chinese men's national team is like a penniless guy thrown out of a luxury restaurant, NBA star center Yao Ming said after China's 89-52 defeat to Italy on Saturday. "You know, we are like a guy going into an expensive restaurant without a penny in his pocket and ended up thrown out," said Yao, who managed nine points and six rebounds in 27 minutes during China's third loss by over 20 points at the Athens Olympic men's basketball tournament. By saying that, the 2.26-meter Yao meant the Chinese team still had a lot to improve to execute American head coach Del Harris' game plans and play more competitively. "The coach told us very clearly what to do both in defense and offense, but we just could not deliver," said Yao. China was just 14-for-53 from the field while allowing the Italians shoot 13-for-31 from beyond the arch and make 22 fast break points. The Chinese players are not physically strong enough, compared with their European and American rivals, according to Yao. "In China (at the club level), we have not paid enough attention to physical training," said Yao, who began to play for the NBA Houston Rockets in 2002 after winning the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) League title with the Shanghai Sharks. "Players are usually told to use their head instead of counting on body strength, but I think it's wrong," he said. "Without strength or not physically strong enough, you can not execute even if you have good skills and good head." Despite the painful losses, Yao still saw something positive from the team coached by its first international coach. "We should not be affected by the defeats," said the 23-year- old Yao. "We should look into the future." "Del is a good coach and he brought us a lot of positive things, " Yao said. "He just needs more time." "Without Del, we might have done worse," Yao added. China still has a chance to qualify for the quarter-finals by beating world champion Serbia and Montenegro in its last group A match on Monday. "It's only hope on paper, but we will try our best," Yao said. At the end, Yao called on teammates to learn from the defeats and spread it to club teammates after going back to China. "We can not lose our face in vain," Yao said. "We should go back and tell guys in domestic clubs about what we experienced, what we suffered and how big was the gap between China and world elite. "That's how we can improve." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Well people that harp on Yao Ming not being strong enough should be happy with his quotes in that Yao understands the importance of physical strength.
While extremely ulinkely, I hope the Chinese team hasn't given up yet - they can beat Serbia if things go right.
some articles are reporting china have been eliminated but nz and scg are also sitting at 1 win 3 losses. in any case spain are through so they might rest up against nz (sauperior points difference) or if not scg will beat china easily.
So if China and NZ tie (both win their next games), NZ could still go through based on scoring more points overall despite the fact that China beat NZ?
