[Reporter s Observation] A loss to the men s basketball team s Asian Cup runner-up with one point is worthy of love!

When Hu Mingxuan's buzzer-beating three-pointer collapsed, the scoreboard at Kings Stadium in Saudi Arabia was finally frozen at 89 to 90--the Chinese men's basketball team lost to the Australian men's basketball team with the smallest score difference and won the runner-up in the 2025 men's basketball team Asian Cup.

This is a battle that can be recorded in the history of the Chinese men's basketball team. Facing the Australian men's basketball team, which ranked seventh in the world, never lost in the Asian Cup of the Men's Basketball Team, and won 44 points in the semi-finals, the Chinese men's basketball team fought with their opponents for four quarters, but missed the championship at the last moment.

Even most of the game, the Chinese men's basketball team is in the leading position. The Chinese men's basketball team led by 15 points at most, which is also the first time that the Australian men's basketball team fell behind by more than double digits in this game; at the end of the midfield, the Chinese men's basketball team led by 4 points, which is also the first time that the Australian men's basketball team entered the second half as a laggard in this game... Hu Mingxuan played a representative battle in his national team career, making 5 of 7 three-pointers to score the team's highest 26 points. Under his leadership, the Chinese men's basketball team and the world's strong team Australian men's basketball team fought to the last second.

After the game, the head coach of the Chinese men's basketball team, Guo Shiqiang hugged and greeted his disciples with a smile. Hu Mingxuan, who lost the winning goal, also smiled and touched his brothers. The whole Chinese men's basketball team did not have much regrets of losing the game, but only the calmness of accepting the result after trying their best. Before the final, who would have thought that the Chinese men's basketball team could make the Australian men's basketball team sweat in a cold sweat; before this Asian Cup, who would have thought that the Chinese men's basketball team not only achieved the goal of standing on the podium, but also played the final in this way that countless fans were amazed.

In the training camp of the Chinese men's basketball team before the start of this Asian Cup, Guo Shiqiang emphasized his criteria for selecting national team members: "I need 12 desperate players, and I have to find 5 deadly players on the court." That's what he said, and the national team under his command did the same. In this competition, the Chinese men's basketball team has dedicated their best performances in the national competition in the past decade. Zhao Rui, who assumed the captain's duties, Hu Jinqiu, who was as stable as a sea god, Hu Mingxuan, who performed a crazy performance in the final, Wang Junjie, Zhu Junlong, Gao Shiyan, who tried his best to defend the defense...

Every player selected for the 12-man roster of the Chinese men's basketball team in the Asian Cup, "tryed his life". In the 48 minutes of the final, no matter which five players were present, they regarded this game as a real battle.

The Chinese men's basketball team has not played like this for too long. From losing the Tokyo Olympic ticket at your doorstep in 2019, to losing Manila in 2023, to losing to Paris again to the Asian Games in the same year, the Chinese men's basketball team encountered a long trough. In this cup, Guo Shiqiang and his disciples achieved a strong rebound with their wonderful performance. Although they failed to win the championship in the end, such performance will definitely make Chinese basketball fans breathe a sigh of relief - this is the Chinese men's basketball team we want to see!

This is definitely not the best team in the history of the Chinese men's basketball team, but this may be the most united Chinese men's basketball team in history. Guo Shiqiang tied the 12 players together almost perfectly and contributed six wonderful games to Chinese fans. What is commendable is that the Chinese men's basketball team still has a lot of potential to tap. Yang Hansen, who has just entered the NBA, has not participated in the training camp. Zhou Qi, Zeng Fanbo, Cui Yongxi and other major players are absent due to injuries. When all these players return, the Chinese men's basketball team will be more competitive.

After walking through a long dark moment, the Chinese men's basketball team finally saw the dawn. After the end of this game, the official Chinese basketball social media wrote: "The Asian Cup is not the end, but a firmer starting point." For the Chinese men's basketball team, the biggest gain of this Asian Cup is not the Asian medal, but the regaining confidence that we are not afraid of any opponents in Asia.

Even the picky Chinese basketball fans will probably sigh after watching this game: The future of the Chinese men's basketball team is promising! Such a Chinese men's basketball team that is trying its best is worthy of the respect and love of all fans.

Text｜Reporter Hao Haoyu

Photo|Visual China