Gutsy final delivers silver lining

One such success story is the rise of 20-year-old forward Wang Junjie in Jeddah. The junior with the San Francisco Dons in NCAA D1 has paid back Guo's trust in spades, serving up a critical tally of 13 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, as he rose to the challenge during the knockout phase, most notably hitting 21 points to eliminate South Korea in the quarterfinals.

Team China had been locked out of the quarters at the two previous editions of the Cup tournament in 2017 and 2022 amid an ongoing performance slump that also saw it fail to qualify for consecutive Olympic Games at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.

Wang joined his fellow post star Hu Jinqiu, who contributed a productive average of 16.5 points and 9.2 rebounds in 24.5 minutes, a team-high, across six games, in being named on the tournament's All-Star Five.

With fearless youngsters like Wang and Yang, also 20, still yet to mature in the United States, it's time to expect a legitimate turnaround on the world stage for Team China.

"On top of everything, I think they've earned back some respect from fans and opponents from around the world," former Team China guard Guo Ailun said during live commentary of the final on Chinese online broadcaster Migu.

Still, Wang chose to remain pragmatic.

"We still have a long way to go to reach the glorious history created by our predecessors," he said. "It's too early to talk about pride right now; I just hope that, through my own efforts, I can continue to help the team make progress."

Captain Zhao Rui, who, alongside Hu, was one of just two players in Jeddah remaining from China's humiliating 2023 World Cup and Asian Games campaigns, cautioned against complacence.

"This loss actually motivates us," said the 29-year-old, who confessed he'd considered quitting the national squad following the two tournament disappointments in 2023.

"Some fans probably didn't expect a close game, but we delivered them a brave fight tonight. This one-point loss will remind us to work harder and get better, though. Today is just the start, not the end."

Australia joined FIBA's Asian zone from Oceania a decade ago, and Sunday's victory kept the Boomers unbeaten in 18 Asia Cup games going back to their debut in 2017.

Australia's star forward Xavier Cooks led the Boomers with a game-high 30 points on an efficient 13-of-17 shooting to go with nine rebounds, and constantly broke down China's defense with his drives. He was named the game's Most Valuable Player.

Jaylin Galloway, playing in his first Asia Cup final, also rose to the occasion, drilling six 3s on his way to 23 points and five rebounds. He was later named the tournament MVP and nominated in the All-Star Five alongside teammate Jack McVeigh.

sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn