Jeddah, Aug. 16 -- China marched into the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup final after beating New Zealand 98-84 in today's semifinal, moving within one victory of retaking the event title for the first time in ten years.
China took its 16th Asian title on home court in 2015, but failed to make into the last four in either
the 2017 or 2022 tournaments. Both teams entered the semifinal with perfect 4-0 record.
In the quarterfinals, China struggled to beat arch-rival South Korea 79-71, while New Zealand erased a 22-point deficit to defeat Lebanon. The two teams were tied at 19-19 in the first quarter, and China delivered a 9-0 run to finish the period 28-19.
China was leading by 11 points in the second quarter, only to see New Zealand trim the gap t...