FIBA Asia Cup: Philippines’ shock loss adds to Hong Kong’s woe as city’s hopes end
Defeat by New Zealand leaves Hong Kong at the mercy of other results, but Chinese Taipei produce surprise win
Even the small-scale Tsuen Wan Sports Centre proved on the large side for Hong Kong’s men’s basketball team on Thursday as they suffered a 92-51 defeat by New Zealand.
The 41-point pounding by the Tall Blacks in Group B left the Hongkongers still winless after their first five FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers, with a match against Chinese Taipei still to come on Sunday.
Playing in front of some empty seats at the 700-capacity arena, the home team took up the challenge of the visitors’ pregame haka by making a spirited start, scoring on their first six possessions to take a brief 12-11 lead.
The New Zealanders responded with a 15-9 run to set the tone. Shooting almost 65 per cent from behind the arc in the opening half, they led 52-33 by the break.
Ranked No 3 in the region, the away team, who had already qualified, stayed in control even if the pace slowed. Hong Kong, ranked 23 places below them, were limited to four points in the final quarter.