China beats South Korea 77-73 at FIBA World Cup

GUANGZHOU - Thanks to Guo Ailun's five points in the last two minutes, China rallied past South Korea 77-73 in the classification round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup, preserving its hopes of direct qualification for the Tokyo Olympics.

The game was tied at 70-70 with two minutes left on the clock. Lee Jung-hyun made a free throw for South Korea leading 71-70. Guo dribbled into the paint for a layup, helping China retake a 72-71 lead with one minute to go.

After Yi Jianlian made a steal from Lee, Guo scored his three-pointer to put China ahead at 75-71 with 40 seconds left. Ra Guna made one free throw for the Koreans, only to see Zhao Jiwei's layup kill the game.