China finish fourth after losing Asian Games basketball bronze-medal game

China had performed well in the group stage, but Guo said it failed to maintain its level in the two decisive games. "In these two key games, we indeed did not do well," he said.

Guo also pointed to the relative inexperience of the squad. "There are quite a lot of young players in this Asian Games team. They still lack some experience in major competitions and the ability to handle pressure," he said.

"The ability to perform steadily in key games is something we did not do well. I believe this was the reason we lost these two games at the Asian Games."

Captain Hu Mingxuan also highlighted defensive and rebounding shortcomings. "Today, we did not do well defensively or on the boards," Hu said.

He urged the team to accept the result while confronting the problems exposed by the tournament. "After these losses, we need to recognize the gap and continue to work hard in our training and review, so that we can reduce these problems in future games and strive for victories," he said.

China has won eight Asian Games men's basketball titles since making its debut in 1974, along with two silver and two bronze medals. At the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, China lost 77-76 to the Philippines in the semifinals before beating Chinese Taipei 101-73 to claim bronze.