83-78! The Chinese men's basketball team narrowly beat Uruguay in a warm-up game, but the win is nothing to be proud of and even feels a bit undeserved.

Beijing time, August 14—a key exhibition match went down last night, with China's men's basketball team surviving pressure to beat Uruguay 83-78. Everyone is wondering about the true value of this win. Frankly, this victory is hardly satisfying and even a bit tainted, as the referees' calls at home were overly generous, particularly during the last stretch of the fourth quarter.

To assess the training camp's results, the Chinese men's basketball team scheduled warm-up matches, playing three games against Uruguay and New Zealand. Their first opponent was Uruguay, who came with full force, fielding their main lineup. This put China under heavy pressure to win.

When the game started, China opened strong in the first quarter, raining three-pointers and building a lead. But Uruguay fought back with balanced scoring to close the gap, leaving China ahead by just five points at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, Uruguay kept pushing, combining inside and outside play to eat into the lead. Fortunately, Hu Jinqiu stepped up to stop the surge. At halftime, China led by only two points, turning the game into a tight battle.

In the second half, both teams struggled with shooting, and Uruguay particularly went cold. China seized the opportunity to attack the basket and extend the lead. However, in the fourth quarter, Uruguay stayed close, putting constant pressure on China. But thanks to the home-court advantage, China narrowly escaped with a win, barely holding on for the victory.

Overall, although we won, the victory is nothing to celebrate. This win mainly serves as a strong test for our training—Uruguay essentially brought their World Cup qualifier main players, and their physicality posed a real challenge. Still, we cannot be complacent; there were too many home-court whistles. Hopefully, the Chinese team will keep working hard and show the same intensity in official games, not just in warm-ups. Keep pushing!

By Sports Novel