Powerhouse China stunned hard-fighting Gilas as Paul Lee fell short to drill a three-pointer in the last frame in the Men’s 5x5 Basketball Preliminary match during the 2018 Asian Games at Jakarta, Indonesia, while spitfire Richard Gonzales extended his reign for a two-peat in the Men’s Table Tennis singles during the 28th SEA games at the Beijing Sports Complex, China yesterday.

China took advantage of the collapsing time as Liu Zhixuan put a defensive stop on the shot of Gilas' Paul Lee with 7.5 seconds remaining to notch an 82-80 win against PH, likewise, Richard Gonzales of PH walloped Vietnam’s Tuan Quynh Tran with a 3-0 game routing, 11-3, 11-6, 15-13.

Debutant Jordan Clarkson of Cleveland Cavaliers heated up in the first canto as he dished out an assist to John Paul Erram to fire a trey, 0-3.

Zhou Qi led the Chinese onslaught as he registered a three-pointer, 4-5, off an assist of Liu.
 

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Gilas tries to keep up with China’s advantage as Clarkson pulled up an elbow jumper, 14-9.

China stamped their class against Gilas as Ding Yanyuhang penetrates the center to eke out a layup, 25-13, in the 2nd frame.

Qi continued his scoring rampage with another three-pointer, 30-19, in the 2nd quarter.

Clarkson trimmed down the lead as he launched a trey, 36-31, ending the first half.

Paul Lee drilled a long-range three point shot, towing Gilas closer to China’s lead, 49-37.

China had two free throws in the last canto after Clarkson fouled Zhao Rui, putting China on top for good.

Dalistan had a look from long range with just 7.5 seconds remaining to give Gilas the win, but his shot was off the mark, and China escaped with a victory.

“It’s a good game after all. Clarkson, along with Gilas’ lineup did pretty good. I’m happy for me and my team since we’ll be able to advance to the quarter finals,” said Qi in a post-game interview

Meanwhile, the debutant Clarkson towed Gilas with 28 points, making them one of the top contenders despite the loss.

On the other hand, Richard Gonzales trounced Tuan Tran in the first set after the Vietnamese received a fault of 3 net hits and 3 outsides, giving Gonzales an early advantage, 11-3.

Tran had a sluggish start as he absorbed 2 net errors and an outside in the 2nd set, 11-6.

The two collided for an intense rally in the last set after settling 4 game points, but Tran’s faulty shots gave PH the win.

“Growing up with basketball as my favorite sport, my father influenced me to discover the art of table tennis. As time goes, I have settled my passion for this sport, which could be a big advantage for me during tournaments,” said Gonzales.
 

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