'Fire the coach immediately, a 20-point blowout loss in Japan...' China's historic basketball disaster sparks 'tsunami' of fury

*This content was translated by AI.

Public outrage that could no longer be contained finally exploded. Following a humiliating 20-point defeat by host nation Japan in the men's basketball semifinals of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, public opinion and the basketball community in China have erupted in anger.

Chinese media outlet 'Sina Sports' reported on the 19th (Korea time), stating, "China's men's basketball team suffered a complete defeat against Japan in the Asian Games semifinals." The report added that while both offense and defense collapsed miserably, experts poured out curses and harsh criticism, with demands for coach Guo Shichang's dismissal reaching a peak.

China lost 77-97 to Japan in the tournament's semifinal match held at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya on the 18th.

The game content was one-sided even beyond the scoreline. China fell behind significantly from the first quarter with a 15-28 deficit, trailed throughout the second (15-21) and third quarters (22-34), and made a late comeback in the fourth quarter (25-14), but it was insufficient to turn the tide.

China was completely dominated in statistics as well. While Japan deployed high-efficiency three-point shooting at 40% (12/30), China managed only 28% (7/25). Rebounds and assists also lagged behind. Turnovers were another area of disparity; while China committed seven, Japan had just three.

The humiliating defeat sent shockwaves through the Chinese basketball community. According to 'Sina Sports', renowned basketball commentator Yang Yi unleashed a barrage of harsh profanities on his personal social networking service (SNS) immediately after the game, stating, "It was a complete disaster where they failed at offense, defense, and rebounding in every aspect. It was an unwatchable game that no one could accept."

Another commentator pointed out, "They were extremely tense from the start of the game and showed absolutely no proper play. A mental collapse is proof of insufficient skill. There wasn't even a fighting spirit for rebounds."

Fans and experts are directing their anger at coach Guo Shichang. He is criticized for sticking to slow half-court tactics, setting up a center and waiting, instead of embracing the fast tempo and transition offense that are core to modern basketball, thereby ruining the flow. With no detailed pick-and-roll tactics and relying solely on simple one-on-one attacks while displaying complacent defensive responses, he has revealed an outdated basketball philosophy from a bygone era, sparking immediate demands for his resignation.

Meanwhile, Japan, which completely defeated China by 20 points, reached the Asian Games finals for the first time since the 1962 Jakarta tournament, 64 years later, and will now challenge for its first-ever gold medal. Japan's opponent in the final is South Korea, which crushed Iran 77-51 in the semifinals. Having already defeated Japan 100-83 in their group stage matchup, South Korea aims to claim the tournament title in a finals rematch.

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*This content was translated by AI.