In the Zhuji Gymnasium, Yang Hansen's buzzer-beating finger-roll layup gave China's men's basketball team a crucial win over Lebanon in the World Cup qualifier, securing their hold on qualification initiative.
A buzzer-beater: Yang Hansen’s layup—following a drive from the top of the key—had just dropped through the net when the game clock turned red.
With three seconds left in
the game, the Chinese team was still trailing by one point, and the arena was so quiet you couldn’t hear a single sound.As a longtime rival of the Chinese men’s basketball team, Lebanon has always excelled at devising targeted defenses to exploit the team’s weaknesses—such as inconsistent outside shooting and a slow passing rhythm. They have pulled off comebacks in the final stages of official tournaments like the World Cup qualifiers and the Asian Cup on numerous occasions. Coupled with the intense schedule of World Cup qualifiers over the past half-year,with the outcome of every single game directly determining which teams would advance, everyone was on edge, fearing that the slightest misstep could lead to failure at the very last moment.
In their previous World Cup qualifier in
Doha, the Chinese team handed their opponents a decisive 83-57 victory, with Yang Hansen scoring 15 points and grabbing 9 rebounds in less than 20 minutes of play.Hu Jinqiu delivered a steady defensive performance in the paint, and the interior wall they built together made it difficult for the opponents to find openings to break through. The bench’s combined 52-point performance also allowed Coach Guo Shiqiang to fully execute his tactical adjustments, finally bringing some clarity to the long-uncertain qualification prospects.and fans no longer had to repeatedly calculate point differentials after every game to estimate their chances of advancing.
No one expected that, back at their home court in Zhuji, the Lebanese team would still be able to keep the score close until the very end. The moment that layup went in, the spectators in the stands—who had been clenching their fists the entire game—finally let them fly. Thanks to that near game-winner,China’s group ranking in the World Cup qualifiers jumped to third on the spot, putting their qualification fate entirely in their own hands.
Many longtime fans who have been following the game for two or three decades have weathered the ups and downs of the men’s national basketball team over the years. For the past half-year since the World Cup qualifiers began, they’ve stayed up late on countless weeknights and waited by the TV on weekend evenings for results, all in the hope of securing a spot in the World Cup without having to constantly crunch the numbers to determine whether the team would qualify.
However, it’s far too early to let our guard down; there are still four tough games ahead that must be tackled one by one.
As long as the team plays steadily and solidly—nailing the details in key areas like rebounding, defensive transition speed, and three-point consistency, while minimizing unnecessary turnovers—
they will undoubtedly secure their spot in the World Cup. This men’s basketball team, which fought until the very last second, has ultimately lived up to the long-standing hopes and expectations of all its fans.
