Taipei: Taiwan's national men's basketball team suffered a setback on Sunday, losing to China 100-93 in the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian qualifiers. The defeat, which occurred after Taiwan squandered a six-point lead entering the final quarter, has put its chances of advancing in the qualifiers in jeopardy. According to Focus Taiwan, Taiwan, competing as Chinese Taipei, held a 77-71 lead entering the fourth quarter but struggled offensively in the final stretch. In contrast, Team China mounted a significant comeback with an 18-4 run, including a decisive 9-0 burst in the closing minutes, to secure the victory at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila. This loss leaves Taiwan with a 1-1 record for Window 2 of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers. Overall, Taiwan holds a 1-3 record in the first round, placing last in Group B. This group also includes Japan (3-1), South Korea (2-2), and China (2-2), with only the top three teams progressing to the second round. Sunday's outcome marked China's 12th victo ry over Taiwan in their last 13 official FIBA encounters, with Taiwan's last win occurring in 2013. Despite the loss, Taiwan's naturalized center Brandon Gilbeck delivered a solid performance, scoring 19 points and contributing 11 rebounds, three blocks, four assists, and two steals. Point guard Ray Chen led all scorers with 26 points. China's Zhu Junlong was pivotal in his team's win, scoring 19 points on an efficient 7-of-10 shooting, including 5-of-6 from three-point range, alongside four rebounds and two assists.
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