Liao leads nine-man China into Asian Games men's basketball semis

Liao Sanning (L) and Cui Yongxi (R) of China defend Mathna Almarwani of Saudi Arabia during the quarterfinal match between China and Saudi Arabia at 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Nagoya, Japan, Sept. 16, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua/Luo Yuan)

NAGOYA, Japan, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Liao Sanning poured in a game-high 30 points as a nine-man China defeated Saudi Arabia 87-78 in the men's basketball quarterfinals at the 2026 Asian Games on Wednesday to advance to the semifinals.

Liao led four Chinese players in double figures, while Yu Jiahao added 16 points and nine rebounds. Muhammad Abdurrahkman paced Saudi Arabia with 25 points.

"We knew it would be a tough game, so we were prepared for that," Liao said. "Even when the game became difficult in the third quarter, we didn't lose our composure."

With Zhu Junlong, Zhao Jiayi and Li Hongquan sidelined by injuries, China took a 48-39 lead into halftime, but Saudi Arabia fought back to tie the game at 62 at the end of the third quarter.

The fourth quarter remained tight before two free throws from Hu Jinqiu gave China an 83-75 lead with 2:04 remaining. Mohammad Alsuwailem then made a free throw and a layup to cut the deficit to 83-78 with 1:29 left, but consecutive baskets from Cui Yongxi and Liao sealed China's victory.

Liao credited his teammates and coaches for showing confidence in him.

"I was in good form today, and the coaches and my teammates gave me a lot of trust and allowed me to take more responsibility on offense," he said.

China head coach Guo Shiqiang praised his players' performance and fighting spirit, saying the injuries forced others to shoulder greater responsibilities.

"With three players out injured, everyone had to take on more responsibilities. Some players even had to switch between several positions," Guo said. "The team stayed united, and I think we did a good job."

China entered the knockout stage with a perfect 3-0 record in the group phase, winning its three games by an average of 42.7 points, but struggled at times to contain Saudi Arabia's perimeter shooting and drives to the basket. Liao's drives and Cui's three-pointers provided China with a consistent threat at the other end.

China made just four of its 16 three-point attempts, with Guo attributing the poor shooting largely to fluctuations in mentality and a lack of experience.

"Many of our players are playing in the Asian Games for the first time, so their mentality can fluctuate, especially when taking important shots," he said. "That affected our three-point shooting. Our offensive selection was also not as good as in the previous games."

China will face the winner between host Japan and Chinese Taipei in Friday's semifinals.