Defending champion China crushed North Korea 98-62 in Asiad basketball group play on Wednesday, as the Philippines defeated 2006 Doha Games silver medallist Qatar 90-68.
In the late games, Japan surprised two-time reigning Asian champion Iran 57-56 in Group F, while a fired up South Korean team pummelled Jordan 95-49 in Group E.
Six players scored in double figures as host China jumped out to a 17-6 lead midway through the first period and never looked back in the easy victory over North Korea in front of 17,000 hometown fans.
ADVERTISEMENT
Former NBA Dallas Maverick centre Wang Zhizhi led the balanced Chinese attack with 14 points in just under 14 minutes of playing time, while Pak Un Chol top scored for the North Koreans with 19 points.
“We shot when there was a chance to score, without having any special strategy,” back up centre Zhang Zhaoxu said.
“We were also able to score inside as they are not tall.”
ADVERTISEMENT
China has started its Asian Games campaign with two easy wins in Group E, beating hapless Mongolia 91-46 on Tuesday night, while Mongolia recovered to beat Uzbekistan 67-65 on Wednesday.
In the night's surprise, Japan outscored Iran 9-3 in the final three minutes to win a closely-fought match.
Former NBA guard Yuta Tabuse tied the game at 54-54 with a three pointer while teammate Kosuke Takeuchi's jumper in the lane gave the East Asians their first lead of the second half with just over a minute left in the game.
Japan was led by Takumi Ishizaki with 13 points, while Iranian guard Mahdi Kamrani top scored for his side with 15 points.
The night's final match up saw Taiwan beat India 93-66 in Group F play.