The 2023 Asian Games men’s basketball tournament is about to reach its climax as the playing field for the upcoming quarter-finals is slowly taking shape.
Here at SBOTOP, we listed the countries that are backed to get out of their respective groups, and so far, our predictions have been fairly accurate.
Iran, Saudi Arabia, China, Chinese Taipei, Jordan, the Philippines, Japan, and South Korea are on top of their groups because they have yet to lose a game in this competition as of this writing, although things may still change depending on the next set of Asian Games 2023 results.
As the action is heating up, continue reading below as we recap the latest updates about the quadrennial basketball tournament in Asia.
Jordan and Philippines blowing out the competition
Jordan pummeled Thailand 97-63 and Bahrain 84-60, while the Philippines defeated Bahrain 89-61 and Thailand 87-72 a while ago.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has carried over his spectacular World Cup form here in this tournament. Two games in, and the former Brooklyn Net is averaging 18.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and three steals per game on 52-per cent shooting from the field.
Meanwhile, the Philippines are playing much better lately. Without Jordan Clarkson, it is Justin Brownlee and CJ Perez who have been shouldering the offencive cudgels with averages of 16.5 and 15.5 points per game, respectively.
Gilas Pilipinas are playing pressure-free basketball, much to their fans’ delight, under head coach Tim Cone, who replaced the polarising Vincent “Chot” Reyes. It also helps that the competition in the Asian Games is way easier compared to the World Cup, making them a viable contender to win it all.
With two wins apiece already, Jordan and the Philippines are on top of Group C, and they’re going to battle for the top spot on Saturday at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium.
Other than the bragging rights, the winner of the said group stage match will have an easier path in the quarter-finals, so this contest is must-see on TV.
The same goes for Japan and South Korea
Depending on who wins between Jordan and the Philippines, they will meet either Japan or South Korea in the quarter-finals, and both nations are in fine form with two wins each.
Japan blew out Qatar 95-63 and Indonesia 70-57, while South Korea, who are competing in a big event for the first time after they pulled out of the World Cup qualifiers due to their worrying COVID-19 situation at the time, also routed Indonesia 95-55 and Qatar 76-64.
Despite having a different squad than in the World Cup, the Akatsuki have shown no signs of slowing down.
Kazuki Hosokawa is currently their most consistent scorer, posting norms of 16 points per game on 43-per cent shooting from three-point land.
On the other hand, South Korea are buoyed by the performances of their naturalised big man, Ra Gun-Ah, formerly known as Ricardo Ratliffe. Ra is currently averaging 17 points, 9.5 rebounds, and three assists per game on 63-per cent shooting from the field.
Heo Hoon is another player to look out for in South Korea, as the 28-year-old point guard is averaging 15 points, two rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game on an efficient 59-per cent shooting from the field.
Similar to Group C, Japan and South Korea will duel for the top seed in Group D on Saturday, and the Asian Games 2023 odds predict that it’s going to be a hard-fought contest.
China now have a clearer path to the quarter-finals
But compared to Japan, South Korea, Jordan, and the Philippines, China’s path is much more straightforward.
That is because the competition in Group B was watered down after Lebanon made the decision to withdraw days before the Asiad started. Taking their place is a Hong Kong squad that was actually ranked outside the Top 16 in Asia.
Citing injuries to their key players, the Cedars decided that it was best to take a break after their World Cup run, which saw them finish with a respectable 2-3 record.
Team Dragon started their Asian Games campaign with an 89-50 hammering of Mongolia, as four of their players scored in double digits. World Cup squad holdovers Zhenlin Zhang and Yongxi Cui led the way with 19 and 16 points, respectively, and both shot above 60-per cent from the field. China are set to face Chinese Taipei next, who just defeated Hong Kong 81-62 on Tuesday. Chinese Taipei can make it difficult for China, but all signs point to another victory for the hosts later.
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