Two consecutive comebacks, the Chinese men's basketball team showed long-awaited fighting spirit!

In the two games of the second stage of the FIBA World Cup qualifiers, the Chinese men's basketball team achieved comeback victories, with both matches being full of dramatic twists and turns. Today's game was even more challenging than the one against Japan, as Chen Yingjun and Lin Tingqian, familiar faces from the CBA, gave us tremendous trouble.

To be honest, in this match against Chinese Taipei, the team was somewhat overconfident in the first half. Scoring 50 points by halftime, the offense was not a problem, maintaining the good form from the second half against Japan, with decent three-point shooting and the height advantage of Hu Jinqiu and Yu Jiahao fully utilized inside. However, the issue was that we allowed Chinese Taipei to score 51 points in the first half.

In the first quarter, the provincial team's first 14 points came mainly from their naturalized center Gao Bokai, who dominated inside with 10 points. If we could have contained their perimeter shooting and let Gao Bokai score alone, it might have been manageable. But in the second quarter, the provincial team exploded for 29 points, showcasing all their strengths, and Chen Yingjun went on a rampage that was hard to stop.

Near the end of the second quarter, Guo Shiqiang substituted Jiao Boqiao, and the team fielded almost everyone by halftime. While Guo's intention to "give everyone some playing time" is understandable, right after Jiao Boqiao grabbed a rebound, a passing error led to a steal by the provincial team, and Liu Zheng hit a go-ahead three-pointer. From that moment, the provincial team completely controlled the game's rhythm.

We struggled to catch up in the third quarter, and the deficit once widened to 11 points by the end of the period. The two guards of the provincial team were in an unstoppable zone. Being in Manila again, facing Chinese Taipei, memories of the 2013 Manila disaster immediately surfaced. Fortunately, the Chinese men's basketball team held firm in the final quarter.

When trailing by a maximum of 11 points, Zhu Junlong's three-pointer and Liao Sanning's fast-break layup in the closing moments were lifesavers, bringing the deficit down to 6 points—a manageable range. At the start of the fourth quarter, Li Hongquan scored on a putback, and Hu Jinqiu drew fouls inside for 6 consecutive points, keeping the gap close.

Entering the final three minutes, China trailed 88-91. With the shot clock winding down, Zhao Jiwei pulled up from well beyond the NBA three-point line and sank a super deep three, finally tying the game for the team. This shot was arguably the most crucial of the game, completely shifting the momentum back.

Li Hongquan was immensely important in the final moments, making consecutive defensive stops against the provincial team's overzealous guards. Surprisingly, the provincial team's final possession wasn't in the hands of Chen Yingjun or Lin Tingqian. Their stamina was nearly depleted, and relying on only a seven-man rotation ultimately proved a hidden flaw, as Gao Bokai was completely exhausted by the end.

In the decisive free-throw moments, Hu Jinqiu first made one of two free throws but grabbed the crucial offensive rebound, then sank both subsequent free throws. The five-point lead essentially sealed the victory. The situation of being down 11 points late in the third quarter was more perilous than the previous game against Japan, yet the team once again narrowly pulled through.

Zhao Jiwei has been outstanding in these two games, arguably delivering two career-best performances for the national team. He hit golden three-pointers during both comeback efforts. Gao Shiyan also excelled today, contributing with rebounds, steals, fighting through screens, and even hitting a three-pointer.

Three-point shooting became key to both comebacks. Today, the team shot 13/29 from beyond the arc, even more accurate than the provincial team's 10/25. Objectively, the provincial team's two guards were stronger than ours, and their naturalized center also recorded 19 points and 11 rebounds. Our advantage lay in the forward duo of Zhu Junlong and Li Hongquan.

Zhu Junlong played perhaps the best game of his national team career, hitting critical three-pointers in every quarter and finishing with a team-high 19 points on 5/6 shooting from deep. While defense remains his trademark, his shooting accuracy today was a welcome surprise.

Li Hongquan played with exceptional toughness today. In just his second national team game, he went 3/6 from the field for 9 points (5 in the final quarter) and 11 rebounds, including 4 valuable offensive boards. His plus-minus rating was +21 for the game; whenever he was on the court, the team was mostly gaining ground, altering the flow of the match.

During the national team training camp, Li Hongquan welcomed the birth of his daughter. Burdened with the duty of representing his country, he couldn't return immediately to see his child. After the win against Japan, Li was the most emotional, a mix of joy and guilt overwhelming him, released collectively after the victory. Today's game will be the best gift for his daughter and wife.

After two losses to South Korea, the low pressure surrounding the Chinese men's basketball team persisted for too long, with everyone holding in a breath of frustration. The pressure during and beyond these two comeback games was immense. Fortunately, the team withstood it.

In the post-game interview, Zhao Jiwei said: "The Chinese men's basketball team is unprecedentedly united and spirited. We hope these two games can inspire all players across China!"

Heaven helps those who help themselves. Thanks to everyone who never gave up.