What a disappointment! 18 minutes with zero points! The worst starting player of the Chinese men's basketball team.

We won, we won.

In the quarterfinal knockout match, 79-71, the Chinese men's basketball team defeated South Korea to advance to the semifinals, where they will face the winner between New Zealand and Lebanon.

Lee Hyun-jung cried again; he scored 22 points in this game, hitting two of South Korea's three 3-pointers, giving it his all but unable to save the day.

It's worth mentioning that the last time the Chinese men's basketball team reached the Asian Cup semifinals was back in 2015 at the Changsha Asian Cup, where we ultimately lifted the championship trophy. However, considering the incredibly strong Australia in this year's Asian Cup, even finishing as runners-up would be a reason to celebrate with champagne.

Alright, it's time to praise and criticize as necessary.

For instance, the Chinese men's basketball team did an excellent job limiting South Korea's outside shooting, allowing them to make only 3 out of 24 three-point attempts.

The downside was the disastrous performance of several of our guards, with the core starter Hu Mingxuan and top scorer Cheng ShuaiPeng failing to score at all in their field play...

Especially Hu Mingxuan, who couldn't capitalize on open three-pointers and even got the ball stolen by a single defender. He played for about 18 minutes, went 0 for 7 shooting, with no points but 3 assists, and had the lowest plus-minus of -11 on the team.

In the upcoming games, Hu Mingxuan must find his previous level; otherwise, the chances of the Chinese men's basketball team contending for medals will significantly decrease.

In the national team, Hu Mingxuan's performance has always been like a roller coaster; he scored only 2 points, 2 assists, and 1 rebound in the first group match against Saudi Arabia, but then he had excellent performances in the next two games, scoring 17 points, 2 assists, and 1 rebound against India, and 14 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds against Jordan.

Oh dear, if Hu Mingxuan follows the pattern of having one poor game followed by a breakout performance, can we expect him to dominate in the semifinals? If that's the case, then we can completely accept his poor showing in the quarterfinals.

As one of the most experienced players on this Chinese men's basketball team, Hu Mingxuan has played in countless tough matches. Coaches Du Feng, Djordjevic, and Guo Shiqiang have entrusted him with significant responsibilities, which certainly reflects his recognized abilities. What he needs to do is adjust his mindset to make the contributions expected of him.

Finally, it must be emphasized again that reaching the semifinals is not the goal; standing on that damn podium is the true objective.