CHINA’S national basketball team beat the Australian Melbourne Tigers 84-78 in Macao on Wednesday night in a challenge as part of the 2008 Beijing Olympics training tour.
NBA All-Star center Yao Ming top scored both sides with 25 points in his second match since returning from his honeymoon.
Yao dominated making 11 out of his 17 shots and grabbed eight rebounds.
Yi Jianlian, the No. 6 rookie picked by the Milwaukee Bucks in this year’s NBA draft, added 20 points to help China ease over the Tigers comfortably. Wang Zhizhi, a former NBA player, returned to the team and got 11 points.
It was the first time China had the NBA trio playing the same match this year.
Guard Wang Shipeng contributed eight points while shooter Zhu Fangyu and guard Liu Wei both added seven points apiece. Veteran point guard Li Nan got five points and teenager forward Zhou Peng offered one point from the free throws.
“China is a good and talented team with Yao and Yi,” Tigers head coach Alan Westover said at a post-match press conference.
“We wish China good luck in Beijing next year,” he said. (Xinhua)