USA Plays Exhibition Game Against China

The White T-mac · 08-06-2006, 10:35 PM

http://www.nba.com/features/usa_chin...ew_060806.html

USA vs. China will be aired on ESPN2 at 9:30 p.m. ET on Monday

Aug. 6, 2006 -- Team USA faces its first test in the China Basketball Challenge Monday, taking on the host country at 8 a.m. ET. China center Yao Ming recently told fans in an online chat he hoped to return to the court for the exhibition for the first time since suffering a season-ending fractured left foot in the Houston Rockets' 85-83 loss to the Utah Jazz on April 11.

Without Yao in the lineup, China has lost four consecutive exhibition contests as it prepares for the 2006 FIBA Men's World Championships in Japan from Aug. 19 - Sept. 3.

The United States looked dominant in its 114-69 exhibition victory over Puerto Rico Thursday in front of 18,218 fans at UNLV's Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

Team USA got 18 points from Carmelo Anthony, 16 points from Antawn Jamison and 14 more from Dwyane Wade as the squad scored the most points by a USA senior team in exhibition play since the 1996 Senior Team tallied 128 versus Greece.

In addition to facing China Monday, the U.S. will face Brazil Aug. 8 in the three-team China Basketball Challenge competition.

The Chinese National Team is regarded as an emerging power in the sport of basketball. The team matched its best ever Olympic finish with an eighth place in the 2004 Athens Games.

For information on the Chinese team, check out the roster and latest team information, via FIBA.com.

7-1 forward Wang Zhizhi, who played parts of five seasons in the NBA, is back with the Chinese National Team after a four-year absence that began when he opted not to join the team for the World Championship in 2002. In the 2004 Olympics without Wang, defenses focused almost exclusively on Yao. Although Yao averaged 20.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, he clearly appeared frustrated at times with the swarming double and triple teams.

Zhizhi's outstanding perimeter shooting ability will help take pressure of Yao as China looks to medal in Japan. Zhizhi is likely to miss Monday's contest against the U.S. after pulling a ligament in China's loss to France June 24 but is expected back in the lineup for the World Championship. Yao claimed to be 80 percent recovered from his injury in a recent chat with fans on www.sina.com.

Even if neither one of China's talented duo can play, Team USA will still get a first-person look at budding NBA prospect Yi Jianlian. The 7-foot teenage pivot averaged 19.6 points and 11.0 rebounds per game in guiding the Guangdong Southern Tigers to its third consecutive Chinese Baskeball Association championship this spring. For his efforts, the athletic pivot was named postseason MVP. Yi is joined by his Guangdong teammate, Athens Games veteran Du Feng, on the national team.

Other players of note representing China include 6-3 guard Liu Wei, a member of the Sacramento Kings' preseason team in 2004; 6-10 forward Mo Ke and 6-9 guard Sun Yue.

Team USA will try to take advantage of its speed and depth edge at guard. Wei is China's most talented guard but doesn't have the physical ability that the American guards possess. In 33 preseason minutes with the Kings in 2004, Wei scored two points and struggled defensively. Yue is in his first year with the Chinese National Team, and as a young player, isn't expected to see significant minutes.

The 6-9 guard drew attention this year with his combination of height and passing ability as a member of Beijing Aoshen, which spent the season in Los Angeles competing in the American Basketball Association. Yue averaged 9.5 points and 6.4 assists in 23 appearances, and was named Second Team All-ABA and as an ABA All-Star Game participant. He declared for the NBA Draft but later pulled out.

Ke was regarded as an NBA Draft prospect in 2004 but went undrafted. Since then, he's grown into one of the top players in the CBA for the Bayi Rockets, and is yet another one of China's big men who can play on the perimeter.

Following the China Basketball Challenge, Team USA will travel to Seoul, Korea Aug. 11-15 for the World Basketball Challenge 2006. China will participate in the Stankovic Cup from Aug. 11-15 in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province.

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08-06-2006, 10:35 PM	#1 (permalink)
The White T-mac Star Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Rockwood, Michigan Posts: 1,175	http://www.nba.com/features/usa_chin...ew_060806.html USA vs. China will be aired on ESPN2 at 9:30 p.m. ET on Monday Aug. 6, 2006 -- Team USA faces its first test in the China Basketball Challenge Monday, taking on the host country at 8 a.m. ET. China center Yao Ming recently told fans in an online chat he hoped to return to the court for the exhibition for the first time since suffering a season-ending fractured left foot in the Houston Rockets' 85-83 loss to the Utah Jazz on April 11. Without Yao in the lineup, China has lost four consecutive exhibition contests as it prepares for the 2006 FIBA Men's World Championships in Japan from Aug. 19 - Sept. 3. The United States looked dominant in its 114-69 exhibition victory over Puerto Rico Thursday in front of 18,218 fans at UNLV's Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. Team USA got 18 points from Carmelo Anthony, 16 points from Antawn Jamison and 14 more from Dwyane Wade as the squad scored the most points by a USA senior team in exhibition play since the 1996 Senior Team tallied 128 versus Greece. In addition to facing China Monday, the U.S. will face Brazil Aug. 8 in the three-team China Basketball Challenge competition. The Chinese National Team is regarded as an emerging power in the sport of basketball. The team matched its best ever Olympic finish with an eighth place in the 2004 Athens Games. For information on the Chinese team, check out the roster and latest team information, via FIBA.com. 7-1 forward Wang Zhizhi, who played parts of five seasons in the NBA, is back with the Chinese National Team after a four-year absence that began when he opted not to join the team for the World Championship in 2002. In the 2004 Olympics without Wang, defenses focused almost exclusively on Yao. Although Yao averaged 20.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, he clearly appeared frustrated at times with the swarming double and triple teams. Zhizhi's outstanding perimeter shooting ability will help take pressure of Yao as China looks to medal in Japan. Zhizhi is likely to miss Monday's contest against the U.S. after pulling a ligament in China's loss to France June 24 but is expected back in the lineup for the World Championship. Yao claimed to be 80 percent recovered from his injury in a recent chat with fans on www.sina.com. Even if neither one of China's talented duo can play, Team USA will still get a first-person look at budding NBA prospect Yi Jianlian. The 7-foot teenage pivot averaged 19.6 points and 11.0 rebounds per game in guiding the Guangdong Southern Tigers to its third consecutive Chinese Baskeball Association championship this spring. For his efforts, the athletic pivot was named postseason MVP. Yi is joined by his Guangdong teammate, Athens Games veteran Du Feng, on the national team. Other players of note representing China include 6-3 guard Liu Wei, a member of the Sacramento Kings' preseason team in 2004; 6-10 forward Mo Ke and 6-9 guard Sun Yue. Team USA will try to take advantage of its speed and depth edge at guard. Wei is China's most talented guard but doesn't have the physical ability that the American guards possess. In 33 preseason minutes with the Kings in 2004, Wei scored two points and struggled defensively. Yue is in his first year with the Chinese National Team, and as a young player, isn't expected to see significant minutes. The 6-9 guard drew attention this year with his combination of height and passing ability as a member of Beijing Aoshen, which spent the season in Los Angeles competing in the American Basketball Association. Yue averaged 9.5 points and 6.4 assists in 23 appearances, and was named Second Team All-ABA and as an ABA All-Star Game participant. He declared for the NBA Draft but later pulled out. Ke was regarded as an NBA Draft prospect in 2004 but went undrafted. Since then, he's grown into one of the top players in the CBA for the Bayi Rockets, and is yet another one of China's big men who can play on the perimeter. Following the China Basketball Challenge, Team USA will travel to Seoul, Korea Aug. 11-15 for the World Basketball Challenge 2006. China will participate in the Stankovic Cup from Aug. 11-15 in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province.