Full coverage: 2016 Rio Olympics
In the group stage of the Olympic men’s basketball, China was looking to get into the win column as it faced Venezuela in its third Pool A contest. But the South Americans were hoping “home continent advantage” is really a thing, as they looked to get a stunning win over coach Gong Luming’s team.
Three Chinese players scored double digits, led by Yi Jianlian, who poured in a team-high 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. But the Chinese team fell to the Venezuelans by a 72-68 margin, suffering their third straight defeat in Rio. It will look to regroup against Australia on Friday.
Elsewhere, China’s women’s basketball team fell to Spain 89-68. But the women’s volleyball squad swept past Puerto Rico in straight sets, while the PRC women’s beach volleyball duo beat Australia in two sets.