PARIS, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Expectations were high for the Olympic 3x3 basketball competition, but few anticipated the thrilling peak on the first matchday, as Wang Lili banked a game-winning 2-pointer in overtime to secure China a 21-19 victory over hosts France in the women's pool round at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday.
Chen Mingling led China's scoring with a game-high 10 points, while Zhang Zhiting contributed six points and four rebounds. Wang only had two points, but her crucial shot sealed the win for China. France's Hortense Limouzin scored six points, and Laetitia Guapo added five.
Despite the temperature in Paris reaching a scorching 36 degrees Celsius, the opening day of 3x3 basketball saw high energy at the court on Place de la Concorde, with all 4,700 tickets sold out.
In front of an enthusiastic French crowd, China entered the game with a solid 8-1 lead, leveraging their height advantage, but the host team quickly narrowed the gap with fast drives and precise cuts. The game remained intense, tied at 14 until the final moments of regular time.
The intensity escalated in overtime, with both sides missing crucial layup attempts. Wang's shot from beyond the arc bounced in after touching the backboard, marking China's first victory in Paris.
Reflecting on her performance, Wang, who struggled earlier in the match, emphasized staying focused in critical moments. "Our opponents studied my game thoroughly, so I knew they would pay extra attention to me. I stuck to our game plan in overtime without overthinking, focusing on the present," said the 2023 FIBA Women's Series MVP.
"I didn't even glance at the scoreboard during the match," added Wang, whose team will next face Canada on Wednesday.
In another match, the United States women's team, featuring three former or current WNBA players, started their tournament against Germany. The defending champions initially dominated with Dearica Hamby's layups off simple pick-and-roll plays, but Germany mounted a 6-0 run. Hailey Van Lith of NCAA fame helped the USA with a crucial 3-pointer and a layup, but Germany prevailed, winning 17-13 after all their players hit shots from beyond the arc.
Cierra Burdick of the United States expressed dissatisfaction with the result, noting, "I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I didn't expect it to go that way."
"Defensively, we made mistakes, and offensively, we stagnated. We started playing too much one-on-one basketball, which doesn't work in 3x3," Burdick said.
As one of the most experienced 3x3 teams, Burdick emphasized the importance of reviewing their game and learning from mistakes to improve.
All 16 teams across both categories competed on the opening day. In other women's matches, Canada comfortably defeated Australia 22-14, while Spain narrowly edged past Azerbaijan 18-16.
In men's action, China faced a tough opener against the Netherlands, losing 21-16. Zhang Ning led China with seven points and four rebounds, supported by Zhao Jiaren's six points, including two 2-pointers. For the Netherlands, Worthy de Jong scored nine points, with Dimeo van der Horst adding seven points and five rebounds.
Reflecting on the match, Zhang stressed the need to maintain a competitive mindset moving forward. "When I say 'play,' I mean we must respect our opponents and learn from the best teams in the world. Our traditional tactics won't suffice against them. We need to release our tension and bring something new to our game," Zhang said.
In other men's games, Latvia defeated Lithuania 21-14, France narrowly beat Poland 21-19, and Serbia overcame Olympic debutants the United States 22-14.
