China out of 3x3 men's basketball in Tokyo Olympics

Hu Jinqiu of China gets a rebound during the pool round of men's 3X3 basketball match between China and Japan in Tokyo, Japan, July 27, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

TOKYO, July. 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese men's 3x3 basketball team lost to Japan 21-16 here on Tuesday, ending their Tokyo Olympic journey as No. 8 in the pool with a 2-5 win-loss record.

Gao Shiyan finished with a team-high eight points for China, while Hu Jinqiu added three points and grabbed seven rebounds. Ryuto Yasuoka and Keisei Tominaga scored eight points apiece for Japan.

"Every match is a challenge. We played in Olympic Games for the first time. It's our dream and we fought for our dream. Each of us tried our best and fought to the last second," Hu Jinqiu said after the game.

"It's a great pity that we didn't make to the next round. No matter win or loss, we shoulder and face together." Hu Jinqiu said, "We will keep training and playing hard to prove that Chinese team are much more than this."

Chinese has improved quickly during the tournament and showcased their style of play, especially in gutsy wins over tough opponents Belgium and Poland on Monday.

Hu Jinqiu tops the Points per Game list with average 9.3 points as of July 27 in the pool round, and Gao Shiyan leads in the Key assists list with 17 in total.

After winning China 21-16, Japan will advance into the quarterfinals. Poland, ranking No.7 in the group after losing to Belgium 16-14 on Tuesday, will also leave the Olympics.