U19 Men s Basketball World Cup China defeated Germany 66-90, suffered two consecutive losses

In the U19 Men's Basketball World Cup group stage held on June 29, 2025, the Chinese U19 Men's Basketball Team lost to the German U19 Men's Basketball Team with a score of 66-90, and suffered two consecutive losses in the group stage. Let’s analyze the data and technical performance of this game in depth and draw the following key information:

1. Game performance and data statistics

First of all, Zhu Zheng’s performance is worth mentioning. He contributed 12 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists throughout the game, scoring in double digits for two consecutive games, becoming a key figure in the team’s outside. At the same time, Zhang Boyuan seemed to be in a downturn, scoring only 2 points, and fouled 4 times in the game, making 0 of 3 shots in the first quarter, and both offense and defense were suppressed. Among the other players, Chen Jiazheng and Wang Hongze scored 12 points and 11 points respectively, and each contributed 3 assists. Xun Sinan performed well on the defensive end and sent 4 blocks. In the team data, the Chinese team compared 59 of the German team with 33 rebounds, with a gap of 26. The Chinese team has 21 turnovers, but the German team has not announced it. The key loss in the first game was the three-point shooting percentage. The German team performed efficiently in the third quarter, hitting three three-pointers widened the gap.

2. Game progress and reasons for the loss

At the beginning of the game, the Chinese team performed poorly and fell behind 13-29 in the first quarter. Zhu Zheng and Zhang Boyuan made 0 of 3 shots, completely unable to score. In the second quarter, Zhu Zheng led the team to a 10-0 climax, and the gap narrowed to 30-33. However, the German team immediately responded with three dunks and three-pointers, and the gap returned to 10 points at the end of the half. In terms of rebound protection, the Chinese team performed extremely weakly (33-59), especially in frontcourt rebounds, which were often converted into a second attack by the German team. Zhang Boyuan limited his playing time due to four fouls, and the team's defensive strategy was also forced to adjust. The German team seized the opportunity and frequently attacked and caused damage. In addition, Germany made consecutive three-pointers in the third quarter, further widening the gap to 22 points with a 24-10 attack wave in a single quarter.

3. Players' performance and potential shortcomings

Zhang Boyuan's condition is worrying. Compared with his efficient performance averaged 22 points per game in the U17 World Cup (such as having scored 25 points against Georgia U20), he only scored 2 points in this game, lack of confidence and the game rhythm was affected due to premature fouls. In terms of confrontation, he is clearly at a disadvantage. Facing the height and wingspan of European players, he has repeatedly blocked the ball and has been greatly affected. Due to lack of inside height and experience, although Xun Sinan scored 8 points and 4 blocks, he had low participation on the offensive end (only scored 2 points in the first quarter), failed to effectively protect the basket, and Wang Hongze's 11 points also failed to make up for the weakness of rebound protection. In terms of ball control stability, in addition to the 21 mistakes in the first game, there were pass mistakes at the critical moment of this game (such as Feng Ao's fatal mistake in the final quarter), showing that the young players' lack of resistance to pressure.

4. Game prospects and adjustment suggestions

After two consecutive losses, the situation of the Chinese team qualifying in the group has become quite serious, and the bottom position needs to strive for victory to retain hope of promotion. For tactical adjustments, the team must activate the shooting advantage, and Zhu Zheng and Chen Jiazheng's external stability needs to be further strengthened (the two made a total of 5 three-pointers), and at the same time, Zhang Boyuan's off-ball screening tactics should be added. In terms of rebounding, we should learn from the U17 men's basketball team's strategies (such as Liu Li's pick-and-roll supporting the outside line) to reduce the opponent's second offense. Psychological construction and rotation optimization are also very important. It is necessary to avoid premature fouls from core players (such as Zhang Boyuan) and increase the playing time of substitute strikers such as Xun Sifeng. In summary, this loss highlights the gap between the Chinese U19 men's basketball team in terms of strength of confrontation, rebound control and key ball handling with European teams. Zhang Boyuan's aberrations and inside defense mistakes have become key turning points. Next, the team needs to strengthen physical confrontation and tactical execution in a targeted manner. If the outside projection and defensive rotation can continue to catch up with the intensity of the phased stages in the second quarter, there is still hope of turning the situation around in the last two group stages.