China exacted a decisive measure of revenge at the 20th Asian Games men’s basketball group stage, delivering a 105-61 thrashing to dethrone defending champion Gilas Pilipinas.

Looking to avenge their heartbreaking semi-final loss from the previous Asian Games, a laser-focused Chinese squad asserted dominance early. Levering their massive size advantage, China controlled the paint and punished the Philippines’ defense to construct a commanding 66-30 lead by halftime.

A depleted Gilas roster—competing without star naturalized player Justin Brownlee and key frontline anchors like Kai Sotto and Dwight Ramos—struggled to match China’s physical execution on both ends of the floor. Despite brief offensive sparks in the second half led by Sedrick Barefield, the Philippines had no answer for Team Dragons’ relentless transition play and inside-outside scoring depth. China pushed their advantage to as high as 45 points in the final quarter, comfortably securing a 3-0 record to sweep Group C.

The 44-point defeat dropped the Philippines to 1-3 in group play, bringing an early and painful end to their Asian Games title defense.