In a game where Chinese Taipei nearly pulled off a historic upset over perennial Asian powerhouse China, Gianlucca Tucci was nothing short of proud of his squad’s performance on Sunday.
Coming off a stunning 77-65 home win against South Korea last Thursday, Chinese Taipei was eager to extend its hot streak on neutral ground in Pasay City.
Until the final minutes, it seemed the 12-year-long curse was about to be broken. Having lost the previous six encounters with their neighbors, Chinese Taipei held a seven-point, 92-85 lead with 5:30 remaining.
However, China staged a dramatic comeback, dashing Taipei’s hopes as the final buzzer sounded, 100-93.
Even with their chances of advancing further in the stacked Group B now in jeopardy, Italian tactician Tucci framed the loss as a near-miss achievement.
“If we consider that we led the game for many minutes, we absolutely need to consider this as one of our best games despite the loss, which was decided only, I repeat, by only a few episodes in the last quarter.”
He emphasized that the focus should remain on the team’s performance during the first 35 minutes, asserting that — overall — the result of this window was a net positive for his squad.
Given Chinese Taipei’s recent rise in the Asian rankings, Tucci’s assessment holds weight. Regardless of the outcome, their resurgence on the regional basketball stage is reminiscent of the mid-2010s, the last time they defeated China in FIBA competition.
“The fact that we are competing is not a surprise. Maybe the rest of Asia is surprised about us, but I’m not surprised,” Tucci said.
During his early two-year tenure, Tucci has proven that his “small ball” lineup works internationally, with wins over the Philippines, Jordan, and South Korea.
For him, the recent games are just small victories on the path toward toppling Asia’s basketball giants. Citing narrow losses to Japan and China, Tucci aims to restore Chinese Taipei’s contender status and earn the respect they once commanded.
“These are only steps in a long process. We are taking absolutely huge steps forward to make our national team receive the respect they deserve moving forward.”
