South Korea Women — China Women: 85:80, Asian Games Women

South Korea women's basketball team defeated China 85:80 in their Asian Games meeting on Thursday. Both sides entered the match having won all three of their previous games, each sitting top of the table with three victories. The result ended China's perfect start to the tournament.

And here's the thing — you don't need a full set of statistics to see what this match meant. Both teams had blown past their opponents in the group stage, averaging over 90 points a game against weaker opposition. When two such teams meet, the table goes out of the window in these games.

South Korea's recent form before this match was impressive. They had beaten Indonesia 101:59 on Wednesday, followed by victories over Chinese Taipei and Mongolia. Their only defeat in that stretch came against Germany, 56:94, which showed they could handle physical opposition. By then they looked ready for the test.

China came in with a different profile. They had put 110:41 past Indonesia and 111:46 through Thailand. The loss to France, 61:90, suggested vulnerability against European-style play. Their victory over Puerto Rico, 75:72, was tighter — and this match against South Korea followed that pattern.

To be fair, the scoreline tells you everything you need to know. An eight-point margin in a game where both teams had been scoring freely suggests neither side gave anything away. The hosts held their nerve when it mattered, and that's what separates good teams from great ones.