With the absence of Mengke Bateer and Li Nan, shorthanded China suffered a 96-86 loss to South Korea in the first clash of the All-star Game in Seoul yesterday.

International player Nigel Dixon led the Korean side with 26 points. Home favorite Kim Seung Hyuan, voted MVP of the game, scored six points and dished out 18 assists.

Du Feng scored a team-high of 16 points for China, while Anthony Miles and Zhu Fangyu each had 13 and 12 respectively in defeat.

The two teams will next meet on January 28 in Harbin, China.

(CRI English January 23, 2006)