China outlasts Germany

Dirk Nowitzki's first and possibly only Olympic experience is coming to an end. The Germans are 1-3 in pool play with Team USA the last foe on the docket.

Here's the AP account of China's win over Germany:

BEIJING (AP) - An emotional Yao Ming scored 25 points to lead China to a dramatic 59-55 win against Dirk Nowitzki and Germany as the Olympic hosts earned a berth in the medal round in men's basketball.

The Houston Rockets center posted the game's first four points and was the emotional leader in the he pivotal contest, constantly chest bumping teammates and encouraging teammates with high-fives. Yi Jianlian of the New Jersey Nets added nine points and pulled down 11 rebounds for China (2-2).

The players celebrated the victory at midcourt as if they had won a medal.

"I'm very happy for the players. It was a difficult game psychologically. We played at home and had to win," China's Lithuainian-born coach Jonas Kazlauskas said.