(FIBA Asia 2015) Iran enters FIBA Asia semis after ousting South Korea in heavyweight clashReigning champion Iran kept its title defense bid alive after dispatching South Korea, 75-62, in the quarterfinals showdown between two heavyweight teams in the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship Thursday at CSWC Dayun in Changsha, China.
Iran’s prized big man Hamed Haddadi reigned down low as he finished with 18 points and 14 boards to bring the defending titlists to the semifinals where they could possibly face host China.
The Iranians dominated right from the opening tip, with Haddadi imposing his presence against the hapless Korean defense. That helped Iran finish the period with a 16-4 run for a commanding 23-8 first quarter lead.
There was some skirmish in the second period when Haddadi and Choi Jun-yong had a heated battle down low. The Iranian big man didn’t like the physical play of his Korean counterpart and eventually gave him a headbutt with 2:07 left in the second qquarter.
Haddadi was called with an unsportsmanlike foul while Choi was slapped with a technical. But that didn’t in any way affect Iran as it remained on top, 36-25, at halftime and never allowed the Koreans to get back in the game.
Oshin Sahakian added 12 points and seven rebounds while Hamed Afagh scored 11 markers for Iran which could have another powerhouse showdown in the semifinals, this time against China that is heavily favored in its quarterfinal match against India.
Moon Tae-young and Kim Jong-kyu each scored 10 points to lead Korea which, after being considered as one of the teams that have a shot at the title, will finish just as high as fifth following a third-place showing in the 2013 edition of the tournament.
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Post Merge: October 01, 2015, 09:03:01 PM
(FIBA Asia 2015) Japan burns Qatar to clinch FIBA Asia semis spot, earn right to face winner of Gilas-Lebanon tiffJapan used its speed and hot shooting from downtown to get past Qatar, 81-67, in the quarterfinals and book a semis ticket in the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship Thursday at College of Social Work Dayun in Changsha, China.
Takatoshi Furukawa finished with 22 points, including 11 in the first quarter alone to lift Japan to the semifinals where they will face the winner of the Gilas Pilipinas-Lebanon quarterfinal matchup on Thursday night.
The Filipinos earlier beat the Japanese, 73-66, in their encounter in the second round last Sunday.
Against Qatar, Japan scorched from beyond the arc early in the game, with Furukawa sinking three triples in the first quarter alone to put his team well ahead, 28-13, after the first quarter.
The Japanese’ zone defense also proved to be tough to break for the Qataris, who were either forced to miss shots or lose the ball to Japan which took advantage of a couple of fastbreak conversions.
Japan led by as much as 22 points, 59-37, in the third period before Qatar slowly chipped it down to just single digits, 70-62, with over three minutes left in the fourth quarter after finally hitting some outside shots and executing a full-court press defense.
But Qatar couldn’t break that eight-point barrier as time wasn’t enough for the Middle East squad to complete a comeback.
Naturalized player Clinton Johnson scored 16 points for Qatar which, apart from failing to enter the final four, also missed the chance of entering the Olympic wildcard tournament next year.
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Post Merge: October 01, 2015, 11:02:35 PM
(FIBA Asia 2015) China sets up mouthwatering semis showdown with IranHost China forged a mouthwatering semifinal clash with defending champion Iran after annihilating India by 46 points, 104-58, in the quarterfinals of the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship Thursday at College of Social Work Dayun in Changsha.
Former NBA player Yi Jianlian led the way for the hosts with 21 points and seven boards to ignite China’s total domination of India.
Zhai Xioachuan added 15 markers while Zhou Peng chipped in 13 points.
India, which never gave China a tough fight, was led by Vishesh Bhriguvanshi’s 13 points and six assists.
China and Iran will meet in the semifinals scheduled on Friday, with the winner moving a step away from clinching an outright berth at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Iran earlier won over South Korea, 75-62, to advance to the final four.
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Post Merge: October 02, 2015, 11:41:05 PM
(FIBA Asia 2015) Host China dethrones Iran to seal FIBA Asia finals seatChina flashed its killer form in dethroning erstwhile champion Iran, 70-57, as the hosts moved on to the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship finals Friday night at College of Social Work Dayun in Changsha.
Former NBA player Yi Jianlian once again paced China with 13 points and eight boards while team captain Peng Zhou added 12 markers for the hosts that remain unbeaten in the tournament.
China now awaits the winner of the other semifinal matchup featuring Gilas Pilipinas and Japan.
The Chinese, energized by the boisterous hometown crowd, held the lead for the rest of the game, shackling Iran with their suffocating defense.
Hamed Haddadi, who still finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds, struggled to get going in his game down low as he was beaten in his matchup against Yi and the rest of China’s young big men.
China pulled away with a 16-8 lead in the first quarter, a cushion it maintained and expanded to as big as 16 points, 56-40, following a monster jam by Yi with over three minutes left in the third period.
But the more experienced Iran side didn’t go out without a fight, with Haddadi and Samad Nikkhah Bahrami carrying their team in a 12-2 run that trimmed its deficit to six, 58-52, the closest the three-time champions got.
However, two straight baskets by Yi and Zhou Qi put the result beyond reach.
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