Iran routs Chinese Taipei 98-66 in 5 -8 classification game: FIBA Asia Championship Recap
After a quarterfinal heartbreak at the hands of the spirited Jordanians, Iran had a date with Chinese Taipei on Saturday in the 5-8 classification round of the FIBA Asia Championship in Wuhan. The game was expected to be a breeze
for Iran and it proved to be one as the defending champions crushed Chinese Taipei 98-66. The Iranians are now just one step away from securing the 5th spot in the tournament.
After missing some important shots in the clutch and committing some sloppy turnovers in the game against Jordan, centre Hamed Haddadi pounded a game-high 21 points along with 14 rebounds and six assists. He went eight of 14 from
the field and five of eight from the free throw line in nearly 34 minutes of action. Hamed Afagh and Mahdi Kamrany also had 18 points apiece. Afagh scored all his points from the three point range and ended the game with six of 11 shooting. Arsalan Kazemi
posted a double- double with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Oshin Sahakian put the first points to initiate a 13-3 surge that put Iran in the driver’s seat right from the start. The Chinese Taipei however responded swiftly and recorded a 10-2 spurt capped by a three from W. Tseng to make
it a two point game 15-13. However, Haddadi and company nipped the Chinese Taipei’s surge with a brisk 6-3 phase and finished the first quarter with a 21-16 advantage. Out of Haddadi’s 21 points in the game, eight came during the first period.
Iran scorched the Chinese Taipei with a 15-0 blitz to start the second quarter, pushing their lead to 36-16, with 6:15 minutes to go in the first half. Hamed Afagh launched two three-pointers during that rally as Iran finished
the first half with a comprehensive 48-31 lead.
Iran carried their momentum into the third quarter and further stretched the gap. Haddadi and Mahdi Kamrany both tallied seven points in a 25-point Iranian foray that took the scores to 75-50 by the time third period came to an
end.
The one way traffic continued in the last ten minutes. Iran continued to run through the Taipei defense and outscored them 23-16 to seal the game and a shot at the 5th position in the tournament. Arsalan Kazemi tallied
eight points for Iran during the fourth frame.
From Chinese Taipei, Wu Tai-Hao chipped in with 16 points, on a 6 of 12 shooting, and six rebounds. Wen-Ting Tseng also made 13 points.
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