Iran's team stays unbeaten, survives a late RP rally

For the second consecutive game, Powerade Team-Pilipinas shot magnificently from beyond the arc, converting 16 three pointers throughout the course of the game.

However, the three-point shooting prowess failed to produce a win as Team-Pilipinas suffered their second setback in the 25th FIBA-Asia men’s basketball championship in Tianjin, China at the hands of mighty Iran, 88-78. Iran, the tournament's defending champion and the seemingly invincible team started off hot in closing out the first quarter with a 13-point lead, 27-14 and increase it t as much as 24 points midway through the second salvo. However, Team-Pilipinas crawled its way back to the game courtesy of inspired plays from James Yap, Willie Miller, Gabe Norwood and Jared Dillinger. In the third quarter, Team-Pilipinas outscored the Iranians 24-23 as they fought valiantly against their long and lanky opposition. Likewise, Team-Pilipinas applied tremendous pressure in the fourth, limiting Iran to a mere 14-point output and cutting the lead to nine points with less than three minutes to go in regulation. Yap and Miller led the scoring for Team-Pilipinas both scoring 14 points apiece while Norwood, scrappy shooting guard Cyrus Baguio and Dillinger scored 13, 11 and nine points respectively. Meanwhile, Iran's Mohammadsamad Nikkah led the charge with 25 points and 7-foot-2 NBA player Hamed Ehadadi scored 21 points and grabbed 16 rebounds. Team-Pilipinas failed to enter the quarterfinals outright with a win against Iran but is set to a scrimmage against Kuwait Wednesday, in a game that will determine their hopes in entering the top eight. On the other hand, Iran keeps their unbeaten record of 4-0 intact but was given a frantic scare by Team-Pilipinas -- a squad which haven't won against them during their last four meetings dating back in the 2007 edition of the same tourney.