Iran edges out Gilas in Asiad basketball

By: Bong Lozada - 10 years ago

Gilas Pilipinas. AP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – When it comes to basketball, Iran seems to have put a hex over the Philippines.

Going full throttle late in the game, Iran beat out Gilas Pilipinas 68-63 during their group stage match in the basketball tournament of the Incheon 2014 Asian Games Thursday.

Swingman Gabe Norwood gave the Philippines the lead, 63-61, but Iran’s team captain Samad Nikkhah Bahrami gained full control for Iran scoring five straight points to put the boards at 66-61.

Iran went on an 8-0 run that ended with four minutes left in the game to put the boards at 61-60, erasing the seven-point lead of Gilas.

Point guard Mehdi Kamrani scored six straight points during the rally, capping his run with a three-pointer to give Iran the lead.

Gilas Pilipinas, who was behind the majority of the game, staged a 7-3 run to start the fourth that gave them a 60-53 lead.

Putting the clamps on the third, the Philippines held Iran to a mere seven points in the third while scoring 17 of their own.

The last time the Philippines beat Iran in an international meet was in the 2012 Jones Cup, where Gilas Pilipinas hammered out a 77-75 victory over the current Asian heavyweight on the way to the championship.