The 2013 FIBA Asia Championship is drawing to a close with the host Philippines taking on Iran in the tournament final Sunday mrning. Both teams have already qualified for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup by advancing to the final.
FIBA Asia 2013 schedule: Host Philippines square off against Iran in final
Iran has dominated every game on their road to the final of the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship, but the hosting Philippines will look to pull off the upset on Sunday.
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Chinese Taipei and Korea will duke it out for third place with the winning also moving a step closer to an Olympic bid in 2016. There also a pair of consolation games for fifth and seventh place, but they won’t help either team in their quest to make a trip to Rio de Janeiro.
Here’s a brief preview of Sunday’s action (all times Eastern):
Philippines vs. Iran, Final (7:30 a.m.)
Iran hasn't lost yet in the tournament, winning every single game by double-digits. Hamed Haddadi has dominated play, averaging 17.5 points and 9.2 rebounds. The host Philippines won a thrilling semifinal, edging Korea in the final minutes. Marcus Douthit is averaging 11.9 points and 9.4 rebounds to lead the Philippines.
Chinese Taipei vs. Korea, 3rd place (5 a.m.)
Chinese Taipei ran into the Iran juggernaut in the semifinals, losing 79-60 to get relegated to the third-place game. Quincy Davis has provided the most production for Chinese Taipei, averaging 15.0 points and 9.1 rebounds. Cho Sung-min leads Korea in scoring with 12.5 points per game.
Qatar vs. China, 5th place (2:45 a.m.)
Qatar lost by 27 points to Korea in the quarterfinals, but narrowly defeated Kazakhstan in the consolation semifinals to advance to the fifth-place game. Jarvis Hayes has been the standout for Qatar, averaging 16.7 points and 6.0 rebounds. China suffered a big loss to Chinese Taipei in the quarters before defeating Jordan by three in the consolation semis. Yi Jianlian dealt with some injury problems earlier in the tournament, but he has been excellent when he has played, posting averages of 18.8 points and 7.5 rebounds.
Jordan vs. Kazakhstan, 7th place (12:30 a.m.)
Both Jordan and Kazakhstan were blown out in the quarterfinals before losing close games in the semifinals of the consolation bracket. Jordan is led by Jimmy Baxter, who’s averaging 14.4 points and 4.0 rebounds. Jerri Johnson is the top player for Kazakhstan, posting averages of 13.4 points and 5.3 assists.
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