Gilas Pilipinas booked a semifinal berth, but not after a wild scare from Iran in an 84-83 escape. The Philippines blew a 21-point lead but arrested the meltdown as Justin Brownlee came through with a clutch bucket in the closing seconds.

Brownlee erupted for 36 points as the Philippines arranged an Asian Games semifinal showdown against China, which drubbed South Korea, 84-70, in their own quarterfinal match.

Fourth quarter

• FINAL: Gilas Pilipinas escapes Iran by the slimmest of margins, 84-83, to advance to the semifinals.
• GILAS PILIPINAS 84-83: Justin Brownlee clutch, answers a Navid Rezaeifar bucket
• GILAS PILIPINAS 82-83: June Mar Fajardo quickly answers
• IRAN 81-80: Iran wrests the lead for the first time after Mohammedsina Vahedi free throws
• GILAS PILIPINAS 80-79: Mohammedsina Vahedi knocks in a triple, 1:53 minutes left
• GILAS PILIPINAS 80-76: June Mar Fajardo pads Gilas’ lead with two free throws
• GILAS PILIPINAS 78-76: Back-to-back buckets from Arsalan Kazemi Naeini and Mohammedsina Vahedi push Iran within a bucket
• GILAS PILIPINAS 78-72: Calvin Oftana triple gives Gilas some buffer
• GILAS PILIPINAS 75-70: June Mar Fajardo stops the bleeding but Meisam Mirzaeitalarposhti quickly responds with a trey
• GILAS PILIPINAS 73-67: A Meisam Mirzaeitalarposhti bucket slices Gilas’ 20-point lead to just 6 points
• GILAS PILIPINAS 73-65: Iran goes on a tear capped by a Matin Aghajapour triple, cuts Gilas’ lead to single digits
• GILAS PILIPINAS 73-54: Calvin Oftana opens the quarter for Gilas

Third quarter

• END OF 3Q: Gilas Pilipinas cruising over Iran thanks to Justin Brownlee’s hot hands, 71-54
• GILAS PILIPINAS 71-54: Justin Brownlee two from the line, 15 in the quarter, 34 overall
• GILAS PILIPINAS 69-54: Piter Girgoorian 2/2 free throws
• GILAS PILIPINAS 69-52: Justin Brownlee adds two more, 13 in the quarter
• GILAS PILIPINAS 67-52: Piter Girgoorian for three
• GILAS PILIPINAS 67-49: Meisam Mirzaeitalarposhti layup
• GILAS PILIPINAS 67-47: Justin Brownlee sinks his fifth three for 30 points
• GILAS PILIPINAS 64-47: Sajjad Mashayekhi 2/2 free thorws
• GILAS PILIPINAS 64-45: Meisam Mirzaeitalarposhti layup
• GILAS PILIPINAS 64-43: Chris Newsome gets the lucky bounce
• GILAS PILIPINAS 62-43: Mohammedsina Vahedi layup stops the bleeding
• GILAS PILIPINAS 62-41: June Mar Fajardo adds to the pileup
• GILAS PILIPINAS 60-41: Justin Brownlee keeps going with another two
• GILAS PILIPINAS 58-41: Justin Brownlee scores inside again
• GILAS PILIPINAS 56-41: June Mar Fajardo one-handed jam
• GILAS PILIPINAS 54-41: Meisam Mirzaeitalarposhti easy layup
• GILAS PILIPINAS 54-39: June Mar Fajardo jump hook
• GILAS PILIPINAS 52-39: Justin Brownlee short jumper
• GILAS PILIPINAS 50-39: Navid Rezaeifar three
• GILAS PILIPINAS 50-36: Justin Brownlee quick two

Second quarter

• HALFTIME: Gilas Pilipinas starts strong over Iran, 48-36
• GILAS PILIPINAS 48-36: Justin Brownlee splits from the line
• GILAS PILIPINAS 47-36: Justin Brownlee gets first points of the quarter from the line, now with 18
• GILAS PILIPINAS 45-36: Scottie Thompson squares up for a wide-open corner three, his 11th point
• GILAS PILIPINAS 42-36: June Mar Fajardo swishes two charities
• GILAS PILIPINAS 40-36: Sajjad Mashayekhi for three
• GILAS PILIPINAS 40-33: CJ Perez steals and scores
• GILAS PILIPINAS 38-33: Sajjad Pazirofteh from short range
• GILAS PILIPINAS 38-31: Calvin Oftana breaks through for two
• GILAS PILIPINAS 36-31: Navid Rezaeifar fastbreak layup
• GILAS PILIPINAS 36-29: Mohammadsina Vahedi lucky corner three at the buzzer
• GILAS PILIPINAS 36-26: Ange Kouame sinks the putback off a third chance
• GILAS PILIPINAS 34-26: CJ Perez turnaround jumper
• GILAS PILIPINAS 32-26: Ange Kouame easy hook off the Justin Brownlee behind-the-back pass
• GILAS PILIPINAS 30-26: Mohammadsina Vahedi mid-range shot
• GILAS PILIPINAS 30-24: CJ Perez and-one shot, missed bonus
• GILAS PILIPINAS 28-24: Navid Rezaeifar layup

First quarter

• END OF 1Q: Justin Brownlee with 16 points already as Gilas Pilipinas leads Iran, 28-22
• GILAS PILIPINAS 28-22: Mohammadsina Vahedi quick response triple
• GILAS PILIPINAS 28-19: Justin Brownlee sinks his fourth three for 16 points
• GILAS PILIPINAS 25-19: Piter Girgoorian last-second three
• GILAS PILIPINAS 25-16: Justin Brownlee scores his first two-pointer off the layup. 13 now for Brownlee.
• GILAS PILIPINAS 23-16: Mohammadsina Vahedi and-one layup, missed bonus
• GILAS PILIPINAS 23-14: Justin Brownlee in double-digits after two charities
• GILAS PILIPINAS 21-14: June Mar Fajardo bully-ball putback. Timeout Iran at 2:51.
• GILAS PILIPINAS 19-14: Scottie Thompson corner three
• GILAS PILIPINAS 16-14: Scottie Thompson goes 1/2 from the line
• GILAS PILIPINAS 15-14: Matin Aghajapour quick three
• GILAS PILIPINAS 15-11: Scottie Thompson tips in for two
• GILAS PILIPINAS 13-11: Arsalan Kazemi Naeini scores inside
• GILAS PILIPINAS 13-9: Scottie Thompson gets on the board for two
• GILAS PILIPINAS 11-9: Sajjad Mashayekhi splits from the line
• GILAS PILIPINAS 11-8: Meisam Mirzaeitalarposhti short stab
• GILAS PILIPINAS 11-6: Justin Brownlee now 3/3 from three
• GILAS PILIPINAS 8-6: Meisam Mirzaeitalarposhti short jumper
• GILAS PILIPINAS 8-4: June Mar Fajardo fakes and makes inside
• GILAS PILIPINAS 6-4: Justin Brownlee drills his second three
• IRAN 4-3: Navid Rezaeifar layup
• GILAS PILIPINAS 3-2: Justin Brownlee step-back three
• IRAN 2-0: Matin Aghajanpour mid-range shot

Starters

• IRAN starters: Meisam MIRZAEITALARPOSHTI, Sajjad MASHAYEKHI, Navid REZAEIFAR, Arsalan KAZEMI NAEINI, Matin AGHAJANPOUR
• GILAS PILIPINAS starters: Chris NEWSOME, Scottie THOMPSON, June Mar FAJARDO, Calvin OFTANA, Justin BROWNLEE

Preview

Gilas Pilipinas and Iran rekindle their rivalry for a place in the semifinals of the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.

The Philippines seeks to reach the final four of Asian Games men’s basketball for the first time since the 2002 edition as it battles Iran in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, October 3, at the Zhejiang University Zijingang Gymnasium.

Reaching the last eight with a 39-point beatdown of Qatar on Monday, the Filipinos are in prime position to eclipse their fifth-place finish in 2018 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Although the Philippines plays its second game in as many days, Justin Brownlee enters the battle against the Iranians relatively fresh after sitting out the last three quarters against the Qataris.

With Brownlee taking a well-deserved break, June Mar Fajardo (12), CJ Perez (12), and Calvin Oftana (11) all scored in double figures, rediscovering their offensive groove after being held to single digits in their loss to Jordan.

Team Melli have yet to lose a game as they earned an outright quarterfinal berth after sweeping Group A, beating Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates all by twin figures.

Despite being unbeaten, Iran is far from the team that once dominated the continent and won three FIBA Asia Cup crowns, as proven by its winless campaign in the FIBA World Cup, where it finished 31st out the 32 teams.

Legendary Iran center, 7-foot-2 Hamed Haddadi, also retired from the national team at the end of the World Cup.

With Iran already without arguably the greatest player it produced, now is the time for medal-hungry Gilas Pilipinas to pounce.

Game time is 12 pm. – Rappler.com