DAY 4 OF THE 2011 FIBA-ASIA MEN'S TOURNEY

Hemd Haddadi slams it home for Iran's 4th win in Wuhan, China.
(image from Sports163.com)

After the Jump: Scores, commentary and images from Day 4 of the 2011 FIBA-Asia Men's Championships in Wuhan, China.

IRAN over MALAYSIA, 121-36

IRI 121 - Afagh 20, Haddadi 20, Kazemi 18, Kamrani 13, Sahakian 12, Bahrami 11, Kardoust 8, Sohrabnejad 6, Davarpanah 4, Davari 4, Atashi 3, Davoudi 2

MAS 36 - Batumalai 13, Chee 8, Ooi 6, Soo 4, Loh 3, Kwaan 2, Lau 0, Wee 0, Chin 0, Kuppusamy 0, Kuek 0

QS: 34-14, 56-23, 91-28, 121-36

- Iran started the game 16-5 five minutes in and never looked back. Malaysia was grossly outshot, outrebounded, and just outplayed in every sense possible. No chance.

- Hamed Afagh and Hamed Haddadi led Iran with 20 points apiece. Oshin Sahakian had a double-double with 12 points and 15 boards. Afagh was an all-around star in this one, hitting 4 triples and getting 5 steals. Iran hikes its 2nd round record to 3-0 (2 wins from round 1 and 1 from round 2) and now prepares for some tough days ahead against Lebanon and South Korea.

- Malaysia's Guga Batumalai had another good showing in the tragic loss. He hit 2 threes on the way to 13 points. Malaysia drops its 3rd game and now is in danger of missing the quarterfinals. They try to bounce back against the Uzbeks next.

Hamed Afagh tries to block the passing lane against
Malaysia's Shee Fai Loh.
(image from Sports163.com)

Guga Batumalai tries to inject his soccer skills
in Malaysia's loss to Iran.
(image from Sports163.com)

TAIWAN over LEBANON, 60-58

TPE 60 - Chen HA 15, Wu 12, Lu 10, Chang 9, Chien 7, Tseng 5, Lee 2, Su 0, Lin 0

LIB 58 - Hoskin 19, Abdel Nour 12, Reda 9, Kanaan 6, Bawji 5, Stephan 3, Akl 2, Ibrahim 2, Martinez 0, Tabet 0

QS: 16-13, 30-30, 50-50, 60-58

- Tseng Wen-Ting hit a lay-up to bookend a 16-1 run late in the game and put Taiwan ahead for good. Lebanon's last-ditch rally fell short as they missed opportunities in alarming succession. It was a se-saw game all throughout, but the Taiwanese were just steadier down the stretch.

- Taiwan was led by Chen Hsin-An's 15 points, while Wu Tai-Hao effectively manned the middle with a dozen markers and 9 boards. Lu Cheng-Ju made up for the big fat egg laid by Lin Chih-Chieh by scoring 12 points and hitting 2 threes. Taiwan's round 2 record is now 2-1 and they battle South Korea next.

- Lebanon falters anew and now it has a 1-2 slate. A bright note, however, is that naturalized center Sam Hoskin produced his own double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds. They take on the mighty Iranians next.

Chen Hsin-An showcased his offensive prowess against the
dangerous Lebanese.
(image from Sports163.com)

Sam Hoskin had his best game for Lebanon against
Taiwanese Tseng Wen-Ting.
(image from Sports163.com)

Ali Kanaan challenges the drive of Taiwanese
star Lin Chih-Chieh.
(image from Sports163.com)

SOUTH KOREA over UZBEKISTAN, 106-57

KOR 106 - Stevenson 21, Cho 20, Yang HJ 16, Park 15, Kang 8, Oh 8, Lee 5, Kim JS 5, Kim JK 5, Yang DG 2, Kim YH 2

UZB 57 - Shatrov 11, Zinonev 10, Yahin 10, Juginisov 9, Denisov 4, Belokurov 4, Timofev 4, Kozlov 3, Nuraliev 2, Khabibullin 0, Pereverzev 0

QS: 30-11, 52-24, 74-37, 106-57

- The Koreans wasted no time destroying Uzbekistan in their first game of round 2. They more than doubled Uzbekistan's output in the 1st period and never relinquished the pressure, continuing to double up on the Uzbeks by the end of 3 quarters. As expected, Korea was much better in every category, especially in 3-pointers as they hit 19-of-37 (51%). Coach Hur Jae's boys also enjoyed a significant gap in free throw attempts, as they were awarded 27 compared to just 14 for Uzbekistan.

- Kor-Am Jarod Stevenson continued shooting the lights out in Wuhan. He shot 7-of-11 from the floor, including 5 treys. Cho Sung-Min continued to impress, as well, hitting 6 triples on his way to 20 points. Giant center Ha Seung-Jin was rested again, as coach Hur wishes to preserve him for the titanic tussle against Iran in two days. Korea ups their round 2 standing to 3-0. Taiwan should provide a good challenge for them next.

- The Uzbeks couldn't really get anything going here. They committed 22 turnovers and shot a measly 32% from the field. They were clearly outmatched and they have failed to gain momentum on their way against the Malaysians in their next game. The winner of that match still has some hope of entering the quarters.

Aleksandr Kozlov faces a Korean double-team courtesy
of Kang Byung-Hyun and Kim Joo-Sung.
(image from Sports163.com)

Oh Se-Keun puts one in the hole over the outstretched
arms of Vyacheslav Denisov.
(image from Sports163.com)

Yang Dong-Geun played sparingly against the Uzbeks,
but he wasn't really needed with other guys stepping up.
(image from Sports163.com)

PHILIPPINES over JORDAN, 72-64

PHL 72 - Douthit 19, Lassiter 14, Alapag 11, Tiu 9, Williams 6, Lutz 4, De Ocampo 4, Casio 3, Taulava 2, Barroca 0, Aguilar 0, Baracael 0

JOR 64 - Dahglas 18, Wright 16, Abbas 10, Abu Quora 7, Abbaas 6, Al-Sous 5, Zaghab 2, Soobzokov 0

QS: 11-20, 26-31, 47-47, 72-64

- Jordan played a tight 8-man rotation against the Pinoys to try and ensure a high level of play all throughout. It worked early on as they built a big 18-point lead, but the Pinoys, buoyed by the clearance of Fil-Ams Marcio Lassiter and Chris Lutz, clawed back in the 2nd canto to restore order. The Filipinos eventually took the lead in the 3rd stanza and it was a close match from then on. A fast start in the fourth gave the Philippines an 8-point bubble, but Jordan quickly closed the gap after a timeout. They fell short, however, as the Pinoys proved steadier on defense and on the line.

- Marcus Douthit bucked a mild sprain he got in the third period to finish strong and lead Team Pilipinas with 19 points and 15 rebounds. Lassiter backed him up well, hitting 4 treys to rack up 14 markers. PBA MVP Jimmy Alapag also played well, hitting 2 triples on the way to 11 points. The Pinoys have another big one next as they tackle the vastly improved Japanese.

- Sam Dahglas came back from a suspected knee injury to score 18 points and grab 6 boards. He orchestrated well, especially in the early goings. Rasheim Wright finished with 16, but had to take 24 shots to get there. He made only 6 field goals in all. A big casualty seems to be AJ Zaghab, who went down in the 4th clutching his knee. He never came back, and was not able to walk it off, so it looks pretty serious. Jordan's chances took a big hit here, and they have to upset China for any hopes of finishing better than fourth in round 2.

- Jordan signed the game under protest, but it will probably be for naught since it was the head office of FIBA that gave Lassiter and Lutz and "all clear." If anyone was at fault, it was FIBA-Asia organizers, who seemed to delay everything and make communicating these developments more difficult than it should've been.

Ali Zaghab gets a lay-up to start the game,
but he came down with an injury in the 4th.
(image from Sports163.com)

Sam Dahglas looks on as Marcus Douthit loses the ball
to the baseline.
(image from Sports163.com)

Mac Baracael tries to shoot one over Ali Zaghab
early in this vital round 2 encounter.
(image from Sports163.com)

JAPAN over UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, 101-61

JPN 101 - Amino 17, Takeuchi K 15, Ishizaki 13, Shonaka 11, Takeuchi J 11, Hirose 10, Matsui 6, Sakurai 5, Takeda 4, Kashiwagi 4, Kawamura 3, Ota 2

UAE 61 - Salem 14, Al-Zaabi 13, Al-Braiki 11, Abdalla 9, Al-Hattawi 7, Ahmed 3, Al-Sari 2, Banihammad 2

QS: 15-9, 56-26, 80-43, 101-61

- UAE seemed like it would give a great challenge after the first quarter, but then Japan stepped on the gas in the second period and sustained the pressure. All in all, the Emirates were outscored 41-17 in that quarter and it proved to be the big difference in the game. Japan had more rebounds and assists, but the amazing stat was they had 17 steals! They also continued their great sniping, hitting 11 triples in the game.

- Tomoo Amino came through for the Japanese with 17 points and 3 triples. The Takeuchi twins stood tall once again, combining for 26 points and 17 rebounds. Coach Tom Wisman's wards are still undefeated, but they stand to face a major test in the Filipinos next.

- UAE's quarterfinal chances took a big dive with this loss, and every game is now a must-win for them if they wish to move on. Khalifa Salem had 14 points to lead them while Rashed Al-Zaabi made 3 triples to finish with 13 markers.

Ali Al-Hattawi tries the turnaround over Japan's
Takeki Shonaka.
(image from Sports163.com)

Japanese giant Kosuke Takeuchi finished with
a double-double against the undersized UAE.
(image from Sports163.com)

Tomoo Amino had a breakout game with 17 points
to lead Team Hayabusa.
(image from Sports163.com)

CHINA over SYRIA, 90-71

CHN 90 - Yi J 19, Su 14, Wang 9, Zhang B 8, Sun 8, Zhu 7, Liu 6, Yi L 6, Xirelijiang 5, Ding 4, Yu 4, Zhang Z 0

SYR 71 -Deeb 16, Daks 12, Gorges 9, Al-Hamowi 9, Lubus 8, Al-Saman 8, Al-Khatib 7, Osfira 2, Jlilati 0, Nalbandian 0, Abboud 0

QS: 24-10, 47-28, 70-49, 90-71

- China's 24-10 start gave them enough cushion to just cruise all the way to the win. Coach Bob Donewald's wards exploited their size advantage to outscore Syria in the paint, 44-18, and they scored at will in transition, getting 16 fast break points to just 2 for Syria. Syria actually seemed poised to challenge China mid-1st quarter at 10-12, but the Chinese unloaded a 16-10 bomb briding the first two periods to silence all doubts.

- Yi Jianlian topscored again with 19 points on 7-of-10 FG shooting while also grabbing 6 rebounds. SU Wei backed him up down low with 14 markers on 5-of-7 shooting. Overall, the Chinese shot 57% from the field and 54% from beyond the arc. They remain unscathed in 4 games and are set to face the reeling Jordanians next.

- Syria's erstwhile big guns, Wael Jlilati, Vache Nalbandian and Eder Gorges all put up subpar performances here. Jlilati and Nalbandian both failed to score in about 12 minutes each. Gorges, meanwhile, shot just 3-of-13 and ended up with 9 markers and just 1 board. Ioannis Deeb and Samir Daks led Syria's losing effort with 16 and 12 respectively. They tumble to 0-3 in round 2, but have a chance against the Emirates next.

Eder Gorges locks horns with Ding Jinjui down low.
(image from Sports163.com)

Wang Zhizhi gets a breakaway jam in China's
4th straight victory.
(image from Sports163.com)

Yi Jianlian's air reverse is stuffed, but his
team marches on to another blowout win.
(image from Sports163.com)

INDONESIA over BAHRAIN, 85-62

INA 85 - Poedjakesuma 32, Sitepu 18, Prawiro 11, Dewanto 6, Indrawan 7, Gunawan 5, Chandra 2, Prihantono 2, Gerungan 2, Wuysang 0, Situmorang 0

BRN 62 - Malabes 17, Al-Tawashi 11, Mubarak 10, Isa 8, Akber 6, Mahri 4, Sarhan 4, Malallah 2, Ali 0, Ashoor 0

QS: 12-17, 36-34, 53-45, 85-62

- Bahrain seemed poised to nail its first win after a 10-0 start, but Indonesia regrouped and outscored the Bahrainis 36-24 the rest of the first half. The Indons continued shooting well, particularly on second-chance points, where they had the advantage 18-3. They also forced Bahrain to commit 23 turnovers and scored 24 off of those errors. A 32-17 fourth period settled the final spread for the SEABA bridesmaids.

- Andi Poedjakesuma had one of the most prolific offensive performances of the tourney with 32 points. He also grabbed 8 rebounds and converted 6 of 11 triple tries. Christian Sitepu and Ponsianus Indrawan effectively patrolled the interior, pairing up for 25 points and 21 boards. Mario Wuysang failed to put up any points, but he did well as the playmaker with 11 assists. The Indons finally got a win and can get another one in the battle for 13th place against India.

- Bader Malabes continues to be Bahrain's most consistent scorer in Wuhan. He hit 3 triples to finish with 17 points on top of 6 rebounds and 4 dimes. Rahman Mubarak was also good down low with 10 markers and 8 boards. Bahrain finishes the competition winless, but one better than Qatar, who chose to forfeit all remaining matches.