DAY 5 OF THE 2011 FIBA-ASIA MEN'S TOURNEY

Lee Wei Chee puts it in the hole as Malaysia
streaks to its 2nd win in Wuhan.
(image from Sports163.com)

After the Jump: Scores, commentary and images from Day 5 of the 2011 FIBA-Asia Men's Championships in Wuhan, China.

MALAYSIA over UZBEKISTAN, 80-75

MAS 80 - Batumalai 14, Chee 13, Kwaan 12, Loh 11, Lau 8, Ng 7, Wee 5, Ooi 4, Soo 3, Kuppusamy 3, Kuek 0

UZB 75 - Kozlov 21, Zinonev 15, Yahin 9, Juginisov 8, Belojurov 6, Denisov 6, Nuraliev 5, Shatrov 3, Khabibullin 2, Pereverzev 0

QS: 21-10, 44-33, 61-54, 80-75

- The Malaysians were able to buck their size disadvantage and lead the Uzbeks for practically the whole game. Field goal shooting and free throw shooting proved to be the key aspects of the game as Malaysia outshot Uzbekistan (50%-39%) from the floor, and they offset the Uzbeks' 11 triple conversions by shooting 22-of-30 from the line as opposed to just 8-of-14 for Uzbekistan. Malaysia also forced the Uzbeks to 21 errors while committing just 16 of their own. Amazingly, the Malaysians outscored the taller Uzbeks in the paint, 34-28.

- Four people finished in double-figures for Malaysia: Guga Batumalai, Li Wei Chee, Yoong Jing Kwaan and Shee Fai Loh with 14, 13, 12, and 11 points respectively. Chee also grabbed 9 rebounds while Batumalai dished out 4 assists. Malaysia stays alive for a quarterfinals seat, but they'll have to beat the Taiwanese next.

- This loss virtually sends the Uzbeks crashing out of quarterfinal contention and relegates them to the next round of matches for the 9th-12th places. Alekzandr Kozlov finally flashed the form he showed in the 2009 FIBA-Asia, ending up with 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals. Gennadiy Zinonev, meanwhile, shot the lights out from deep, hitting 5 triples to score 15 points.

Gennadiy Zinonev shoots from deep
in Group E action.
(image from Sports163.com)

Once again, Guga Batumalai led Malaysia
to stay alive in for a quarterfinals slot.
(image from Sports163.com)

SYRIA over UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, 80-73

SYR 80 - Gorges 17, Osfira 14, Deeb 13, Nalbandian 11, Jlilati 9, Lubus 6, Al-Saman 3, Al-Hamowi 3, Al-Khatib 2, Daks 2

UAE 73 - Ahmad 25, Salem 17, Al-Sari 11, Al-Hattawi 8, Abdalla 5, Al-Braiki 3, Ahmed 2, Al-Zaabi 2, Banihammad 0

QS: 30-16, 48-35, 64-51, 80-73

- UAE never tasted the lead as the Syrians put on the pressure early and they didn't look back. The Syrians utilized superior size to control the glass (60-30) and second chance points (26-7). UAE tried to mount a last-ditch rally in the final 5 minutes, but they were just not able to get enough stops to steal the game.

- Eder Gorges was a beast under the basket, scoring 17 points and grabbing 15 rebounds, including 8 on the offensive end. UAE just had no answer for Syria's big guy, and he made them pay. Syria's quarterfinal hopes are flickering, and they'll need to beat the Jordanians next if they still harbor intentions of staying alive for the top 8.

- UAE actually shot better than Syria from the floor, not to mention forcing 19 Syrian turnovers, but they just couldn't capitalize. Ibrahim Ahmad hit 3 treys to finish with 25 points while Khalil Salem added 17 markers and 3 thefts. They have a tall order of trying to beat the Japanese next.

Shadi Lubus cleans the glass against UAE.
(image from Sports163.com)

Eder Gorges was untouchable in Group F
action versus the Emirates.
(image from Sports163.com)

Khalil Salem whispers sweet nothings as he
orchestrates the play for UAE.
(image from Sports163.com)

IRAN over LEBANON, 76-45

IRI 76 - Afagh 16, Bahrami 16, Haddadi 12, Kazemi 8, Kamrani 7, Davari 5, Davarpanah 4, Sahakian 4, Kardoust 3, Sohrabnejad 1, Davoudi 0, Atashi 0

LIB 45 - Reda 16, Hoskin 15, Ibrahim 7, Kanaan 3, Abedl Nour 2, Stephan 2, Martinez 0, Akl 0, Bawji 0, Tabet 0

QS: 18-7, 32-19, 49-24, 76-45

- Domination was the name of the game as Iran pounded the Lebanese literally from start to finish. As expected, Iran scored a ton of points in the interior and got on the break more successfully than Lebanon. The Iranians had more rebounds, assists and blocks than their chief WABA rivals, but the glaring stat is that the Cedars were limited to just 27% shooting from the floor. Usual reliables Jean Abdel Nour and Elie Stephan shot a combined 2-of-13 from the field for a total of 4 points only. Lebanon actually trailed by a manageable 13 points at the half, but a 17-5 3rd period put Iran way beyond reach.

- The swingman duo of Hamed Afagh and Samad Nikkhah Bahrami proved to be too much for Lebanon to handle. Afagh and Bahrami paired up for 32 points while Hamed Haddadi continue to take names with another double-double (12 points & 12 rebounds). Iran remains undefeated in 5 games, but a big test awaits in the similarly flawless Koreans.

- Ghaleb Reda led Lebanon with 16 points, but he shot a measly 4-of-14 from the floor. Sam Hoskin did produce a double-double with 15 markers and 11 boards, but he too was awful from the field at just 33% shooting. Lebanon remains winless in round 2 play, but that could change when they face Uzbekistan next.

Arsalan Kazemi jams it home as Lebanon's
Ali Kanaan can only look on.
(image from Sports163.com)

Samad Nikkhah Bahrami has some words
for Charles Tabet in their round 2 encounter.
(image from Sports163.com)

Sam Hoskin is dwarfed by Hamed Haddadi as
Iran posts win #5.
(image from Sports163.com)

SOUTH KOREA over TAIWAN, 82-61

KOR 82 - Cho 19, Stevenson 15, Oh 14, Yang DG 10, Kim YH 9, Kim JS 8, Kim JK 5, Yang HJ 2, Lee 0, Kang 0, Ha 0

TPE 61 - Wu 15, Tseng 13, Chen HA 10, Chien 8, Mao 4, Chang 3, Lee 2, Su 2, Lin 2, Lu 2, Ho 0

QS: 18-20, 43-32, 64-40, 82-61

- Taiwan played the Koreans tight in the first frame, even leading 20-18 after 10 minutes, but they faltered in the middle periods. Korea outscored its EABA counterparts, 46-20, in the 2nd and 3rd quarters to blow the game open and simply cruise in the final stanza. Both teams shot poorly from downtown -- a combined 6-of-40 only, but Korea compensated by going to the line more often and almost doubling up Taiwan's rebound numbers. Coach Hur Jae's boys also enjoyed more dimes, thefts and rejections.

- Cho Sung-Min's hot hand remained sterling here, as he was the only player to hit multiple treys (3). He finished with 19 points to lead the Korean charge. The forward pair of Jarod Stevenson and Oh Se-Keun backed him up with a combined 29 points and 13 boards. Yang Dong-Geun, meanwhile, had an all-around performance of 10 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal. Korea's slate remains spotless, but its next assignment, Iran, will probably change all that.

- Taiwan had more inside points than Korea, led by its twin towers, Wu Tai-Hao and Tseng Wen-Ting. Wu and Tseng had a combined 28 points and 11 rebounds for coach Chou Jun-San. Taiwan just shot poorly from beyond the arc and they were not able to recover after getting blasted in the 2nd and 3rd periods. This is their first loss of round 2 and, should they win against Malaysia later on, their record may be good enough to grant them 3rd place going into the crossover quarterfinals.

Cho Sung-Min's hot hand continued to sizzle
against Korea's East Asian rivals.
(image from Sports163.com)

Tseng Wen-Ting was a force underneath
for the Taiwanese cause.
(image from Sports163.com)

An aerial collision occurs between
Wu Tai-Hao and Oh Se-Keun.
(image from Sports163.com)

PHILIPPINES over JAPAN, 83-76

PHL 83 - Douthit 25, Alapag 15, Lassiter 15, Williams 12, Barroca 6, Casio 4, De Ocampo 4, Taulava 2, Tiu 0, Lutz 0

JPN 76 - Takeuchi J 22, Shonaka 14, Hirose 13, Kawamura 12, Takeuchi K 6, Ishizaki 5, Amino 4, Matsui 0, Takeda 0, Sakurai 0, Kashiwagi 0, Ota 0

QS: 18-23, 34-40, 60-52, 83-76

- The Filipinos are slowly becoming the tournament's comeback kings. They started hot, leading 18-13 late in the first canto before Japan unleashed a furious 13-0 blast that seemingly put Team Hayabusa in control. It was a nip-tuck affair for the rest of the first half as the Japanese showed uncanny 3-point shooting while Philippine big man Marcus Douthit struggled for his points. That all changed, however, when the 3rd period started. A 10-0 spurt by the Pinoys gave them the lead at 46-43, and they extended it to 8 to start the fourth. Douthit regained his form underneath while Marcio Lassiter and Jimmy Alapag hit their jumpers to give the Philippines leads as high as 13. Japan fought back late in the game, though, and managed to cut it to just 5 with about a minute to go, but the Pinoys proved steadier in the end.

- Douthit's monster double-double (25 points & 18 rebounds), along with the great outside production of Lassiter and Alapag (15 points each, and a combined 4-of-8 from downtown) were the main factors for this win. Kelly Williams also contributed 12 points as Team Pilipinas controlled the lane, outrebounding the Japanese (44-31), outscoring them in the paint (52-20) and getting the jump on second-chances (19-8). The Pinoys move up to 2nd spot in Group F and, if they win over Syria, go into the next round against probably the Taiwanese.

- Japan suffered its first loss, but it will be big as they have yet to face China. This means they will likely fall to 3rd in Group F and have to face either Korea or Iran in the Final 8. Joji Takeuchi scored 22 points and shot 4 triples to lead Japan. His twin, though, managed just 6 markers. And for the first time in the tourney, nobody finished in double-digit rebounding for coach Tom Wisman. Japan did convert 12 triples here, but that's out of 33 attempts, which is more than half of their total field goals. They have to establish a stronger inside presence if they want to advance beyond the quarters.

Mark Barroca drives past Takuya Kawamura
in the 1st quarter of action.
(image from Sports163.com)

Kawamura gets consoled by Tomoo Amino as he gets the
business end of Ranidel De Ocampo's elbow.
(image from Sports163.com)

Asi Taulava raises his arms in jubilation as
the Pinoys officially book a quarterfinals seat.
(image from Sports163.com)

CHINA over JORDAN, 93-60

CHN 93 - Yi J 16, Yi L 14, Sun 14, Wang 10, Zhang Z 9, Zhu 8, Su 6, Liu 5, Ding 4, Zhang B 4, Yu 3, Xirelijiang 0

JOR 60 - Abbas 17, Abbaas 12, Wright 11, Dahglas 10, Hussein 4, Soobzokov 3, Zaghab 2, Abu Quora 1, Abu Ruqayah 0, Al-Sous 0

QS: 25-15, 40-34, 71-44, 93-60

- What was billed as a potentially close encounter turned out to be a rout in favor of the hosts. Jordan was able to stick with the heftier Chinese in the first half, but a 31-10 blitz in the 3rd stanza emphatically shut the door on them. China outshot Jordan from the floor (52%-27%) and also doubled up on Jordan's 3-point conversions (11-5). As expected, coach Bob Donewald's wards also dominated inside, outrebounding Jordan and blocking more shots. It was never close after the halftime break as China mounted a lead as big as 36 points.

- China's two Yis were terrific here. Yi Jianlian had 16 points and 12 rebounds while Yi Li had 14 markers and 2 triples. Sun Yue was also spectacular with 14 points, but more impressive were his 2 steals and 3 blocks. China's squeaky-clean record remains, and it should continue to be that way even after Japan challenges them next.

- Jordan, despite having a couple of players with CBA experience, groped for form in the 2nd half and were just unable to get back in the game after China's 3rd quarter run. Zaid Abbas led the way with 17 points, but he had only 3 rebounds. Sam Dahglas, meanwhile, finished with 10 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, but he committed 5 turnovers. Rasheim Wright had another anemic shooting night, making just 4-of-15 field goals for 11 points. Jordan could very well finish 4th in Group F even if they win against UAE.

Ali Zaghab tests the defense of NBA star Yi Jianlian.
(image from Sports163.com)

Liu Wei gets some added instructions from
Team China coach Bob Donewald.
(image from Sports163.com)

Yi Li stuffs it as China
romps past Jordan.
(image from Sports163.com)

INDONESIA over INDIA, 84-75

INA 85 - Wuysang 17, Prihantono 16, Sitepu 15, Prawiro 8, Gunawan 7, Chandra 6, Situmorang 6, Poedjakesuma 5, Indrawan 4, Haryoko 0

IND 74 - Koroth 22, Singh J 11, Singh Y 9, Rai 8, Singh T 8, Bharama 6, Bhriguvanshi 5, Singh At 4, Singh Al 2, Grewal 0

QS: 20-14, 44-37, 67-57, 84-75

- The Indonesians got win #2 in the day's last game at the expense of India. The Indons finished ahead, 20-14, at then end of the first frame and never relinquished it, leading by as many as 16 points in the third period. Indonesia shot a little better from the field and they collared more caroms, which proved to be decisive in the end.

- Mario Wuysang made up for his previous scoreless performance by leading the Indons this time around. He flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 17 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists. Amin Prihantono backed him up with 16 points and 3 triples. Christian Sitepu was solid down low again with 15 markers and 8 boards. Indonesia effectively finishes 13th, the best they have finished in a long time.

- Hareesh Koroth displayed accurate shooting again, making 4 treys on his way to 22 points. Jagdeep Singh followed him up with 11 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. India didn't actually win any game in the tourney, but they finish ahead of Bahrain by virtue of winning by default against Qatar yesterday.