Heading into Monday’s 2019 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers’ fifth window match versus the Philippines, Iran was seen as the underdog, thanks to the absences of top stars such as Hamed Haddadi and Samad Nikkhah Bahrami.
Add to that the fact that they had no momentum heading to Manila, as they had absorbed a 47-76 beatdown at the hands of Australia at the Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne last Saturday.
But the Iranians showed why they are among the powerhouses in the region.
Even with a young lineup, the cagers from West Asia delivered greatly when needed. They climbed back from an eight-point deficit early in the final frame, to walk away from the SM Mall of Asia Arena with the 78-70 win in the bag.
And no one was more proud than team vet Mohammad Jamshidi.
“I think we just come here and showed everyone that Iranian basketball had big potential. Even when we played without many players, that’s what we showed on the court,” said Jamshidi, who finished with 26 points and seven assists.
Jamshidi himself played a big factor in Iran’a come-from-behind victory. Moreover, Monday night was his best performance in the Qualifiers – he shot 10-of-16 in the win after shooting just 23-of-87 in the past windows.
But for the 6-foot-6, 27-year-old swingman – who was averaging just over eight points prior to Monday – the win was due to their collective effort. And the Iranians have now hiked their win-loss record to 7-3.
“I think aggressive defense and smart offense won it for us.”
