Undefeated Australia and Iran set up FIBA Asia Cup semi-final showdown
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Reigning two-time champions Australia defeated the Philippines 84-60 and remain unbeaten in the competition since entering it for the first time in 2017.
The Boomers dominated from the start, sinking seven 3-pointers in the first quarter on the way to building a 29-12 lead. Jaylin Galloway led the early charge, while Jack McVeigh and Will Magnay contributed impressive performances on the offensive and defensive fronts.
'I'm just really proud of how we rebounded and defended,' said coach Adam Caporn. 'We just rallied on the defensive end and on the boards. I'm very happy.
Disappointed Philippines coach Tim Cone said: 'We really liked our time together. I like the way we play, I like the togetherness, they are all easy to coach, but I didn't like our performance tonight.'
Philippines center Justin Brownlee, whose 3-pointer forced overtime on Monday in the play-off victory over Saudi Arabia, was held in check this time by the Australian defense and finished with 10 points on 3-of-7 field goal shooting.
In the day's other quarter-final, Iran completed one of the most dramatic comebacks ever seen at Asia Cup, reversing a 21-point deficit to edge Chinese Taipei 78-75 at King Abdullah Sports City.
The turnaround was about more than simply advancing to the semi-finals for the Iranians, it was about reaffirming their status as genuine title contenders.
'At halftime, we had a long talk and we changed the approach,' said coach Sotirios Manolopoulos. 'We had to start from defense to play aggressively, possession by possession. We knew we will get our shots, and this time we will make our shots. For the second half, we played to our maximum.'
For Chinese Taipei, the defeat marked a heartbreaking end to the competition.
'We shot better but we still lost the game; this is basketball,' said coach Gianluca Tuccil.
Australia and Iran, both of whom are unbeaten in this year's competition, will face off on Saturday at King Abdullah Sports City for a spot in the final.
China will take on South Korea and then New Zealand face Lebanon in the remaining two quarter-finals, which take place on Thursday.
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