HANGZHOU - After two long decades, the Philippine men's basketball team is back in the semifinals of the Asian Games.
Justin Brownlee exploded for 36 points and served as both the spark and steadying force in Gilas Pilipinas' scrambling 84-83 win over Iran that gave the Philippines a place in the Final Four for the first time since 2002.
Well-rested after playing just eight minutes in the do-or-die win over Qatar the day before, the naturalized player hit four three-pointers right in the first quarter to stake Gilas to a 12-point halftime lead that reached a high of 21 points in the third.
The Filipinos, however, lost all of that amid a ton of Iran three-pointers in the final quarter and, for a while, were facing the specter of an embarrassing meltdown.
Fortunately, there was Brownlee to save the day.
With Gilas down by one and Iran ready to celebrate, the resident Ginebra import drove baseline, lost his defender in a fortunate non-call, then calmly hit the floater that gave the Philippines back the lead, 84-83.
"It went down to the last play, and we're lucky to win," said coach Tim Cone, who could only heaved a sigh of relief following the win.
"But we shouldn't have put ourselves in that position. But these are the kind of games are in international (tournament). They could turn on a dime."
Gilas' defense held its ground from there as the Philippines booked a spot in the semifinals against defending champion and host China, which put away South Korea in their own quarterfinal match, 84-70.
The semis match is set on Wednesday at 8 p.m.
The Philippines last made the Asiad semis in the 2002 Busan Games, which is now remembered in infamy for the Lee Sang Min game-winner off a broken play for South Korea in the dying seconds.
Top sports officials led by Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Richard Bachmann, PSC executive director Paul Tatad, PBA Board chairman Ricky Vargas, and Senator Bong Go, chairman of the Senate Committee on sports.
The scores:
Philippines (84) – Brownlee 36, Fajardo 18, Thompson 11, Oftana 7, Perez 6, Kouame 4, Newsome 2, Alas 0, Tolentino 0, Aguilar 0.
Iran (83) – Vahedi 24, Rezaeifar 14, Mirzaeitalarposhti 12, Aghajanpour 11, Girgooorian 8, Mashayekhi 6, Kazemi 6, Saijad 2.
Quarterscores: 28-22; 48-36; 71-54: 84-83.
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