FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers:
Iran eases past Kazakhstan in dead rubber to win group
Iran marched to an 88-45 victory at Kazakhstan on Monday to clinch the top spot in Group E of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup.
Sina Vahidi contributed with a game-high 20 points for Iran, plus 4 rebounds and assists apiece, while Matin Aqajanpour finished on 16 points, dropping half of the team’s 8 three-pointers, as all players of Greek coach Sotirios Manolopoulos got on the scoresheet.
Mohammad Amini, the star of the show for Iran in Friday’s victory over India, chipped in 13 points and 7 rebounds off the bench in a game that saw Team Melli shoot an excellent 55.1% from the floor, thanks to their 22 assists as a collective.
Iran finished the qualifiers with a 5-1 record after a clean sweep of double wins in the final window, with the three-time Asian champion’s lone defeat coming against Qatar, and former Iran coach Hakan Demir, last November.
Elsewhere on Tuesday, Demir’s charges outpowered India 81-61 at home, with a third successive win helping the Qataris finish runner-up to Iran in the group with a 4-2 record.
American-born Tyler Harris starred in the victory with 24 points, nailing his first seven shots from the field without a miss.
Ndoye Seydou went an efficient 6-of-8 from the floor and ended up with 15 points, while the debuting Donte Grantham came through with 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists.
The Indians will still fancy their chances of a place in the finals in Jeddah, after a third-place finish in the group table – courtesy of head-to-head advantage against Kazakhstan – sent them into the six-team Final Qualifying Tournament.
Joining Iran and Qatar in August’s main event are host Saudi Arabia, as well as two-time reigning champion Australia, Japan, Philippines, New Zealand, Lebanon, Jordan, South Korea, Syria, and China – the most decorated team in the continent’s flagship international event with 16 titles – with four spots remaining up for grabs.
Iran, a back-to-back champion in 2007 and 2009, will be a chasing a first Asian crown since 2013, having finished third in 2015 before the final defeat against Australia in the 2017 edition.