Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games:
Iran beats Jordan to advance to basketball quarterfinals
Iran secured an 81-68 victory over Jordan on Sunday to progress to the last eight in the men’s basketball event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Veteran Mohammad Jamshidi produced a game-high 30 points to help Iran overcome a physically demanding defensive display and maintain control at crucial stages of the game. It was Iran’s second straight victory over the West Asian side, following a win when the two teams met in the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers in Amman in July.
The victory saw finish atop the Group B standings with five points, equal with the Chinese Taipei, which defeated Qatar 91-69 later in the day to join Iran in the knockout stage.
Jordan put Iran’s offense under considerable pressure, but Jamshidi stepped up when his team needed an offensive spark. The experienced guard combined calm decision-making with accurate shooting to repeatedly halt Jordan’s attempts to swing the momentum.
The win followed Iran’s earlier 72-69 victory over Chinese Taipei, in which Jamshidi scored 18 points. Returning recently from injury, he showed considerable improvement against Jordan, exploiting gaps in the defense and making the most of isolation situations.
His mid-range shooting was particularly effective. Precise step-back moves allowed Jamshidi to create space against Jordan’s defenders, and he repeatedly found the basket whenever the opponents threatened to narrow the gap. His ability to control the tempo helped Iran avoid rushing its possessions and remain composed under pressure.
Jamshidi finished with two successful three-pointers and also contributed four assists, underlining his role in Iran’s offensive organization. He posted an efficiency rating of 19 and remained influential beyond his scoring output.
His playmaking was highlighted late in the game when he delivered a spectacular no-look pass to set up Alireza Sharifi for a slam dunk, providing a fitting finish to one of Iran’s most effective offensive sequences.
The victory will be particularly valuable for head coach Sotiris Manolopoulos, who has now seen Jamshidi return to form at an important point in the campaign. The guard’s ability to combine scoring with playmaking gives Iran another option when opponents succeed in disrupting its offensive rhythm.
While Jamshidi supplied the standout individual performance, Iran’s success came from its ability to withstand Jordan’s physical approach and respond whenever the game threatened to become a contest of momentum.
Matin Aqajanpour and Piter Girgoorian also made valuable contributions, chipping in 15 and 14 points, respectively, as Iran bounced back from its first-day setback against Qatar in style and remained in contention for a fifth basketball medal in six editions of the multi-sport event.
The victory offered further encouragement following Jamshidi’s return from injury and gave Iran a reliable scoring outlet in a demanding game.
Iran will hope the win provides further momentum as the team advances to the quarterfinals and faces increasingly challenging opponents.