Iran Falls to New Zealand in Overtime Thriller
Iran walked off the floor at the Mall of Asia Arena staring at the scoreboard and, more painfully, replaying the final two seconds in their minds.
Two shots at the rim.
Two chances to save the game.
Both gone.
Final Score: New Zealand 93 - 91 Iran (overtime)
New Zealand survived, 93-91 in overtime, in the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers on Friday, Aug. 28, after Iran missed a pair of point-blank attempts that would have either tied or won a thriller.
The Tall Blacks were hanging on when Mohammad Amini slipped free and rose for what looked like a simple finish. Sam Waardenburg exploded off the floor and met him at the summit, swatting away Iran’s lifeline. The ball dropped invitingly to Alireza Sharifi, who had just enough space for a putback. New Zealand’s defense swarmed, bothered the shot, and watched it bounce away as the buzzer sounded.
A great escape. A brutal collapse.
The win lifted New Zealand to 5-2, pulling them level with Iran in the Group E standings and tightening the race for World Cup spots. For Iran, the timing could hardly be worse, with an all-or-nothing showdown against Gilas Pilipinas looming on Sunday, Aug. 30, in the same arena.
Player Performances
Shea Ili set the tone for the Tall Blacks, attacking off the dribble and controlling the tempo on his way to 24 points and six assists. Every time Iran threatened to seize control, Ili dragged New Zealand back into the fight.
Sam Mennenga did the dirty work inside, piling up 15 points and 14 rebounds as he battled on both glass and paint. Reuben Te Rangi chipped in 13, while Waardenburg, whose last-gasp block will live long in New Zealand’s qualifying campaign, added 11.
Iran had plenty of answers for long stretches. Matin Aghajanpour paced Team Melli with 19 points, stretching the floor and keeping New Zealand’s defense honest. Amini backed him with 16, constantly probing and attacking gaps, while Seyed Mahdi Jafari added 14 in a balanced effort that looked, for much of the night, good enough to win.
But qualifiers at this level often come down to a single possession, a single decision, a single defensive stand.
New Zealand made theirs count. Iran did not.
Now Iran must somehow park the heartbreak and turn quickly toward Gilas Pilipinas, with their World Cup path suddenly far more precarious than it looked before those final, fateful two seconds.
