Iran Falls to New Zealand in Overtime Thriller
Iran will replay the final five seconds of this one in their heads for a long time.
Two point-blank looks at the basket. Two misses. A 91-93 overtime defeat to New Zealand in the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers at the Mall of Asia Arena on Friday night that slipped agonizingly through their fingers.
With the game hanging by a thread, Team Melli had exactly what every coach wants: the ball at the rim. Mohammad Amini drove hard and rose for what looked like the tying basket, only for Sam Waardenburg to meet him in mid-air and swat the attempt away. The ball stayed alive, though, and fell to Alireza Sharifi under the hoop.
For a heartbeat, Iran’s bench sprang up, sensing redemption.
New Zealand’s defense swarmed instead. Bodies crashed in, hands went up, and Sharifi’s putback rolled off, the buzzer sounding almost in the same breath. The Tall Blacks exhaled. Iran could only stare at the scoreboard.
The escape pushed New Zealand to a 5-2 record, pulling them level with Iran in the Group E standings and tightening an already tense race. For Iran, the timing stings even more with a pivotal clash against Gilas Pilipinas looming on Sunday in the same arena.
Player Performances
New Zealand’s backcourt general Shea Ili drove their charge with 24 points and six assists, repeatedly carving lanes and punishing every defensive lapse. He dictated the tempo, probing, kicking, and finishing when the lane opened.
Sam Mennenga did the heavy lifting inside, grinding his way to 15 points and 14 rebounds, a double-double built on persistence on the glass. Reuben Te Rangi added 13, steady on both ends, while Waardenburg’s 11 points were overshadowed by the block that saved the game.
Iran had their own standouts. Matin Aghajanpour led the way with 19 points, keeping the offense afloat whenever New Zealand threatened to pull away. Amini, who found himself at the heart of the final drama, chipped in 16, and Seyed Mahdi Jafari added 14 in a balanced scoring effort that deserved more than heartbreak.
This was not a night defined by one-way dominance. It was a grind, a game that swung back and forth, decided not by a spectacular game-winner but by two shots that refused to drop.
Now Iran must turn quickly from regret to resolve. Gilas Pilipinas await, the stakes rising, the margin for error shrinking. After a finish like this, how they respond on Sunday may define their entire qualifying campaign.
