After suffering heartbreaking defeats in the semifinals, Iran and New Zealand take the floor again to salvage a podium finish in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025.
Pride and redemption will be on the line when Iran’s Team Melli and the New Zealand Tall Blacks face off in the battle for third place in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 on Sunday, August 17.
Game time is 7:00 p.m. (Manila time) at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The Tall Blacks enter the match after falling short against China, 98-84, in the semifinals.
[RELATED STORY: Rui Zhao shines in clutch as China downs New Zealand, returns to FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Finals]
Despite strong outings from Taylor Britt—who tallied 21 points, three rebounds, six assists, and a steal—and Mojave King, who added 19 points on four three-pointers, New Zealand had no answer for Rui Zhao’s late-game takeover.
Zhao poured in 10 of his 24 points in the dying minutes, extinguishing the Kiwis’ hopes of reaching the Finals.
Flynn Cameron also had 11 points, five rebounds, three assists, and a steal.
A bronze medal would still mark a valuable consolation for New Zealand, which has yet to break into the championship round since joining the Asia Cup in 2017.
Iran, meanwhile, is looking to shake off a crushing 92-48 semifinal defeat to defending champion Australia.
The Boomers blew the game wide open with a dominant 24-9 second-quarter surge, leaving Iran struggling to keep pace.
Only Sina Vahedi cracked double figures in scoring for Team Melli, underscoring the team’s offensive woes against the tournament powerhouse.
[ALSO READ: Australia drubs Iran to set up FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Finals vs China]
Now both sides turn their focus toward salvaging a podium finish.
For New Zealand, it’s about proving consistency as a top-four contender in Asia, while for Iran, it’s a chance to restore pride after a painful semifinal loss.
Expect an intense duel between a Tall Blacks squad hungry for validation and an Iranian team eager to bounce back with hardware.
(With reports from Jan Ballesteros)
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[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital with the help of AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]