From August 5 to 17 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 16 national teams competed for the title of the best squad in Asia. Especially for basketball fans, 1xBet has prepared a review of the main events at the 31st FIBA Asia Cup.
Group stage had no surprises
All the main tournament favorites (Australia, China, and New Zealand) won their groups without much difficulty. The only intrigue regarding first place was in Group B, where Iran secured the top spot thanks to a head-to-head victory over Japan (78-70).
The dominance of the favorites over the weaker teams was clear — only India nearly pulled off a surprise in their match against Jordan, but ultimately lost in overtime. Guam’s win over Syria is also worth noting — it allowed the tournament debutants to advance to the playoffs from third place.
What about the Philippines?
Gilas Pilipinas performed at their expected level and made it into the top eight national squads in Asia. The team showed resilience: after a tough start and a loss to Taiwan, our guys managed to put up a fight against the favorites from Iran, although they eventually lost by 8 points.
Then came a confident triumph over Iraq, which held its own until halftime but collapsed in the third quarter, which our team won 22-7. After that, the Philippines secured a victory in the Round of 16 against the hosts, although they managed to beat Saudi Arabia only in overtime. It’s worth noting that, despite the pressure from the local fans, the squad once again showed great character.
The quarterfinal loss to Australia was almost inevitable: since joining FIBA Asia, the Australians have gone unbeaten in three consecutive tournaments. On an individual level, it’s worth highlighting Justin Brownlee — he averaged 20.6 points per game and ranked among the top five scorers of the championship. The 37-year-old was the key player in the match against Saudi Arabia, scoring 29 points.
Other playoff results: 1xBet review
Australia, the reigning champion, played with maximum confidence, using quick transitions to offense, perimeter pressure, and roster depth to handle key moments without overexertion. To put it into perspective, until the final, the Australians were beating their opponents by an average of 29 points, while in the semifinals, they crushed Iran with a score of 92-48.
However, the final wasn’t easy for the champions: at one point during the game, they were trailing China by 15 points and only managed to clinch victory at the very end with a score of 90-89. For China, reaching the final was a significant achievement. In the previous two competitions, they hadn’t even made it into the top four, but in Jeddah, they proved they are once again among the region’s top teams. However, they couldn’t contain Jaylin Galloway and Xavier Cooks in the decisive clash — together, the two Australians scored 53 points in the final, and Galloway was ultimately named the tournament MVP.
Among the other participants, Iran deserves mention — they managed to regroup after a heavy semifinal loss and went on to defeat New Zealand in the third-place game. Japan appeared to be a disappointment, as they failed to assemble the optimal roster, which would have included Hachimura and Watanabe. However, even that doesn’t justify their 24-point loss to Lebanon in the Round of 16.
The performance of the Philippine national team once again confirmed that the country remains a basketball center in Asia. Support our squad with your predictions for upcoming tournaments, and don’t worry about the 1xBet withdrawal problem. These issues may only arise in cases of unfair play or when multiple accounts are used.
