Iran Falls Short Against New Zealand in Overtime Thriller
Iran walked off the Mall of Asia Arena floor staring at the rim, not the scoreboard.
Two point-blank looks in the dying seconds of overtime. Two misses. A 91–93 defeat to New Zealand in the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers on Friday that will sting all the way to Sunday’s showdown with Gilas Pilipinas.
The game ended in a scramble under the basket that captured the entire night in a single, frantic sequence. Down two, Iran carved out exactly what every coach wants: a clean drive, a strong finish, a chance to steal it back. Mohammad Amini rose for the layup that should have tied the contest.
Sam Waardenburg met him at the summit.
The Tall Blacks big man swatted away Amini’s attempt, a towering rejection that hung in the air as long as the ball had. The loose ball fell to Alireza Sharifi, who had just enough time to flip up a desperate putback. New Zealand swarmed him, bodies and arms everywhere, and the shot rolled away as the buzzer sounded.
New Zealand exhaled. Iran froze.
The Tall Blacks, who had been dragged deep into the contest by Iran’s relentless resistance, improved to 5–2 and, in the process, pulled level with Team Melli in the Group E standings. It was a result built on composure in key moments and a backcourt that refused to wilt.
Shea Ili set the tone and kept it there. The New Zealand guard controlled the tempo, punched gaps in the defense, and finished with 24 points and six assists, the kind of line that usually belongs to the night’s clear protagonist. Every time Iran threatened to tilt the game, Ili steadied the ball and found an answer.
Around him, the Tall Blacks leaned on muscle and timing. Sam Mennenga battled on the glass from start to finish, piling up 15 points and 14 rebounds in a bruising double-double that gave New Zealand second chances and denied Iran their own. Reuben Te Rangi chipped in 13, spacing the floor and offering a veteran presence in the tightest stretches, while Waardenburg’s 11 points felt secondary to the single play that will be replayed for days.
Iran did not fold. Far from it.
Matin Aghajanpour led the response with 19 points, carrying the scoring load and keeping Iran within striking distance as the game stretched and tightened. Amini, who had the ball in his hands at the end, produced 16 points and repeatedly attacked the paint, refusing to settle. Seyed Mahdi Jafari added 14, part of a balanced effort that had Iran right where they wanted to be: one possession away.
The margins were brutal. One stop here, one make there, and the narrative flips completely. Instead, Iran must live with the sight of Waardenburg’s block and a missed putback that would not drop.
Now the schedule offers no time for self-pity. The loss comes on the eve of an all-important clash against Gilas Pilipinas on Sunday, back on the same Manila floor, under the same unforgiving lights. Iran will return to the Mall of Asia Arena knowing they can hang with a surging New Zealand side.
The question is whether they can finish when it matters most.
