NAGOYA, Japan — The Gilas Pilipinas men’s 3×3 basketball team missed out on a podium finish following a 21-10 defeat against Iran in the bronze medal match of the 20th Asian Games on Friday, September 25, at the Kinjo Futo Station Square Venue.
The Philippines struggled early against the physical Iranian squad. Despite cutting the deficit to two at 5-7, the Nationals allowed a crucial 5-0 run that placed the game out of reach.
Baskets from Koji Buenaflor and Nic Cabañero failed to spark a full recovery, as Iran continually countered every scoring attempt to secure the victory.
David Dungo topped the scoring for the Philippines with four points, followed by Luis Pablo with three, Cabañero with two, and Buenaflor with one. The loss concluded a winless final day for the squad, which earlier dropped a 21-9 decision to South Korea in the semifinals.
Iran was paced by Mohammadbasir Momeni, who scored 12 points, alongside Mohammadmahdi Rahimi’s five points to clinch the bronze.