Qatar rallies in fourth quarter to upend Japan
Qatar trailed Japan for three quarters but entered the payoff period with a rejuvenated spirit to annex the victory, 75-74, in the first Group B action of the 27th FIBA Asia Championship at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Down 53-61 at the start of the fourth canto, the Qataris raced to a 12-2 run at the 5:19 mark to wrest the lead for only the second time in the game at 65-63 behind the five straight points of naturalized player Jarvis Hayes. The last time Qatar held the lead was at the 6:54 mark of the opening period, at 7-6.
It was a sorry loss for Japan after leading for three quarters. And it was surely a sweet victory for new Qatar head coach Thomas Wisman, who got one over his former team. Wisman was the coach of Japan in the 2011 Asian Championship in Wuhan, China.
Japan drew 27 points from Kosuke Kanamaru, who finished the half with 15 points.
Man of the Game: Hayes erupted for 12 of his team-high 20 points in that huge fourth quarter sprint by Qatar that included the game-tying three-point shot and the go-ahead basket. He also drilled a crucial short stab from a baseline inbound play with just 1:02 left in play to put Qatar up, 74-70.
Turning Point of the Game: Hayes, Erfan Ali Saeed and Daoud Musa collaborated in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter to ignite Qatar’s surge after trailing for most of the game. Japan led by as many as 12 points in the second canto, at 33-21, with 6:04 left before halftime. But the trio had one trey each in that fourth quarter blast to catch-up with the young Japanese squad. Saeed added 14 markers for Qatar, while veteran center Yasseen Musa chipped in 10 points.
