Iran played the Caribbean team on Saturday at the Guangzhou Gymnasium in Guangzhou, China, for its opening match in the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
Although the first half ended with Iran leading with 40 points against Puerto Rico’s 31 points, the match made a shocking turnover for the rival team in the fourth quarter.
The Iranian basketball squad conceded defeat while it was still leading until the last minutes of the fourth quarter. The match ended in Puerto Rico’s favor, 83-81.
Puerto Rico’s top player was David Huertas, who gained 32 points for his team, and Hamed Haddadi was Iran’s top player with 22 points.
Both Iran and Puerto Rico are hoping for a place in the Second Round, with Spain being the obvious favorite, and Tunisia also in the mix.
Iran will play Tunisia and Spain on Sept. 2 and 4 respectively in Group C.
The tournament takes place in China and features 32 teams from around the globe.
- source : Mehrnews
