FIBA Asia 2013: Complete Viewing Guide and Schedule for Quarterfinals

The 2013 FIBA Asia tournament has just jumped up a level in excitement, as group play has ended and the eight quarterfinalists have been determined.

It is win or go home from here on out, upping the stakes and thrill of this event significantly. With that in mind, you aren’t going to want to miss a single minute of the quarterfinals.

Read on to find out where and when to watch the tourney as well as what to look for in the games ahead.

 

When: Friday, Aug. 9

Where: Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay, Philippines

Live Stream: LiveBasketball.tv

 

Bracket

 

Quarterfinals Schedule (All times local Manila time)

3 p.m.: Iran vs. Jordan

5:45 p.m.: Chinese Taipei vs. China

8:30 p.m.: Philippines vs. Kazakhstan

10:30 p.m.: Korea vs. Qatar

Player to Watch: Hamed Hadaddi

The big man has led Iran to a perfect record thus far in the tournament, helping to continue a run that began last month during the Williams Jones Cup, which Iran won for the fourth time in history.

Hadaddi is averaging 17.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks through the first six games of FIBA Asia and has been an absolutely dominant force.

At 7’2”, Hadaddi hardly has any opponents who can stand anywhere close to toe-to-toe with him, let alone stop the center from scoring at will and protecting his own rim.

The former NBA player may not have made a huge impact during his time in America, but he’s an absolute monster for the Iranians and could help them make a run to the title game.

Matchup to Watch: Chinese Taipei vs. China

China should be the team to challenge Iran in the finals of the tournament, but it has to continue playing at a high level in order to insure a victory against its Taiwanese neighbors.

Chinese superstar Yi Jianlian returned for a warm-up contest ahead of the knockout stage, scoring 12 points in 13 minutes in an 88-66 dismantling of Bahrain.

If he can stay healthy and show that there is no rust, there is no doubt that China will advance to the Final Four of FIBA Asia 2013.

Chinese Taipei has a few intriguing players, such as Lin Chih-Chieh, but needs to catch fire from beyond the arc in order to pull off the upset on Friday.