Brazil vs. Iran: Live Score and Highlights for FIBA World Cup 2014

Brazil successfully took down Iran 79-50 on Sunday, but it entered this contest looking for a stronger start than it got in Day 1 of the 2014 FIBA World Cup against France. Unfortunately for the Brazilians, that goal didn’t come to fruition, as Iran jumped out to an early eight-point lead in the first quarter.

The good news for Brazil? It did exactly what it did to France.

It recovered nicely.

Despite trailing by one entering the second quarter, Brazil turned things around with defense. It outscored Iran 23-6 in the period, and it did it by converting steals into transition buckets throughout the entire quarter.

Steals ended up being the primary difference maker in this one, as the Brazilians swiped the ball away from Iran 17 times. Efficiency overall could also qualify as a theme, as it shot 61 percent from the field compared to 43 percent from Iran.

Leading the way for Brazil was Alex Garcia, who scored 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting. Leandro Barbosa also put together a noteworthy performance, as he scored 11 points, shot 5-of-6 and was responsible for four of those 17 steals.

For Iran, the effort was there, but it was simply outmatched when it came to size on the block and play in transition. Mohammad Jamshidi led the way in scoring with 13 points in just under 31 minutes.

The 2014 FIBA World Cup is just getting started, so keep up with Bleacher Report for all of your live coverage and post-game analysis.