FIBA Asia 2015 Final Live Stream & Preview: Philippines, China Collide for Ticket to 2016 Rio Olympics
China and Philippines will collide in the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship final on Saturday in Changsha. The winner of the match will automatically earn a ticket to the 2016 Rio Olympics.
China booked the first spot in the final with a masterful 70-57 victory against defending champions Iran on Saturday to move a step closer to getting back on top of the Asian basketball hierarchy.
Former NBA superstar Yi Jianlian did a lot of damage for China as he finished with 13 points to go along with eight rebounds and four rebounds, while also getting enough production from his supporting cast.
Zhou Peng finished with 12 points on 5-for-6 shooting, including three three-pointers, while Ding Yanyuhang added 10 points and five rebounds. Guo Ailun chipped in nine points to go along with six assists and three boards.
On the other hand, Philippines booked a return trip to the gold medal match with a hard-earned 81-70 victory against Japan in their own semifinal match on Friday.
Andray Blatche had another double-double performance for Philippines as he posted 22 points and 13 rebounds, while Jason Castro added 20 points and seven assists to go along with two rebounds and two steals. Team captain Donaldo Hontiveros waxed hot and finished with 18 points on 6-for-9 shooting from beyond the arc.
Against China, the Philippines will have to step up since they will be going up against the tallest team in the tournament. But while they are being considered as underdogs, Philippines coach Tab Baldwin said that they are determined to defeat China in front of Chinese fans.
"We didn't come here to play in the final. We came here to win the gold," Baldwin said on Friday.
Baldwin also added that they are not bothered by China's homecourt advantage.
"They don't bother us at all," Baldwin said of Chinese fans. "Noise is noise, but it hasn't got to do with anything, nothing. We're not interested enough. Let them come play in front of Philippine fans, these are real fans. These are fake fans. They don't know the game of basketball and they just sit up there and cheer when told to cheer."
The China-Philippines match is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. ET. Iran and Japan, who have clinched a spot in the 2016 Olympic Qualifying Tournament, will collide for the bronze at 6 p.m. ET.
Broadcast schedule are available on this link. Fans can also catch the action through online streaming via Live Basketball TV.
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