JEDDAH (Saudi Arabia) – Chinese Taipei rode a third-quarter explosion from Lin Ting-Chien to overpower Iraq 87-60 and remain unbeaten in Group D at the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 on Thursday at the King Abdullah Sports City.
Lin erupted for 16 of his game-high 22 points in a dominant third period that broke the contest wide open, while Mohammad Al Bachir Gadiaga added 13 points on a perfect shooting night from beyond the arc. The win moves Chinese Taipei to 2-0, keeping them firmly in the hunt for a top spot in the group.
It was a blistering start for Taipei, who raced to a 6-0 lead behind back-to-back triples from Ma Chien-Hao. Lin soon joined the party with a three of his own as Iraq struggled to find rhythm offensively, converting just one of their first 10 field goal attempts. Still, the Lions battled to stay within reach, trimming the deficit to 18-13 after a trio of free throws from Demario Mayfield to close the first quarter.
Iraq briefly gained momentum in the second, sparked by five quick points from Abdullah Hayder Alibraheemi to cut the margin to 21-18. However, Taipei capitalized on turnovers and foul trouble to string together a 14-8 run, with Gadiaga and the second unit finding their range. Despite being out-rebounded 27-21 at the break, Taipei’s perimeter shooting — eight triples in the first half — helped them stay in control, taking a 39-28 advantage into halftime.
The third quarter belonged entirely to Lin. The sweet-shooting guard ignited Chinese Taipei with a barrage of baskets in transition and from deep, pouring in 13 quick points to push the lead past 20. His third triple of the period gave Taipei a commanding 63-41 edge, silencing the Iraqi rally attempts and shifting full momentum to Gianluca Tucci's side heading into the final frame.
From there, Taipei never looked back.
The hot shooting continued in the fourth, with Gadiaga and Lin extending the lead to 71-45. Taipei’s bench joined the scoring surge, stretching the gap to as many as 34 points late in the game. Fast-break conversions, crisp ball movement and defensive activity allowed the East Asian side to cruise to the final buzzer.
Alibraheemi led Iraq with 15 points and 6 rebounds in a spirited showing, but the team struggled to keep pace in the second half. Iraq were hurt by 19 turnovers and inconsistent shooting, and now fall to 0-2 in Group D.
Chinese Taipei (2-0) now prepare for a crucial and potential top-of-the-table clash against New Zealand, while Iraq (0-2) face a must-win game against the Philippines in their next outing.
FIBA