MIES (Switzerland) - It was a wild day of FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers Window 3 action, to say the least, among the competing teams from Groups A and B given how some of the games turned out.
In indeed a Friday special, two matches needed extra time to determine a winner, while the other half of the quadruple-header yielded lopsided results which contributed to how the Second Round may appear.
And along with it, of course, came remarkable performances from some of the most outstanding players in the continent today. So, here are our top five performers from the July 3 games. Who stood out to you the most?
Take the poll below:
Brandon Gilbeck (TPE)
Center
Date of birth: December 9, 1996 Height: 2.11 M (6'11")
Chinese Taipei kept their Second Round hopes very much alive by sending Korea skidding to their third straight defeat through an 82-80 OT victory in the latter's own yard in Goyang, and leading the way once more is Brandon Gilbeck. The super reliable big man came through with 26 points and 18 rebounds, which is already his fourth straight double-double showing in the ongoing World Cup Qualifiers. He also had 5 blocks and finished with an efficiency of 38, too, which is actually the most by any player in this particular gameday.
Fantasy points: 51
Josh Hawkinson (JPN)
Center
Date of birth: June 23, 1995 Height: 2.08 M (6'9")
It was without a doubt a masterclass in serving revenge as Japan cooked up a convincing 92-73 victory over China in Liaoning to atone for the meltdown they had in their Window 2 meeting last February. And as usual, Josh Hawkinson starred yet again by tallying a game-high 27 points on an efficiency of 31, playing a key role in turning the game around late in the opening period before helping out in their second-half breakaway, which ultimately enabled Team Japan to stay atop Group B - and more importantly advance to the Second Round.
Fantasy points: 36
Juan Gomez de Liano (PHI)
Guard
Date of birth: November 19, 1999 Height: 1.80 M (5'10")
It couldn't get any more painful for the Philippines. After leading by as many as seven late in regulation, they couldn't get the job done and fell to New Zealand in a 2OT classic, 106-102. Still, it offered lots of reasons for Gilas to keep their chin up, including Juan Gomez de Liano. Now in his second straight World Cup Qualifiers window, the lefty guard fired 23 points, highlighted by a pair of triples - both of which pushed the game into two extra periods that made it easily a FIBA classic. He also had 6 rebounds and 4 assists for an efficiency of 25.
Fantasy points: 31
Sam Waardenburg (NZL)
Forward
Date of birth: February 21, 1999 Height: 2.08 M (6'9")
It's been a while since the last time Sam Waardenburg suited up for the Tall Blacks and in his return, the sweet-shooting big man made sure to make his presence felt. Serving as 1/3 of Coach Judd Flavell's towering triumvirate of 'Sams,' Waardenburg finished with an efficiency of 23 behind solid numbers of 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field - including a pair of treys - and 10 rebounds, plus 1 assist and 2 steals. He did all that in 30 minutes of playing time, and making it all the more impressive was the fact that he committed zero turnovers.
Fantasy points: 35
Yudai Baba (JPN)
Guard
Date of birth: November 7, 1995 Height: 1.95 (6'4")
Of our Top 5 players in this list, only Yudai Baba didn't breach the double-digit mark in scoring with only 9 points. But the athletic combo guard still tallied an efficiency of 21 - his best of the ongoing World Cup Qualifiers so far - as he also collected 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. And in case you're wondering, he chalked up those numbers without committing a single turnover. There's truly more to the game than putting the ball through the hoop and the 30-year-old proved as much yet again, and none could - and should - be questioning the kind of impact he brought as Baba helped Japan beat China for the second time in their last three meetings.
Fantasy points: 30
FIBA