Tien Lei scored a team-high 18 points and made two free-throws with 1/2 seconds remaining as Taiwan's "Comeback Kids" overcame a 12-point deficit in the last five minutes and beat Canada 86-84 yesterday. Taiwan still sits atop the standing with a 4-0 record in the 2001 Jones Cup while South Korea and Russia not far behind with 3-0.
Plagued by Canada's powerful inside game, Taiwan trailed 54-66 in the end of the third quarter. Led by Tien Lei, Chen Hsin-an and Chen Chih-chung, Taiwan stormed back with an unbelievable 19-6 run and led 73-72 with 3:16 to go. Yang Yu-min's three-pointers put Taiwan in front, 77-75, with 1:04 remaining, but Canada's Sandy Bisaro answered to even the score at 77 all with 50.7 seconds to go.
After a Chen Hsin-an miss, Canada missed four straight shots that could have iced the game. Tien Lei was fouled in his fastbreak layup with 0.5 seconds from the final buzzer and received two freebies to decide the final outcome.
■GAME SUMMARY
Taiwan 79-77 Canada
TW - Tien Lei 18p, 7rb, 3s, 4blk ; Yang Yu-min 15p ; Chen Hsin-an 14p ; Lee Chi-yi 11p, 7rb
CAN - Keith Bustard 21p, 8rb ; Etienne Orr-Ewing 10p, 15rb ; Sandy Bisaro 14p, 10rb
Philippines 97-70 Mongolia
PHI - Jeffrey Flowers 22p, 11rb ; Christopher Clay 12p, 5a ; Oscar Simon 11p ; Michael Garcia 10p
Russia 86-84 Honduras
Alexander Chernov's basket with 15 seconds left lifted Russia past Honduras.
South Korea 88-66 South Africa
■STANDING
Taiwan 4-0
South Korea 3-0
Russia 3-0
Philippines 2-1
Honduras 1-2
Canada 0-3
Mongolia 0-3
South Africa 0-4