Qatar, Jordan in final

ANTIPOLO CITY – Todd Day buried a triple with a second to go in overtime as Al Rayyan Qatar dethroned Sagesse Lebanon, 87-84, to advance to the finals of the FedEx 16th FIBA-Asia Champions Cup at the Ynares Center.

Day, who played his best years for the Milwaukee Bucks, totally outplayed fellow NBA player Kenny Saterfield in the crucial stretches of the game.

One instance saw Day blocking a Saterfield driving lay-up late in regulation, then stole the ball from Saterfield for a wide-open lay-up that ended a long drought. With the game on the line, he buried the triple that finished off the Lebanese.

Earlier, Fastlink Jordan, the team San Miguel Beer Pilipinas almost defeated, survived a furious fourth quarter rally as it shocked heavy favorite Saba Battery-Iran, 74-69, yesterday to gain the other finals slot.

Scotty Thurman led his team with 23 points but it was 6-foot-10 Ayman Deis’ triple with 48 seconds to go that sealed the Jordanians win and a trip to the finals.

With Jordan’s 67-56 lead cut down to a point, 67-66, the reed-thin Deis, who was 0-of-three from behind the arc, was left open and banged in a long trey that broke the backs of the Iranians, who topped Group A with a four-game sweep.

Deis finished with 17 points but his effectiveness was felt more in defense where he had a game-high 17 rebounds and helped contain Lorenzo Hall and 7-foot-4 Jaber Rouz Bahani, who combined for only eight points.

Envek Shawabzoka chipped in 16 points, including four from the three-point range. Three of his triples came in a 12-2 third quarter blast that turned a shaky 48-44 lead to a 60-46 advantage. — Joey Villar