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