DOHA (AFP) -- Iran booked their first Asian Games men's basketball semifinal berth in 55 years with a cliff-hanging 68-64 win over Japan, who lamented their weak rebounding and lack of size.

Iran broke away from a 64-64 stalemate with 38 seconds to go as Samad Nik-Khah Bahrami scored a field goal and added a free throw on a foul.

Japan's Shinsuke Kashiwagi failed on a three-point equalizer with five seconds on the clock and Iran added another free throw to secure a momentous quarterfinal victory.

Iranian guard Mehdi Kamrani and Nik-Khah Bahrami led the drive with game-high 14 points apiece while point guard Ryoto Sakurai scored the same for Japan, who hosted the world men's championships in August. "The problem is rebounding," Japan captain and guard Kenichi Sako said. "The opponent gained momentum and we couldn't do anything."

Iran, who won the bronze in 1951 for their best-ever result in Asian Games men's basketball, had 52 rebounds against Japan's 37.

Japan coach Kunikazu Suzuki said: "Japan and Iran both missed a lot of shots but Iran had 20 points from rebounds. "I think we have to select big and tall players, including naturalized ones in Japan. Otherwise it's difficult to win against other countries."

Eric McCarther, a former leading U.S. college rebounder who has played for Japan since 2000 as a naturalized Japanese, broke a finger bone in the opening match here and has sat idle since.

Iran went 11-13 down in the first quarter but surged ahead with a 22-12 run in the second period before entering the final quarter with a five-point lead.

"Our big men didn't attack the basket all that well," Iranian coach Frederick Femi Onica said.

"Sometimes we tend to have a breakdown in rotation and that tends to affect our game. But defense is definitely the key to winning games."

With a frustrating disadvantage in size and power, Japan have always lurked in the shadow of other world basketball nations.

They have not made the men's Olympic basketball competition since the 1976 Montreal Games.