Ishan Crawford Scotland beat Malaysia 21-16 in the men’s 3×3 basketball quarter-finals at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games on Tuesday after Kyle Jimenez banked an outrageous deep-corner scoop as the shot clock died. The hosts now meet Australia in the semi-finals; Malaysia’s first full men’s campaign ends one win short of its semi-final target.
The result hinged on one of the wildest finishes of the tournament so far inside SEC Hall.
The Scoop That Closed the Door
Scotland led 19-16 with 1:18 left in a race to 21. Jimenez, under pressure and with the clock draining, gathered near the deepest corner beyond the arc and scooped the ball high. It dropped. Officials reviewed the shot-clock timing. The basket stood. Final score 21-16.
Jimenez himself stood open-mouthed. Teammates swarmed him. The home crowd in hall two of the SEC Centre erupted. Malaysian players had fought level and kept the game tight deep into the contest, but the heave ended their run.
Jimenez himself was left gawping, as were his team-mates, as he pulled off one of the wildest finishes to any game.
BBC Sport Scotland’s Amy Canavan described the moment that way. Video clips raced across social platforms within minutes. One Australian journalist watching live at 3 a.m. Melbourne time called it the craziest game-winner he had seen in 3×3. The crowd layer around the clip treated the shot as instant Games folklore for the hosts.
- Lead at the moment of the shot: Scotland 19-16
- Time remaining when Jimenez released: roughly the final second of the shot clock
- Review outcome: basket counted, game over
- Next for Scotland: semi-final against unbeaten Australia
Jimenez arrived with Kyle Jimenez prior Commonwealth Games finishes of fourth at Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022. The Edinburgh product plays club ball and carries family basketball roots. On home soil the deep heave became the signature moment of Scotland’s knockout path.
How Malaysia Climbed Out of the Group
Coach Ee Kee Lip’s side entered the quarter-finals as Pool B runners-up after four wins and one defeat. The campaign marked Malaysia’s first appearance in Commonwealth Games men’s 3×3 since the format arrived at Birmingham 2022.
- July 25-26 pool openers: Malaysia beat Fiji 21-16, Kenya 21-15 and Singapore 21-15 for a perfect start.
- July 27: England edged them 21-19 in a near-upset that still left Malaysia firmly in qualification position.
- July 28 final group game: A 21-15 win over Jamaica locked second place. Malaysia finished with 103 points scored across five games, two behind England’s 105. Singapore took third on 88.
Group winners advanced straight to the semis. Second and third played quarter-finals. Malaysia drew Pool A’s third-placed Scotland. Singapore met New Zealand and also exited. The four Malaysian players (Chang Zi Fueng, Chong Zhen Yang, Ting Chun Hong and Ooi Xian Fu) stayed competitive against stronger-ranked sides and forced England to sweat for their win.
That group record (lost just once) set the semi-final target the team ultimately missed by one dramatic possession.
Scotland Rode Home Support Through the Pool
Scotland finished third in Pool A behind Australia and New Zealand. Early wins over Guyana and the Cayman Islands built belief. A heavy loss to Australia and a late defeat by New Zealand dropped them into the quarter-final route, yet the home atmosphere never faded.
Owen McCormack, the American-born forward with Edinburgh family ties, spoke after a pool win about the difference the crowd made. He said home fans are intense according to McCormack. Skyler White and Fraser Malcolm supplied scoring and physicality alongside Jimenez. The same energy that lifted earlier wins carried into the Malaysia match and helped turn a tight game into a signature memory.
That home surge fits the wider Brand Scotland home Games campaign energy visible across venues this fortnight. Local athletes keep finding extra gears when the stands fill.
The Numbers Behind Both Squads
| Team | Key players | Group record | Path to QF | QF result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland | Kyle Jimenez, Fraser Malcolm, Owe McCormack, Skyler White | 3-2 (3rd Pool A) | Third-place route | Won 21-16 |
| Malaysia | Chang Zi Fueng, Chong Zhen Yang, Ting Chun Hong, Ooi Xian Fu | 4-1 (2nd Pool B) | Second-place route | Lost 16-21 |
Australia topped full Pool A standings and Australia path at 5-0 and wait in the semis. England topped Pool B. New Zealand and Scotland completed the last four after their quarter-final wins. The format itself rewards speed and outside shooting: first team to 21 points (or most points after 10 minutes) wins, with two-point shots from beyond the arc and a 12-second shot clock. Full details sit in the official 3×3 rules and format at Glasgow.
What Malaysia Takes Home From the Debut
The loss stings because the semi-final target felt reachable after the group stage. Yet the broader picture stays positive for Malaysian 3×3. The side proved it can win multiple games against Commonwealth opposition on a multi-sport stage and push a strong England team to the brink.
Four straight group wins after the England defeat showed resilience. 103 points scored across five games underlined offensive balance. First men’s 3×3 appearance at these Games sets a baseline no previous squad held. The players return with experience against half-court specialists and under home-crowd pressure that few Asian sides face regularly.
- Coach Ee Kee Lip now owns a proven international template for short-burst tournaments.
- Younger players gained high-stakes minutes that domestic leagues rarely supply.
- The programme can point to a quarter-final run when seeking future funding and FI BA 3×3 ranking points.
- Singapore’s parallel exit keeps regional rivalry alive for the next cycle.
Malaysia’s wider Glasgow effort includes other medal stories. Lawn bowler Syafiqa Haidar’s pairs silver while five months pregnant supplied one of the Games’ most human headlines. Basketball now sits alongside that as a sport that competed hard rather than merely appeared.
Australia Wait in the Semis
Scotland’s reward is a semi-final against the tournament’s form side. Australia swept Pool A and look every bit the 2022 silver medallists upgraded. The other semi pairs New Zealand with England. Bronze and gold medal matches follow on the final days of the 3×3 window.
For Scotland the Jimenez heave already delivered a home-Games highlight. For Malaysia the exit closes one chapter and opens a clearer development path. Both sides leave the quarter-final with something tangible: one a semi-final berth, the other a debut that raised the floor.
Elsewhere at these Games, Scottish stories continue to surface, including another Scottish athlete story at these Games that has drawn attention beyond the medals.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does scoring work in Commonwealth Games 3×3 basketball?
Shots inside the arc count as one point and shots behind the arc count as two. The first team to 21 points wins; if neither side reaches 21 after 10 minutes the higher score wins. Overtime is first to lead by two points. A 12-second shot clock keeps possessions short.
When did 3×3 basketball join the Commonwealth Games programme?
Birmingham 2022 marked the debut of both running 3×3 and 3×3 wheelchair basketball. Glasgow 2026 is therefore only the second edition. England took the inaugural men’s gold in 2022.
Had Malaysia competed in men’s 3×3 at a previous Commonwealth Games?
No. The 2026 squad was the country’s first men’s 3×3 team at the Games. Earlier Malaysian basketball involvement at Commonwealth level came in other formats or wheelchair events.
Who does Scotland play in the men’s 3×3 semi-finals?
Scotland face Australia, the unbeaten Pool A winners and 2022 silver medallists. The other semi-final is New Zealand against England. Those ties decide the gold-medal match participants.
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