TEHRAN (FIBA Asia Challenge 2016) – After losing to China last night, Jordan were able to bounce back strongly in their second game, winning over Kazakhstan, 89-71, at the FIBA Asia Challenge 2016 in Tehran, Iran. Jordan leaned on the impressive showings of veterans Zaid Abbas and Ahmad Al Hamarsheh as well as naturalized player Dar Tucker to book their maiden victory of the competition.

Turning Point: Jordan started the ballgame like a house on fire, scoring 37 points right in the first quarter as opposed to just 13 for Kazakhstan. Abbas and Tucker paired up for 23 points in that opening frame, underscoring the dominance Jordan would display all game long.

Stats Don't Lie: Coach Sam Daghlas’s squad was splendid in transition. Jordan outscored Kazakhstan on the break, 19-2, thanks to some good defense from Al Nashama and crisp outlet passes, too. This helped Jordan dictate the tempo in the match and enabled them to assert their dominance early and often.

Game Hero: Veteran international campaigner Zaid Abbas was a man among boys in this game. Abbas recorded 22 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, handed out 4 assists, had 2 steals and got 1 block in a scintillating all-around individual performance.

The Bottom Line: This was exactly what Jordan needed after being on the losing end of a rout last night to China. Now, Al Nashama have their sights set on beating the Group B teams in the next round to secure a favorable seeding heading into the Quarter-Finals. As for Kazakhstan, they’ll have an even tougher time booking a win tomorrow against China.

FIBA