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Seven Stars from the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Pre-Qualifiers
BEIRUT (FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Pre-Qualifiers) - After a grueling 37-game process, the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Pre-Qualifiers in three separate sub-zones have concluded with 8 teams advancing to the next round. Fans were entertained to watch the play of many talented players over the three tournaments. Here are some of the players that stood out over the past days!
Qais Al Shabebi (UAE, GBA subzone)
22.7 Efficiency Rating Per Game
Alshabebi was one of the best players in the entire Pre-Qualifiers, notching the highest player efficiency rating per game with 22.7 over the GBA Subzone Pre-Qualifier. Even though United Arab Emirates were not able to advance to the FIBA Asia 2021 Qualifiers, Alshabebi tried his best by leading the tournament in scoring (17.5 PPG) and was second in rebounds (10.2 RPG).
He saved his best performances for the biggest games, most notably a tournament-high 29 points against Bahrain.
Tyler Lamb (Thailand, SEABA sub-zone)
22.5 Efficiency Rating Per Game
The Thai-American put on a dominating show in his first ever FIBA event for the Thailand National Team. Lamb notched an efficiency rating of 22.5 in 4 games, displaying a high level of play in nearly every aspect of the game. The 27-year-old put up a tournament-leading 22.3 points on 48.3% shooting incluing an all-around 5.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.8 steals.
Lamb’s outing in Thailand’s loss to Indonesia might not be one he would like to remember, but it could have been much worse for the tea without his 28 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals.
Thimothi Nithushan Leon Thineshkanthi (Sri Lanka, SABA Subzone)
15.7 Efficiency Rating Per Game
Sri Lanka trampled over their opposition in the SABA Pre-Qualifier with four easy wins. A large part of their dominating run to their qualifying ticket was their star forward Thimothi. The 26-year-old led the tournament with 15.7 efficiency rating per game and 16.3 Point Differential Per Game. His efficient 75.0% shooting from the field led him to also lead the tournament in scoring with 14.3 points per game to go with 5 rebounds as well.
JamarrJohnson (Indonesia, SEABA sub-zone)
21.4 Efficiency Rating Per Game
Jamarr Johnson had a slow start to the tournament for Champions Indonesia in the SEABA Pre-Qualifier, but displayed that he was just saving his best for last. The 30-year-old forward attacked the basket relentlessly in Indonesia’s two biggest games against Thailand and Singapore to average 22.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and went 24-28 from the free throwline.
In a tightly contested game against Thailand, it was Johnson who drove to the basket in the waning seconds of the match to draw the foul and ice the game-winning free throws.
Mohamed Kawaid (Bahrain, GBA sub-zone)
14.5 Efficiency Rating Per Game
Kawaid was the main man for GBA Pre-Qualifier Champions Bahrain. He averaged 13.0 points on a blistering 44.4% shooting from downtown, leading the way for Bahrain’s championship run. The 28-year-old’s three-point marksmanship performances against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (5-5 in a 93-91 win) and United Arab Emirates (5-10 in a 73-69 win) highlight his importance to the team’s success.
Delvin Goh (Singapore, SEABA sub-zone)
22.5 Efficiency Rating Per Game
Singapore was just as close to ending up with a 5-0 record as they were with their eventual 3-2 record with Delvin Goh anchoring in the paint. The 23-year-old big man tied Tyler Lamb as the most efficient players in the SEABA Subzone (22.5 Efficiency Rating Per Game) and was the only player to average more than 10 rebounds per game. His 14.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game are impressive enough as is, but it was his efforts in losing stands to Thailand (11 points, 18 rebounds) and Indonesia (12 points, 20 rebounds) that really stood out.
Mohammed Al Suwaliem (KSA, GBA sub-zone)
20.7 Efficiency Rating Per Game
Saudi Arabia were able to book their ticket to the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers led by the outstanding performances of rising big man, Mohammed Alsuwaliem. The 20-year-old bruiser was one of only two players in the GBA Pre-Qualifier to average a double-double with 16.2 points and 10.5 rebounds. Alsuwaliem scored in double digits in every game, making a whopping 64.5% of his field goal attempts.
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