BEIRUT (Lebanon) - The tipoff of the Basketball Champions League Asia (BCL Asia) Qualifiers gets closer and closer and the excitement continues to build up for the games ahead.

As the eight competing teams across two groups are all among the best from their respective local leagues, the level of competition is expected to be intense. And intense level of competition leads to exciting games. And who doesn't love exciting games?

Here are six must-watch clashes to set your alarms for Round 1 of the BCL Asia Qualifiers!

Hi-Tech Basketball Club  vs Pelita Jaya Basketball

April 3 - 15:00 (GMT +8)

The rivalry between Thailand and Indonesia might not be widely recognized yet, but it can be intense. They've played against each other so many times across many competitions over the recent years (and as recent as Window 1 of the Asia Cup Qualifiers in February), so it's only natural to expect the sparks to fly when representative clubs from each country confront each other on the court.

Both Hi-Tech and Pelita Jaya are expected to feature many players who are key pieces of the national team pool. So even if the likes of Moses Morgan, Freddie Lish, Chanatip Jakrawan, Brandon Jawato, Andakara Prastawa Dhyaksa, and others will be wearing their club jerseys, you know they will also have some national team pride in their hearts going into their opening games.

Ulaanbaatar Xac Broncos vs Adroit club

April 3 - 17:30 (GMT +8)

Prawira Haram Bandung vs Bishrelt Metal

April 3 - 20:00 (GMT +8)

What an era this has been for Mongolia basketball fans. They've been able to watch the national team play in their home arena through both rounds of the Pre-Qualifiers and a home game in their very first Asia Cup Qualifiers. They've packed the stands for the games in the local "The League" seasons.

Now they'll get to root for their league Finalists as they go up against championship-caliber teams from other nations. The Broncos and Metal are still fresh off their Finals clash, so they'll be ready to come hot out of the gates for their debuts.

Prawira Haram Bandung vs NS Matrix Deers

April 6 - 12:30 (GMT +8)

The beauty of the BCL Asia Qualifiers is that there will truly be clashes between champions. Some of those fantasy scenarios that die-hard fans run in their imaginations become a reality, allowing them to secure bragging rights.

Here, we have a battle between the Indonesian champions Prawira Haram Bandung and Malaysian champions NS Matrix Deers. Both dominated their way through the local leagues to earn their spots here in the BCL Asia Qualifiers. This game on the last day of Round 1 could be the deciding game as to who will claim the direct seat to Round 2 and who will have to play on in the Qualification to Round 2 game.

Potential matchups in Qualification to Round 2

April 7 - 17:30 (GMT +8)
April 7 - 20:00 (GMT +8)

We're still far away from knowing who will be playing in these games. The first game will be between the second-place team in Group A and the third-place team in Group B, while the second game is between the third-place team in Group B and the second place team in Group A.

Only the winners of these games will advance to Round 2 (along with the first-placed teams in each Group) and keep their BCL Asia qualification hopes alive.

More than the high stakes of these games, there's also a possibility that these end up being clashes between recent league finalists and rivals in Mongolia and Indonesia. Depending on how the results go, the Broncos and Metal could rekindle the flame of their Finals clash from only a week ago while Prawira Bandung and Pelita Jaya could ignite a Finals rematch with everything on the line.

Still, even if this doesn't end up being the matchup to qualify for Round 2, it will almost be certain that these games will go down to the wire… because in the end, it's either win-or-go-home.

FIBA