Arakji comes up clutch to spoil Clarkson's debut as Lebanon, New Zealand, Jordan win

ZOUK MIKAEL (Lebanon) & DAMMAM (Saudi Arabia) & AMMAN (Jordan) - The clash between Lebanon and Philippines was as intense as advertised with the home team claiming the win along with New Zealand and Jordan.

 

In Beirut, the MVP didn’t disappoint, leading Lebanon to an 85-81 win. Asia Cup 2022 MVP Wael Arakji spoiled Jordan Clarkson’s FIBA debut with a clutch sequence in the final minute, highlighted by dagger of a three-pointer to put the game out of the Philippines’ reach. Earlier in the game, it was Amir Saoud who stepped up off the bench for Lebanon and finished with 17 points on 3 three-pointers.

For the Philippines, Clarkson ended up with a big game of 27 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists and nearly carrying the team to the win. Gilas also got a huge contribution from Dwight Ramos who had 18 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, and 6 steals.

New Zealand saw a 30-point halftime lead cut in half within less than 6 minutes, but managed to stay focused to maintain that lead to the end, 80-65.

 

Coach Pero Cameron balanced out the minutes for his players with no one playing less than 9 minutes, allowing everyone to get one the scoreboard except Sam Timmins who ended leading the team in rebounds. Five players ended up scoring in double-digits, which is even more evidence of how balanced the Tall Blacks were trying to be in this game.

For Saudi Arabia, Khalid Abdel Gabar put in a massive effort again with 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists while shooting 9-15 from the floor.

Jordan most likely had a more difficult time handling India as they might have initially thought, but eventually came away with the win, 80-64.

 

The Falcons also balanced out their minutes distribution with only their two star guards, Dar Tucker and Freddy Ibrahim logging more than 22 minutes in the game. Tucker led the game in scoring, followed closely behind by Amin Abu Hawwas who had 17 points of his own. Big man Ahmad Al Dwairi had his usual double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds while also getting 3 assists and 3 blocks.

India’s youngsters had some solid performances, especially AMarendra Nayak who had 17 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists.

Turning points

LBN vs PHI: Wael Arakji’s three-pointer in the waning seconds of a tight game was certainly a highlight, but the impacting play that shifted the momentum was Ali Haidar’s bullish post move on Kai Sotto with 4 minutes left in the game. Not only did the bucket tie the game in which Lebanon would eventually lead and never look back, it was a message from Lebanon to the Philippines about how tough they were going to be in those final minutes.

KSA vs NZL: Saudi Arabia had a good opportunity to gain momentum early in the fourth quarter after a monster block by Ayoub Alhawsawi. Instead, they failed to score in transition and allowed New Zealand to quickly counter. The lead was already at 17 points at that point, but this sequence here was when Saudi Arabia’s chances at a comeback were completely denied.

JOR vs IND: India are a young team and that was clear in the second quarter. They had fought well in the first quarter, but when Jordan turned up the pressure, India went scoreless for nearly 6 minutes. The defining play was right in the middle of the quarter when Zaid Abbas hustled for the steal on a trap and dove to keep the ball alive which resulted in two quick points for the Falcons.

Game Heroes

LBN vs PHI: Well, you did see what Arakji did in that final minute right? Arakji had a slow start in this game but lived up to the reputation of being one of the most clutch players in the recent Asia Cup. He finished the game with 24 points, 7 of which were score in those final 60 seconds.

KSA vs NZL: This game from Shea Ili was the sort of performance that earned him a spot on the Asia Cup 2017 All Star Five squad. The lead guard for the Tall Blacks led the team in scoring (14 points) and assists (8 assists) with 4 rebounds.

JOR vs IND: Dar Tucker came into this game with a new look and energized the team with his near triple-double of 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists. It’s something to be expected by now, but you will never get used to Tucker’s three-point shooting prowess and high-flying actions.

Stats don’t lie

LBN vs PHI: Lebanon are a pesky, physical defensive team and that was on full display against the Philippines. Gilas were forced into committing 21 turnovers which Lebanon converted to 22 points.

KSA vs NZL: The Tall Blacks outhustled Saudi Arabia in this game on their way to the win and there’s statistical backup. New Zealand scored more points in transition (23-13) and on second chance points (16-9).

JOR vs IND: Jordan didn’t have as good of a shooting game as they might have wanted (18.9 percent three-point shooting), but they controlled the paint with 60.5 percent shooting from inside the arc, as expected.

Bottom Line: Lebanon and New Zealand are now so close to clinching World Cup qualification. Both teams will need to win their last game of the window on August 29, and will also need the Philippines to beat Saudi Arabia on August 29 to clinch qualification.

FIBA