Games you don't want to miss at BCL Asia 2024

DUBAI (UAE) - The draw is done and the field is set for the first edition of Basketball Champions League Asia (BCL Asia).

Now we exactly know what exciting games to expect throughout Asia's flagship club competition which will be held from 9-15 June in Dubai, UAE.

 

With the title of the best club in Asia on the line, each game matters right from start to finish. Here are some games, however, that you might want to keep your eyes on in particular.

 NS Matrix Deers vs  Al Riyadi

We all love the rush of adrenaline from the excitement and drama of clutch games. So how about a clash between two teams that made their way to confirm a spot at BCL Asia in exhilarating fashion?

Riyadi are fresh off winning a FIBA West Asia Super League (WASL) title by letting a 16-point lead become a 9-point deficit before flipping the switch again to force overtime and dominate the extra period against their archrivals.

 

NS Matrix themselves went through a roller-coaster of emotions through both rounds of the BCL Asia Qualifiers. They barely made it through the Group Phase of Round 1 and had to battle back from down by as much as 18 points to clinch their spot in Round 2. The Deers also seemed to be underdogs to qualify from round 2 as well, but went against the odds to beat Prawira Bandung in overtime.

 

Will it be a close game once again when these two teams clash on the court?

 Hiroshima Dragonflies vs  Shahrdary Gorgan

Japan and Iran basketball are among the best in Asia and that's why these two champion clubs representing their respective countries are here at BCL Asia.

Don't forget that in the two previous iterations of BCL Asia, the FIBA Asia Champions Cups in 2018 and 2019, the champions of Japan and Iran clashed with a lot on the line.

In 2019, it was a Semi-Finals clash between eventual champions Alvark Tokyo and Naft Abadan that ended 80-73. In 2018, it was a final showdown in the championship game where Petrochimi beat Alvark Tokyo, 68-64.

While it's two different teams (Hiroshima Dragonflies and Shahrdary Gorgan) that will be playing in BCL Asia 2024, it shouldn't be too much to expect for a similar closely competed game between the two powerhouse clubs.

 Shabab Al Ahli vs  Al Riyadi

The host are in the house… and they'll be going up against an exciting opponent in Riyadi.

Riyadi fans should already be used to traveling to Dubai and the Shabab Al Ahli fans should be more than "welcome" to great these familiar foes to loud cheers from the stands.

These two have had numerous experience playing against each other in the recent years, also they missed the opportunity to cross paths at the WASL Final 8 in 2023. In FIBA club competitions, the most recent clash was back in the Group Phase the Asia Champions Cup 2016 in China. The "Yellow Castle" easily took care of Shabab Al Ahli then 116-55.

We'll see if the tides can turn with the games being played on Shabab Al Ahli's turf this time around.

 KCC Egis Basketball Club vs  Hiroshima Dragonflies

There are ties everywhere between Japan and Korea basketball, making it always interesting when the teams clash against each other at the regional level - whether it's the national team or in club competitions.

The two proud countries are considered among the best in Asia. The domestic leagues (B.LEAGUE in Japan, KBL in Korea) both continue to churn out some of the best talents in the region, while also sharing some of those resources between each other with having some Japanese players playing in the KBL and some Korean players playing in the B.LEAGUE.

The countries have had representatives claim one club competition title in Asia and it would certainly be a great honor for either of these teams to claim a second one. A great confidence boost towards that goal would be to win against their East Asian counterparts here in the early stages.

This should be a good one.

 Pelita Jaya Basketball vs  KCC Egis Basketball Club

Who doesn't like fiery rivalries that trickle over from their usual stomping grounds? The Philippines and Korea are known to always engage in intense and competitive games and here in BCL Asia, we potentially have a fun way that can be ignited again.

Philippines national team and Pelita Jaya Basketball star, Justin Brownlee, could suit up to face Korea Basketball League champions KCC Egis who are expected to line up their own national team heroes such as Heo Ung and Choi Junyoung. The faithful Indonesian Pelita Jaya fans who will be rooting for the likes of Andakara Prastawa and Brandon Jawato, among others, could join forces with the Gilas supporters in forming a South East Asian alliance to root against their East Asian opponents.

FIBA