JEDDAH (Saudi Arabia) - The hosts got themselves an added jolt of energy on Thursday night and that ultimately enabled Saudi Arabia to pull off a stunner against Jordan for their breakthrough win in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025.
All that was thanks to their 'sixth man.'
Solid was the turnout of attendance at the King Abdullah Sports City, as the home fans trooped and went all-out in their support, wanting of course to see their team enter the win column after falling just short versus China.
They were aptly rewarded when the final buzzer rang as the Saudis finally saw their efforts lead to a victory, which not only kept their hopes of advancing very much alive but ended what had been a lengthy drought as well.
The last time that they won a game in FIBA's flagship event in the continent was in 2013 in Manila, Philippines - a 93-80 result against Thailand during the Classification Round to secure a 13th-place finish.
It's truly been a long time coming and that's why head coach Ricard Casas has nothing but gratitude for the fans, for their efforts in making sure that Team Saudi will feel the very essence of homecourt advantage.
"For me, for the team, it's very important - the fans are pushing us," he said moments after their 77-73 victory. "It's very important because this team is emotional and we are playing in our country."
"And tonight, we won because there were more fans, more people pushing the team," he added.
That extra push from their faithful reflected on the hardwood, with Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman putting up another fine showing as he finished with 25 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists.
Mo Alsuwailem came up big, too. The star center notched a double-double of 14 points and 15 rebounds but what many truly appreciated was his defensive presence, as he chalked up 6 of the team's 8 blocks.
A total of eight players scored in the win, with key cogs such as Ali Shubayli, Musab Kadi, Fahad Belal, Mathna Almarwani, and Marzouq Almuwallad chipping in at least 6 points as they tallied 22 assists as a team.
"It's a big sacrifice for our federation to be playing in this big event for everyone. And the team [responded] tonight with a win," said the Spanish mentor, who coached the Bahrain men's team from 2023 to 2024.
Now at 1-1, Saudi Arabia are out to finish the Group Phase with another win when they take on the 0-2 India on Saturday at 18:00 local time to further boost their chances of advancing to the next round.
And so, the team hopes for a huge crowd to come out to bolster their bid.
"We need this energy. The fans behind our back are important," he said. "We need our fans."
FIBA