FIBA ASIA – Riyadi post third win in as many days

KUWAIT (FIBA Asia Champions Cup) - Coach Fuad Abu Chakra of Al Riyad Beirut had told this correspondent that only a team “that was capable of playing intensely till the last second can do well in the tournament” during a pre-event interview about the 19th FIBA Asia Champions Cup. Never would even he might have thought that those words had to be realized in real terms this early in the tournament.

For, it was this – the ability to maintain the intensity till the final hooter – that facilitated the Lebanese club’s hard-fought victory over West Asian compatriots Zain of Jordan in Group ‘A’, on the third day of the Champions Cup.

“How many matches have we lost by this margin this season!” wondered Zain coach Mazen Trakh at the end of the razor-sharp encounter.

“I’ve stopped keeping count. Instead I’m happy we are able to provide some exhilarating entertainment,” he reconciled.

There was a great show of responsible and rock-solid basketball on display as Zain and Riyadi matched wits. A true battle of wits it turned out to be with neither giving any quarter nor seeking any.

Fadi El Khatib and Joseph Vogel had a very ordinary day in the office, but Riyadi showed tremendous reserve power to overcome that glitch. Pocket-sized point guard Omar Turk more than compensated for the lack of his more fancied duo’s form, with some sizzling shooting early in the game. Turk, with five three-pointers, went on to top the scoring for Riyadi with 20 points. And by the time he was fouled out of the game in the fourth quarter, had caused enough damage.

Support for Turk came from another seasoned campaigner Ismael Ahmad. The 205-cm tall spearhead picked up 17 points, but more critically collected eight rebounds, four steals and two assists, to steer his side’s fortunes.

Boney Watson was the most hard working player in the Zain line-up. The American import bagged the MVP of the game award, with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Hilam Fuller played the ideal foil to Watson scoring as many points.

So what actually stood between Zain and victory? Just those quirks of sport that force us to choose a winner based on scoreline.

Hosts Al Qadsia seemed to have got the measure of Bahrain league champions Al Muharraq for a good period of the game, but suddenly stumbled when push came to shove.

With Alpha Bangura and Abdulaziz Mohammad working well in tandem coach Mindaugas Lukosius seemed headed for a celebratory night, when his counterpart John Wajtok chose to spoil the plans.

Muharraq, having played the second fiddle for a good part, began to find their rhythm at the start of the second session. Mohammed Alderazi’s came up with an MVP performance comprising 20 points and four rebounds as import Donald Little did more than little to justify his induction.

“It is very difficult to maintain consistency in tournaments like these. Ups and downs are quite normal,” lamented Lukosius, whose five-year-old son provided glimpses of a pro in the making during the intervals.

Qadsia take a day’s break before taking on Emirates’ Al Wasl on Monday.

Al Wasl on their part dashed the hopes of Oil and Natural Gas Commission, to move to the joint top spot in Group ‘B’ alongside Muharraq.

In a game that virtually decided the minor placing team in Group ‘A’ BK Almaty kept themselves in contention with a win over MABU Hangtuah.

Scores
Group A
Al Riyadi Beirut, Lebanon 72 (Omar Turk 20, Ismael Ahmad 17, Ali Mahmoud 13) bt Zain, Jordan 71 (Boney Watson 21, Hilam Fuller 21).
Quarterwise: 17-17, 43-36, 62-51.

BK Almaty, Kazakhstan 71 (Anton Kataev 19, Vsevolod Fadeikin 14, Mikhail Yevstigneyev 12) bt MABU Hangtuah, Indonesia 49 (Adhitya Tuhagono 13, Marcus Jacobs 12).
Quarterwise: 25-14, 30-23, 54-29.

Group B
Al Muharraq, Bahrain 83 (Mohammed Alderazi 20, Donald Little 15, Rahshun Roberts 13, Mohammad Mohammad 13) bt Al Qadsia, Kuwait 69 (Alpha Bangura 15, Abdulaziz Mohammad 15, Shayee Saeed 14).
Quarterwise: 19-22, 35-37, 56-52.

Al Wasl, UAE 102 (Ayoub Albalooshi 41) bt ONGC, India (72 (Desraj 15, Trideep Rai 15).
Quarterwise: 27-16, 49-36, 79-60.


S Mageshwaran
FIBA Asia