FIBA ASIA - Smart Gilas top Group B; Mahram down Rayyan

MANILA (22nd FIBA Asia Champions Cup) - Dondon Hontiveros celebrated his 34th birthday by leading Smart Gilas to a 76-74 win over Jordanian champions Applied Sciences University (ASU) on Wednesday, while defending champions Mahram played a tactically sound game to beat last year’s runners-up Al Rayyan of Qatar 81-64.

In other action, Al Riyadi Beirut – already assured of finishing first in Group B – rested their bench, instead using their bench for the entire game and still proved more than a handful for Syria’s Al Jala’a in a 86-73 win.

The day's other game saw Al Ittihad put paid to KL Dragons’s hopes, winning 98-76.

Birthday boy

In a game termed “explosively tactical” by both coaches, Hontiveros stood as a beacon hitting six three-pointers on his way to a team-high 23 points as Smart Gilas held their nerve in front of a partisan crowd.

The win, which saw Smart Gilas improve to 4-0, means the hosts will next face Al Jala’a of Syria in Friday's quarter-finals. The defeat for ASU sees them taking on last year’s runners-up Al Rayyan in the next round.

“This was a typical international game,” said Smart Gilas coach Rajko Toroman with a sigh of relief.

“Very tactical. They had the size, but I think we did very well to stop them.

“Of course we ran into foul trouble, but that is a part of the game."

Naturalised American Marcus Douthit played for just five minutes in the second half, but his presence added valuable size and he contributed 14 points and seven rebounds to Smart Gilas' winning cause.

With Douthit playing limited minutes, Asi Taulava stepped up and hauled in 12 rebounds.

“I have been saying from day one that Asi’s presence in the team is a great strength for us," Toroman added. "He made us breathe a lot easier in defense.

“Offensively we have to pull our socks,” he said looking ahead to the quarter-final clash with Jala’a.

Smart Gilas shot just 27 of 74 from the field, but that was slightly better than ASU’s 23 of 63 effort.

“They outran us, that was expected. But they defended our size very well. That was the key," ASU coach Fredrick Oniga pointed out.

American Jameel Watkins had a game-high 25 points for ASU. 

Tactical Mahram

Hamed Afagh, the scourge of Mahram in the Iranian Super League Finals when donning the Zob Ahan colours, justified his being loaned out to the FIBA Asia Champions Cup defending champions for their title defence by playing a pivotal role against Rayyan.

Mahram coach Mehran Shahintab sacrificed speed for size and, as he termed it “solidity”, in the starting line-up by bringing in Oshin Sahakian for Afagh.

As a result, Mahram looked slower, albeit steadier, for a better part of the first half.

“We didn’t want to repeat our mistakes,” said Mahram's Samad Nikkhah Bahrami.

Shahintab believed the line-up change worked to great effect.

“We wanted to cut on speed and start the game steady. Oshin did a good job of what was expected of him," he said.

“I have to concede they caught us by surprise offensively especially in the second half,” admitted Rayyan coach Brian Rowsom.

Afagh started the second quarter in Sahakian’s place and there was an immediate acceleration in the game's proceedings.

Omer Salem kept Rayyan in the race scoring seven of his 17 points in the period, but Chauncey Leslie had just five of his team-high 20 and the scales were gradually beginning to tilt in Mahram’s favour.

American Chris Williams scored inside two times in a row for Mahram as they closed the first half with a 40-36 advantage.

Afagh scored twice in quick succession to start the third quarter, putting Mahram well ahead.

Williams led all players with 23 points and Bahrami had 13 points.

Afagh’s back-to-back three-pointers midway through the third quarter gave Mahram a double-digit lead for the first time in the game and the reigning champions added to it the rest of the way.

Riyadi’s bench power

Youngster Amir Saoud played his first full game for Al Riyadi and led their charge with a game-high 28 points. Seasoned guard Omar El Turk added 18 points while playing the entire game.

Incidentally the high man for Jala’a, Rami Merjaneh, also came off the bench. He finished wtih 16 points.

“We meant no disrespect to our opponents. But we had nothing at stake,” said Al Riyadi Beirut coach Fouad Abouchakra.

“Moreover, we had two tough back-to-back games. And we have the play-offs ahead of us.

"There was no better opportunity for us to try the bench giving our main players a well earned rest."

Jala’a coach Mensur Bajramovic bemoaned the lack of chemistry displayed by his team.

“That made a lot of difference. And this team (Riyadi) is playing with a lot of passion. It’ll be hard for anybody to stop them,” he said.

Imports Darren Kelly of the USA and Vladislav Dragajlovic of Serbia combined for 68 points while veteran Dil Alhujani accounted for a dozen to lead Ittihad ahead.

The Dragons, Malaysia’s ABL representatives, fought Ittihad on even keel for the first quarter of the game, to keep alive hopes of a place in the quarter-finals.

But, in the words of their coach Nenad Krazdic, Ittihad were “taking time to settle down.”

A 13-0 run spanning the late first quarter and early second period effectively took the wind out of Dragons' sails.

Jaber Kabe scored inside and out before Kelly converted two free-throws and drove to the hoop, before Dragajlovic put his stamp on the spurt with a thunderous slam.

FRIDAY’S QUARTER-FINALS
14:00: Al Riyadi (LIB) Vs.Duhok (IRQ)
16:00: Mahram (IRI) Vs. Al Ittihad (KSA)
18:00: Smart Gilas (PHI) Vs. Al Jala’a (SYR)
20:00: ASU (JOR) Vs. Al Rayyan (QAT)
(all times local; GMT +0800; CET +0600)

S Mageshwaran/FIBA Asia