Why did Ameer pass up an easy deuce? Mosti explains

DUBAI (United Arab Emirates) - Mohammad Ameer caught many by surprise following an unusual play late in Manama's eventual road win over Shabab Al Ahli-Dubai in a meeting between FIBA West Asia Super League (WASL) Season 2 contenders on Monday night.

Fans—and even some of his teammates—inside the Sheikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Sports Hall reacted in unison when he passed up a wide-open layup in transition and kicked it to the right corner to Mosti Rashed, who, without any hesitation whatsoever, then fired the triple.

It was supposed to be an easy bucket for the bruising forward as he was ahead of the footrace down the floor, only to give it up. Fortunately, their lead guard swished in the long shot, which also pushed their lead to nine points, 64-55 with under five minutes left in the game.

As it turns out, Rashed himself played a role in that.

"I was shouting, 'Mohammad! Mohammad! Give it to me!' and at the last second, he heard my voice, and he gave me the ball," said the 21-year-old with a smile during the postgame press conference of their 73-67 victory, which has kept them perfect in the Gulf League.

Even head coach Linos Gavriel couldn't help but grin when he recalled that situation. But turning serious, the champion mentor believes that it was simply instinct and trust on the part of Ameer that ultimately made him decide to pass it out to their star guard.

"You saw my reaction," he said with a chuckle.

"I grabbed my head, right? Instincts. He trusts him so much, he gave him the ball," Gavriel added. "For me as a coach, and any logical coach, he's supposed to finish it. But he trusted him so much that he gave it to him. We don't want to discuss if he missed the shot. Let's discuss that he scored."

That level of connection his wards have with one another, no doubt, has been the major driving force behind Manama's unbeaten run this season so far. After Monday night's win, they are now sitting on top of Group B with a 3-0 record.

There's no doubt, too, that Rashed has been one of the reasons behind the success they've been enjoying right now. The diminutive marksman went 61.1 percent from the field, including a 6-of-9 clip from beyond the arc, on his way to finishing with a game-high 29 points.

It's already his second 29-point game this season. He had his first right in their campaign opener versus Kazma last November 20, where he steered his side to an 84-76 win.

Following Monday's result, Rashed is now the Gulf League's top scorer with an average of 25.7 points on 53.3 percent shooting from rainbow country, together with 3.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists, as he's definitely making the most of his 33-minute per game playing time.

As exceptional as he's been, though, the Bahrain national team standout would rather stay level-headed, keen on helping the reigning champions become better as the season progresses.

"We are in a good moment right now, but we must work more and focus more," said Mosti. "Inshallah, in the future, we'll be better as a team."

FIBA