ZOUK MIKAEL (Lebanon) - Karim Zeinoun and Donovan Williams conspired in the clutch to help Al Riyadi nip Kuwait Club in a playoff-like battle, 83-82, on Monday night to stay perfect in the FIBA WASL Final 8 2026.
The two-way specialist perfectly timed Dae Dae Grant's supposed entry pass to Chinanu Onuaku and intercepted the rock with 5.2 seconds left, then kick-started a fastbreak before dishing it to the athletic wing.
Williams initiated contact and drew a foul on Hamad Hasan with two-tenths of a second to spare, giving him the chance to win it for this side which he did by coming through with a split from the free throw line.
The Brigadiers no longer had a timeout and could only throw a full-court heave as time expired, and the Yellow Castle would go on to breathe a huge sigh of relief as they did just enough to pull off a thrilling escape.
With the win, Riyadi have become the first team to reach the Semi-Finals as they clinched the no. 1 spot in Group A with a 2-0 record, as they own the advantage against Indian Railways (1-1) and Kuwait Club (1-1).
And they did it by beating the same team that actually foiled their title hopes during the Final 8 inaugurals in 2023 in Dubai - the Kuwaitis beat their Lebanese foes during the Semi-Finals, 95-85, before settling for silver.
*This article will be updated.