Al Nasr stay alive, beat Al Sadd on the road for first win

DOHA (Qatar) - Al Nasr Riyadh finally notched their first win in the West Asia Super League (WASL) by taking down the struggling Al Sadd on the road, 86-84, Tuesday night at the Al-Gharafa Sports Club Multi-Purpose Hall in Doha.

New guy Marcus Thomas immediately proved his worth to the team, scoring four of their last five points to help his side complete the comeback from as much as 11 down and, more importantly, keep their campaign very much alive.

It sure is sweet revenge for the club from Saudi Arabia after losing to their Qatari counterparts by a point, 78-77, the last time they fought one another.

The loss couldn't be any more painful for Al Sadd, who could've clinched the third seed in Group B of WASL-Gulf had they won. The team has fallen to its third loss in a row, and is now in a precarious position in the playoff race.

Game heroes: Nassir Abo Jalas starred for Al Nasr with season-highs of 20 points and 12 rebounds, together with a pair of assists and a steal.

Thomas punched in 18 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists. Brandon Austin almost had a triple-double with his 12 points, 10 boards, and 8 dimes.

Antonio Campbell supplied 12 points and 7 rebounds while Mohammed Lasloom added 10 markers in the balanced attack.

STEP AHEAD Player of the Game: Deservingly, Abo Jalas earned STEP AHEAD Player of the Game honors as he received 45-percent of the fan votes.

Turning point: Al Nasr saw themselves trailing by 11 early in the third but Austin sparked a 15-4 run to finally take the lead, 59-58, setting up the tight exchange.

Stats don't lie: Al Nasr actually lost narrowly in various statistical categories but hugely won the battle of the benches, receiving 40 from their reserves.

FIBA