Four teams eye to stay undefeated as WASL Gulf action continues
BEIRUT (Lebanon) - Four teams seek perfection in the Gulf League as Week 2 of the WASL inaugurals play on Monday.
BEIRUT (Lebanon) - Both Al Hilal and Kuwait Club will look to stay on top of their respective groups as Week 2 of WASL action gets rolling on Monday.
The leaders of Groups A and B, respectively, are out to keep their winning ways but will have to hurdle first and foremost teams that are eyeing redemption from the heartbreaking losses they suffered in opening week.
Plus, 2 more sides, namely Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai and Al Manama, are in the hunt for group leadership after successful starts to their own campaigns.
Group A
| GAMES | GAME POINTS | POINTS | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | P | W | L | % | For | Agt | +/- | FA | AA | |
| 1 | Al Hilal | 1 | 1 | 0 | 100 | 96 | 92 | 4 | 96 | 92 | 2 |
| 2 | Shabab Al Ahli - Dubai | 1 | 1 | 0 | 100 | 71 | 69 | 2 | 71 | 69 | 2 |
| 3 | Al Bashaer | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 69 | 71 | -2 | 69 | 71 | 1 |
| 4 | Kazma | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 92 | 96 | -4 | 92 | 96 | 1 |
Group B
| GAMES | GAME POINTS | POINTS | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | P | W | L | % | For | Agt | +/- | FA | AA | |
| 1 | Kuwait Club | 1 | 1 | 0 | 100 | 99 | 93 | 6 | 99 | 93 | 2 |
| 2 | Al Manama | 1 | 1 | 0 | 100 | 75 | 72 | 3 | 75 | 72 | 2 |
| 3 | Al Nasr Riyadh | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 72 | 75 | -3 | 72 | 75 | 1 |
| 4 | Al Sadd | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 93 | 99 | -6 | 93 | 99 | 1 |
26 December 2022
Shabab Al Ahli-Dubai vs Kazma - 18:00 GMT+4 - Dubai City, Sheikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Sports Hall
Al Hilal vs Al Bashaer - 20:00 GMT+3 - Riyadh, Green Basketball Court
27 December 2022
Al Manama vs Kuwait Club - 18:00 GMT+3 - Manama, BBA Arena
Al Nasr Riyadh vs Al Sadd - 20:00 GMT+3 - Riyadh, Green Basketball Court
Shabab Al Ahli-Dubai will open up Week 2 versus Kazma at home at the Sheikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Sports Hall, looking to sustain momentum from a pulsating 71-69 win over Al Bashaer behind Nick Minnerath's game-winner.
But they will be facing a Kazma crew trying to barge into the win column after blowing a 16-point lead and eventually lost to Al Hilal, 92-96, on the road.
Al Hilal, meanwhile, will also see action on Monday as they face Al Bashaer at the Green Basketball Court in Riyadh to cap off the double-header.
The next night will see Kuwait Club battle Al Manama at the latter's playground at the BBA Arena, where only one will leave unbeaten.
Kuwait Club are coming off a 99-93 win over Al Sadd on the road and will surely want to go 2-0 but that's the exact same thing on the mind of Al Manama, who spoiled the home opener of Al Nasr by way of a 75-72 decision.
So, a battle is expected to take place between Al Sadd and Al Nasr at the Green Basketball Court later in the night as both aim to break through.
STAR TO WATCH
Khalid Abdel Gabar, Al Hilal
Khalid Abdel Gabar immediately put himself as one to watch out for in the Gulf League after towing Al Hilal past Kazma by coming through in the clutch.
The 32-year-old guard scored his team's last 5 points, including the go-ahead triple with three-tenths of a second left, on the way to finishing with 29 points alongside 8 rebounds and 8 assists with an efficiency rating of 34.
YOUNG WARD TO WATCH
Babacar Dieng, Al Sadd
Al Sadd collapsed at the hands of Kuwait Club but Babacar Dieng provided one of the few bright spots for the team moving forward into the competitions.
Just 25 years young, the 1.95 M (6'5") guard played the entirety of the match that went to overtime -- yes, he played for 45 minutes -- and tallied a double-double of 20 points and 14 rebounds, alongside 3 assists and a steal.
FIBA