Al Riyadi Beirut lift their first FIBA Asia Champions Cup – How they won it? (Part-1)
Al Riyadi Beirut’s long wait to get their hands on the FIBA Asia Championship Cup gold, finally ended on Sunday when they overpowered the two times defending champions Mahram of Iran at the Phil Sports Arena.
El Cheikh Fadi El Khatib had been the main offensive outlet for the Lebanese champions throughout the tournament. However, he saved his best for the finals and scorched the Iranians with a 41 point blitz. It was a big achievement for every member in the club however the championship was very crucial for Riyadi’s influential coach Fouad Abou Chakra, who only lacked Asian gold medal in his otherwise prolific resume.
“I have it on my CV finally. This was one thing the team has waited for way too long. We came in with the determination to win this year. Nothing less than the Championship would have satisfied us,” Abou Chakra said.
An overview on Al Riyadi’s road to their first FIBA Asia Championship title is as follows.
Round 1: Lebanon’s Al Riyadi 109 – UAE’s Al Shabab 90
Al Riyadi set their championship credentials rolling from the very first game when they stamped their might on the Al Shabab of UAE with a 109-90 victory. The game was virtually over after just three quarters as Al Riyadi constructed a massive 27 points lead after just 30 minutes of play.
Despite of Fields Courtney’s impressive game-high 39 points for Al Shabab, the Lebanese team never trailed after the first seven minutes as they were dominantly led by their two prolific players El Khatib and Jean Abd El Nour. The instrumental duo combined for 53 points to put Al Riyadi on the frontline.
The Lebanese team shot 64 percent from the field and buried 8 sizzling blows from beyond the arc. Al Shabab was also out-rebounded comprehensively by 44-20.
Round 3: Lebanon’s Al Riyadi 76 – Iran’s Mahram 73
Playing at the Phil Sports Arena, the Al Riyadi Beirut overshadowed the two times defending champions Mahram of Iran in an epic battle and handed the Iranian team their first defeat of the tournament. El Cheikh Fadi El Khatib was the top performer for the Lebanon team once again. He landed a team-high 25 points to lead Al Riyadi to a thrilling 76-73 win.
Ismail Abdel Moneim Ismail Ahmed provided a substantial support to the superstar with a double-double. He racked up 14 points and clutched 15 rebounds while El Nour carried the action with 15 points. The face of the Iranian team, Christopher Williams, was absolutely dominant with his offensive play, however his super efforts proved to be insufficient in the end.
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