Al Riyadi knock down defending champions Mahram 91-82 to clinch the 2011 FIBA Asia Champions Cup
El Cheikh Fadi El Khatib sparked Al Riyadi Beirut with a remarkable offensive performance as the Lebanese champions overpowered the two times defending champions Mahram of Iran in the finals of the 22nd FIBA Asia Championship Cup, sealing a historic 91-82 win.
The prolific power forward racked up 41 points on the night to spearhead AL Riyadi and win them their first Asian Championship gold medal. Mahram has their noses slightly infront as the teams headed into the second half. However, their hope for a landmark three-peat was thrashed by a 34-point blitz by Al Riyadi in the fourth quarter.
Fouad Abouchakra, Al Riyadi’s influential coach was quite happy to furnish a championship title to his resume and said after the game. “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,”
M. Samad Nikkhah Bahrami and Christopher Williams were the top performers for the Iranian team as they landed 28 and 21 points respectively. However an avalanche of scoring brilliance in the final 10 minutes of the game overshadowed the super efforts of Mahram’s instrumental duo.
On the quest of clinching their first FIBA championship title, the Lebanese team headed out aggressively right from the beginning and romped with 8-3 run to wrap up an early advantage. The defending champs lifted the momentum and managed to snatch the lead in the ensuing passage. However, AL Riyadi retorted swiftly and ended the first quarter with 17-14 advantage.
The second quarter showcased an epic confrontation, one befitting the grand occasion. Both teams produced some highlight offensive moments and some remarkable hustle in the backcourt. Mahram powered by Bahrami and Williams showed their class and experience at the biggest stage as they outscored Al Riyadi 25-21 and went into the second half with a 39-38 lead.
Al Khatib however took over the game in the second half. He came out of the locker room and launched a procession of layups, jumpers, dunks and 3’s, scorching the Iranians with 29 points of his 41 in the last two quarters, leaving no options for them to make a comeback.
El Khatib who was still straddling with a sore back said after an electrifying victory. “I can’t express my feelings man. When you wait for something for a long time, it’s always sweeter. I couldn’t event walk properly this morning. But I knew I had to take charge in this game. When I returned from the locker room in the half-time, I knew I will do it. And I did it.”
Al Riyadi’s owner Hisham Jaroudi didn’t wait long to appreciate the performance of his team and announced $200,000 bonus to the Lebanese team on winning the gold medal.
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