Iraq’s Duhok hand Malaysia’s KL Dragons their second straight loss: FIBA Asia Championship Cup
Chester Jarell Giles raced away with a game-high 28 points and clutched 15 rebounds to lead Duhok to an electrifying 88-76 victory over the KL Dragons of Malaysia. The Iraqi team finally managed to clinch their first victory in
the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship Cup and improved their record to 1-2.
Qutaiba Al-Doori and Chudney Gray showcased impressive performances as well to uphold the super effort of Giles and landed 19 points apiece. Ali Hamad also scored in double figures with 12 points and 5 rebounds to put the Iraqi
team on the frontline.
Christopher Martin Ayer was the top performer for the KL Dragons, who haven’t celebrated a victory in the tournament yet. Christopher landed a team-high 22 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. However, he lacked support from the remaining
line-up for the second time in as many days. Shee Fai Loh was the only other player from the Malaysian team who displayed a decent performance with 14 points and 4 boards.
Marcus A. Morrison landed the first bucket of the game as the KL Dragons drew first blood. Qutaiba surged with a bucket swiftly to tie the game and Duhok then romped to a 26-11 run to seal a comprehensive 15 points advantage at
the end of the first quarter.
The Dragons retaliated tremendously in the second half of the game. The Iraqi team managed to amplify the lead to 19 points in the starting minutes of the second period however; Martin lifted the momentum for the Malaysian team
and managed to cut- down the deficit to 2 points as the game progressed into the second half.
Martin then landed a bucket just after halftime as the game went into a deadlock at 40-40. The KL Dragons however failed to capitalize on the momentum that was provided by their star player and allowed Duhok to assert their dominance
again. The Iraqis slowly built their lead and opened up a 10 point gap, entering the fourth. The Iraqi team carried on the momentum in the final 12 minutes of play and wrapped up a comprehensive 12-point win.
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