©Photo by Sarkis Yeretsian
Riyadi won the fifth game of the Lebanese basketball championship final against La Sagesse (113-97) to claim the 31st championship title in their history. The Yellows won the best-of-seven series 4-1.
We could feel it coming. It seemed inevitable, even to the most radical of La Sagesse's Ultras. This Riyadi was too strong. The title did not escape it. On Monday, the Manara-based club were crowned Lebanese champions for the 31st time since 1950 and the 18th time since the League was established in its current form in 1992.
However, the players from La Sagesse did not give up, fighting until the end, even if at the end of yesterday's match, they looked resigned.
Riyadi won the Lebanese Basketball Championship after beating La Sagesse 113-97 in the fifth game of the final, sealing the series 4-1 in their favor.
Ezzedine in Form...La Sagesse Doing Well
Karim Ezzeddine is an excellent player, as he proved again on Monday.
A key element: when his performances are solid, the team excels, but as soon as he goes out of his game, the team's level drops.
A scenario that was repeated on Monday night, when Ezzedine scored 25 points, enabling his team to rival Riyadi, especially in the second quarter, thanks to a decisive three-point shot and several penetrations, ending the second quarter with a four-point lead for the green club, 51-47.
Mister Turning Point
Ali Mansour, the man behind the scenes in coach Ahmad Farran's team, is a defensive machine of every coach's dreams. A player who plays hard on the pitch, he was the turning point of the match thanks to his solid defense and decisive passes.
Impressive numbers for Mansour, who scored six points, grabbed six rebounds, dished out five assists and made four steals, proving his presence all over the court during the 18 minutes of play.
These numbers enabled Riyadi to turn the game around in the third quarter, which ended 83-78.
The Champion's Experience
In the final quarter, Riyadi imposed their dominance after La Sagesse star Nick Rakocevic was sent off for five fouls, weakening the green club's chances of victory. Riyadi took advantage of this exit to strengthen their grip and impose their rhythm thanks to series star and best player Wael Arakji, concluding the match with a 113-97 victory.
The individual prizes were awarded at the trophy ceremony and are as follows:
Finals prize:
-Best rebounder: Nick Rakocevic
-Best blocker: Thon Maker
-Best defender: Karim Zeinoun
-Best passer: Wael Arakji
-Best scorer: Jonathan Simmons
-Foreign MVP: Jonathan Simmons
-Lebanese MVP: Wael Arakji
-Most valuable coach: Ahmad Farran
Vintage 2024
Riyadi 2024 was simply too strong.
For Ahmad Farran, architect of the Yellow Dynasty, this is also his fifth coaching title, to which he has added cups, supercups and other Asian trophies such as Wasl.
He has succeeded in rebuilding a competitive and winning squad, with youngsters such as Wael Arakji, Karim Zeinoun, Hayk Gyokchyan, Jonathan Simmons and Thon Maker, to whom the stars have passed on their "champion DNA."
The new champions have just a few days to rest up before the Wasl championship resumes on May 26. But that's another story...
Roudi Abou Nader, Makram Haddad
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