- 13:25
Despite the absence of Jad Khalil, the Greens held their ground, but it is indeed Beirut Club that wins the first round of this electric semifinal (87-81). A controlled victory that puts Jad El-Hajj's men on the right track.
The tone is set. On Sunday evening, at the Chiyah Sports Complex, Beirut Club struck hard from the start against La Sagesse, winning 87-81 in Game 1 of the Lebanese Championship semifinals. Carried by an inspired Lebanese trio, Jad El-Hajj’s men managed the key moments and bent a combative but weakened Green side.
In front of around 800 spectators, the hosts took the lead as early as the first quarter (33-22). La Sagesse, led by Omar Jamaleddine, tried to close the gap in the second (31-19), but ended up folding in the money time. The absence of Jad Khalil, suspended, clearly had an impact on the game management and rotation.
On Beirut Club's side, the local players stepped up. Sergio El Darwich was incisive with 26 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks. Ali Mezher delivered a complete game with 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 11 assists, while Ali Haidar imposed his presence in the paint (13 points, 6 rebounds). Collectively, Beirut dominated the rebound battle with 49 grabs, including 16 offensive, and handed out 24 assists. The outside shooting was decent (7 out of 22 from three-point range), and the team also relied on a solid Richard Solomon (9 points, 13 rebounds, 2 blocks).
On La Sagesse's side, Linos Gavriel’s men did not give up. Omar Jamaleddine was the main architect of the resistance with 27 points and 6 rebounds. Stephan Moody added 14 points and 6 rebounds, and Sekou Doumbouya completed the offensive trio with 13 points and 7 rebounds. But the team stats revealed a certain fragility: only 12 assists, 38 rebounds (including 15 offensive), and inconsistent long-range shooting with 9 three-pointers made on 27 attempts. Worth noting, however, was the activity of Marc Khoury, who recorded 9 points, 4 assists, and 5 steals.
A Series Far from Over
Game 2 will be played Tuesday evening at 9:45 PM in Ghazir, at the Antoine Choueiri Arena, where the Green supporters will try to boost their team. Beirut Club leads 1-0, but La Sagesse has shown it can shake up the hierarchy, provided it tightens the collective screws.
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