Dynamo marked its territory by defeating Riyadi (87-78) on Monday, May 22, in the first game of the Lebanese Basketball Championship final. Game 2 will be played on Wednesday, May 24, in Manara, on Riyadi’s home court.

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The final of the Lebanese first division men’s basketball championship between Riyadi and Dynamo – two clubs from the capital Beirut – started on Monday night with the first game of the best-of-seven series. Dynamo secured a strong start by defeating Riyadi (87-78) at their home arena, Rockland Arena. They were off to the best possible start in their campaign to win the title and lead the best-of-seven series 1-0. Jo Lual’s 25 points, 14 rebounds and 1 assist helped the Lebanese champions to an 87-78 victory, giving them some breathing room in a very tight final.

Coaches Ahmad Farran (Riyadi) and Jad el-Hajj (Dynamo) opted for unconventional starting lineups. The game got off to a fast start with Lual scoring four points for the Dynamo in one minute, followed by Duop Reath for Riyadi less than a minute later (4-2). Zach Lofton added four points for the Dynamo before scoring another three points from behind the arc on a jump shot (15-8). Duop, meanwhile, scored nine points – including one on a free throw. Mark el-Khoury added more points for the host Dynamo. In turn, Amir Saoud hit a three-pointer, his first of the night and his 24th from behind the arc with Riyadi this season. The end of the first ten minutes was very fast-paced and went in favor of the Dynamo (27-20). As the second quarter began, the Yellow Jackets rushed toward the opposing baskets and scored through Reath. Zach Lofton answered right back with his second bonus shot from behind the arc (30-22). Lual continued to score in the second half as  Reath scored his 13th of the game (32-26). At that point in the quarter, a back-and-forth battle between Lual and Reath (34-29) ensued. Taking advantadge of Karim Ezzeddine’s third tackle, Duop earned two free throws which he successfully converted. Shortly after, the Farran-coached team briefly took the lead by a single point, but coach Hajj’s men quickly regained possession to end the period with a substantial five-point lead (42-37).

This first half showcased Dynamo’s clear dominance, even if Riyadi put up a commendable performance in a stadium whose public was clearly hostile to him.

After the break, both teams had lost none of their spirit, but Hajj’s team increased the gap to ten points (49-39) before increasing it to thirteen points with a basket (52-39). As if galvanized by this success, the Dynamo players overwhelmed the Riyadi players with their physicality and increased their lead (57-39). Kevin Murphy tried to give hope to his teammates with a successful shot from behind the arc, but not enough to get back to the score (57-42). Gabriel Salibi, on free throws, gave the Dynamo a large lead again (59-43). Despite a successful free throw from Reath, which was immediately countered by Ali Mahmoud (also with a three-pointer), Riyadi struggled to regain their momentum despite their efforts to pressure their opponents throughout the night (64-52). However, in the last two minutes of this third quarter, Farran’s men made a stunning comeback to close the period with only six points behind (60-66).

In the fourth and final quarter, they even managed to tie the game (66-66) before taking the lead for the second time (66-68). At that point in the game, within a span of just one minute, both teams swiftly exchanged the lead, each time by a slim margin (69-68 for the Dynamo, then again 70-69 for Riyadi). But the Dynamo regained the lead by ten points (80-70). Coach Farran was pushing his team to respond and give it their all in the last four minutes before the buzzer, though to little avail, despite a six-point win (80-76). But once again, the hosts relentlessly scored against their guests (85-76), including Ezzeddine – who committed four fouls during the game. As the buzzer sounded, Dynamo won on their home court (87-78), making a strong impact from the very beginning and securing a a 1-0 lead in the series.

Here is the schedule and the results of the Lebanese Basketball Championship (1st division men) final which is played in a best-of-seven games format:

Monday, May 22 at Rockland Arena (21h45): Dynamo-Riyadi 87-78

Dynamo takes a 1-0 lead in the series.

Wednesday, May 24 at Manara (9:45 pm): Riyadi-Dynamo

Friday, May 26 at Rockland Arena (9:45 pm): Dynamo-Riyadi

Sunday, May 28 at Manara (5:00 pm): Riyadi-Dynamo

Monday, May 29 at Rockland Arena (9:45 pm): Dynamo-Riyadi

Wednesday, May 31 at Manara (9:45 pm): Riyadh-Dynamo

Friday, June 2 at Rockland Arena* (9:45 pm): Dynamo-Riyadi.

* Dynamo has the advantage of an extra game at home.