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Beirut SC and Riyadi each played a semi-final of the Dubai Basketball Championship (DFC) on January 27. As Riyadi qualified for the 33rd final of the DFC, Beirut SC could unfortunately not join them to set up an all-Lebanese final.
Riyadi Win Amidst Potential Comeback
Riyadi Beirut and the Libyan team Al Ahli Tripoli met on January 27 in the first semi final. The game ended 83-73 for the Lebanese team after stopping a big Libyan comeback in the third quarter, with all eyes now on the final.
The first quarter showed that both teams had a lot of respect for each other, but that they were here with all to play for. A strong start from Riyadi was required, in order to mirror their last game against Homenetmen. While Riyadi had a slight advantage during the quarter, Al Ahli could get some crucial offensive rebounds to break their opponent’s momentum. Hayk Gyokchyan and Karim Zeinoun’s great performances offered Riyadi a slight advantage coming into the second quarter (22-18).
The second quarter saw the Libyan team upping up their offensive game through pick and roll strategies. However, their defensive game was not up to it. Riyadi was able to create a sudden 12 point lead through multiple three points and a fast paced offense. Halfway through the quarter, Riyadi extended its lead further and maintained possession after a technical foul on Al Ahli’s coach, Fouad Abou Chacra. The first half ended 56-33 in Riyadi’s favour.
Riyadi was entering this third quarter comfortably, as its 26 point lead spoke for itself. Until now, the Lebanese team was forcing Al Ahli to take tough shots, while they were running rampage on the offensive end. While Al Ahli realised it had nothing to lose in this situation, the team was slowly closing the deficit after changing their defensive shape. Riyadi saw its lead decrease from 26 to 13 points in a matter of minutes after an 14-1 run for the Libyan team. Riyadi could regain some composure in the last minutes to keep its lead to 14 points. The quarter ended 53-67 after some questionable refereeing.
The fourth quarter was going to determine who would go into the final, with Riyadi holding on to its 14 point lead and Al Ahli eyeing an increasingly possible comeback. Fortunately, Riyadi was able to slow down Al Ahli on the defensive end and finally score multiple times. The game ended 83-73 for Riyadi, who now qualifies for the final.
Beirut SC Loss Against Unplayable Strong Group
Beirut SC met on the afternoon of January 27 with the Filipino team Strong Group. While the team led by Dwight Howard showed a lot of quality on the floor, Beirut SC put up a respectable fight but could not qualify for the final against Riyadi. The game ended 94-72.
The first quarter witnessed an expected strong start from Strong Group who always inaugurated its games in this fashion. Even though the Filipino team had many important names on its lineup, Beirut SC did relatively well to keep itself in the contest. The first quarter ended 22-17 for Strong Group, despite Beirut looking very promising.
The second quarter looked even better for Strong Group who temporarily extended its lead to 10 points through its big man Dwight Howard, who was the main threat for Beirut SC’s defence. However, the Lebanese team gradually found its tempo to make it an evenly matched game. Still, it was visibly hard to contain Strong Group’s 3 point shooters, especially after conceding a 4-point play. The deficit grew to 21 points with few minutes left to play, with Beirut SC being unlucky on the offensive end and finding hard to slow down Strong Group (50-34).
To still have a shot to reach the final, Beirut SC had to have a big performance in the third quarter. The start of second half witnessed a slow start from both teams, as the difference between them remained constant. Strong Group extended its lead to 24 points in order to eliminate any chance of a Lebanese comeback. The quarter ended 73-49.
The fourth quarter confirmed Strong Group’s qualification for the final, as Beirut SC was still hopeful for some kind of miracle. However, the Filipino team made sure that Beirut SC’s wish would not happen. Strong Group maintained a 20-point lead over its Lebanese counterpart throughout the last quarter. The game ended 94-72 for Strong Group, meaning that it will face Riyadi in the DFC final on January 28.
