Riyadi ''fought like champions'' as Arakji explodes for 38 in overtime win

BANGKOK (Thailand) - In a game that had nearly all the drama combined in 40 minutes of regulation and overtime, it was Al Riyadi that emerged victorious, 92-90.

Wael Arakji starred in his return to the FIBA Asia Champions Cup with 38 points that included the layup that sent the game to overtime and the game-winning basket.

“He is the [expletive] man!” Mohamad Bilal Tabbara yelled as he rushed over to congratulate Arakji at the end of the game. It was possibly the best way to summarize the Arakji’s performance in this game.

His 38 points is the most he’s ever scored at the FIBA Asia Champions Cup and he did so efficiently, shooting 14-26 from the field. The 25-year-old guard also knocked down 5 of 9 three-pointers including two clutch drives to the basket, but all that was on his mind at the end of the game was that his team had gotten the win.

“I’m just happy we got the first win,” Arakji said. “We fought well. We started a little bit slow but we knew how to fight and how to gather our strength and win the game. That’s the most important thing and tonight we won. That’s what I care about.”

Riyadi trailed for most of the game, but they managed to rally back late in the game. It was a tight game from start to finish with the lead changing a whopping 21 times but Riyadi just seemed to know what they needed to do to overcome a rock-solid Hyundai Mobis squad.

“We fought, man. We fought like champions,” Arakji said with pride. “I can say that it is the slogan of this club: We keep fighting no matter what. We did what we had to do to win the game.”

The waning seconds of regulation looked bleak for Riyadi as they were trailing by 2 points on defense with 9 seconds on the clock. However, Ekene Ibekwe was able to steal a pass which led to a layup by Arakji to send the game into overtime. Even after they feel behind in overtime, it was Arakji who willed the team back into the lead.

He dealt the final blow in the final 10 seconds with a drive-by layup to the joy of the Riyadi fans in the stands.

Aside from Arakji, Riyadi got good contributions in a double-double from Jean Abd El Nour (10 points, 14 rebounds) and 15 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals from Ibekwe.

Though they were dealt the loss in the opening game of the tournament, Hyundai Mobis showed that they nonetheless a very strong team. National team star, Ra Guna, was virtually unstoppable with 31 points, 15 rebounds, 6 assists, and 11-16 shooting from the field. His frontcourt partner, Jacorey Williams, made the highlight of the day with a poster dunk in overtime and ended up with 28 points as well.

Legendary point guard Yang Dong-geun displayed his clutch genes and veteran leadership, knocking down big shots down the stretch and finished with 14 points for Hyundai.

Hyundai Coach Yoo Jaehak only had good things to say about the game, his opponents, and Wael Arakji in particular, but also emphasized how his team needed to continue to grow together as a team.

“We had 22 turnovers and it shows that the chemistry is not that great overall, but this game was a great way to see these mistakes early on,” he added.

The win was a great way to start the tournament for Riyadi, but they know that there is still a lot more basketball left to be played here in Thailand. They will be facing Alvark Tokyo tomorrow at 15:30 PM (GMT +7).

“We’re not going to sleep on it,” Arakji confirmed. “Tomorrow we’re going to forget about today and focus on the game.”

FIBA