In avoiding Al Riyadi, does the road back to the Final get easier for Kuwait Club?
DOHA (Qatar) - Spoiler alert: They beg to differ.
DOHA (Qatar) - Kuwait Club may have just steered clear of a tough hurdle in their aspirations of making it back to the FIBA West Asia Super League (WASL) Final.
The reigning two-time Gulf League champions clinched the no. 1 seed in Group B following an 85-77 win over the erstwhile-unbeaten Shardary Gorgan on Tuesday night, meaning that they will be facing the second seed of Group A in the Semi-Finals on Friday.
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Heading into the final day of the Group Phase, Al Riyadi are sitting on top of Group A with a pristine 2-0 record following wins against BC Astana and rivals Sagesse SC.
The back-to-back West Asia League titlists have the inside track of clinching the top spot in the pool, and they could do so if they beat the defending FIBA WASL champs on Wednesday.
And if they do, Kuwait Club could heave a sigh of relief, knowing that they won't have to face the Yellow Castle of Coach Ahmad Farran in the knockout Semis. Perhaps, they'd cross paths in the Final but that is another story - and something none of them aren't thinking of, for now.
Group A
As of May 28, 2024
GAMES | STREAK | GAME POINTS | POINTS | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | Team | P | W | L | % | Last 5 | For | Agt | +/- | FA | AA | |
1 | Al Riyadi | 2 | 2 | 0 | 100 | 196 | 155 | 41 | 98 | 77.5 | 4 | |
2 | C.S. Sagesse | 2 | 1 | 1 | 50.0 | 181 | 177 | 4 | 90.5 | 88.5 | 3 | |
3 | BC Astana | 2 | 1 | 1 | 50.0 | 191 | 218 | -27 | 95.5 | 109 | 3 | |
4 | Manama | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 199 | 217 | -18 | 99.5 | 108.5 | 2 |
So, will the road back to the Big Dance be easier, given that? It's a question that some can't help but wonder, most especially the fans that hope to witness their team finish the story after suffering a heartbreaking defeat to Manama in last year's Final in Dubai.
Head coach Peter Schomers begs to differ, though, saying that it won't ever be, given mainly the quality of this year's field - Group A alone is seen by many as the 'Group of Death' and it couldn't be more accurate based on how things have been turning out over there.
"It’s a tournament. You have to show up on a particular day," offered the veteran bench tactician. "It’s not a best-of-three, it’s not a best-of-five series. There’s nothing easy. It doesn’t really matter, honestly, if we play Riyadi, or if we play Astana or Sagesse."
Anybody, I think, can win.
While the Group A's top spot appears to be locked, the battle for no. 2 could be heated. Sagesse and Astana both tote 1-1 records, and the two will be figuring in a virtual knockout in the penultimate game of the preliminaries set right before the Riyadi-Manama duel.
Whoever wins in that tussle won't surely be an easy opponent for Kuwait Club. Sagesse, for one, stunned Manama on opening day, and went toe-to-toe with Al Riyadi two nights later before losing grip late in the third quarter following Karim Ezzedine's ejection.
Astana, on the other hand, are coming off a historic triple overtime win against the Bahraini side, leaning on Markell Johnson in the extra periods as the spitfire guard reset the Final 8 single-game records in points and assists with 42 points and 11 assists.
"Anybody, I think, can win," said Schomers, whose team also has a chance to reach the Basketball Champions League Asia. "Whoever is more ready to play on that particular day."
FIBA