Abdelaziz game-winner lifts Al Rayyan past Muharraq in wild finish
MANAMA (Bahrain) - Al Rayyan needed the heroics of Mohammed Abdelaziz to get past Muharraq.
MANAMA (Bahrain) - Mohammed Abdelaziz beat the buzzer to save Al Rayyan from the jaws of defeat against Muharraq on the road, 79-78, in a thrilling conclusion to their FIBA WASL-Gulf League Season 2 Group Phase campaign, Monday night at the BBA Arena.
The 28-year-old guard banked in a three-pointer from way beyond the arc - and over the much taller Mohamed Juma - as time expired to prevent a meltdown from taking place after the visiting crew coughed up a 68-57 lead with 5:21 left in the game.
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Abdelaziz finished with 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists for the Qatari side, who capped off their run in the pool stage with two wins in a row after a three-game slide.
They actually had a chance to finish as the no. 2 seed in Group A had they won by 15 points or more but nonetheless, they're bound for the Qualification to Semi-Finals in fiery form unlike their Bahraini counterparts, who ended the Group Phase with back-to-back defeats.
Group A
12/12 games played
| GAMES | STREAK | GAME POINTS | POINTS | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | P | W | L | % | Last 5 | For | Agt | +/- | FA | AA | |
| 1 | Kuwait Club | 6 | 4 | 2 | 66.7 | 580 | 524 | 56 | 96.7 | 87.3 | 10 | |
| 2 | Muharraq Club | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50.0 | 509 | 523 | -14 | 84.8 | 87.2 | 9 | |
| 3 | Al Rayyan | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50.0 | 482 | 509 | -27 | 80.3 | 84.8 | 9 | |
| 4 | Al Ahli | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33.3 | 527 | 542 | -15 | 87.8 | 90.3 | 8 | |
Game heroes: Andrew White top-scored for Al Rayyan with 21 points and 13 rebounds as the seasoned guard played a key role in the youth-laden side's comeback.
Veteran Mouhammad Faye nearly had a double-double of 17 points and 9 rebounds while Malek Salem Abdulla added 12 points, which he all collected from beyond the arc.
Turning point: Al Rayyan were already ahead by eight points with 1:37 left in the game but the home team refused to go down without a fight, eventually tying things up at 75-all behind the efforts of Juma. star guard Bader Malabes, and lead reinforcement Tyler Wilkerson.
The visiting side got the lead back behind a technical free throw by Andrew White, but Ra'Shad James nailed a booming trifecta to give Muharraq a 78-76 lead with 10.8 ticks to go.
But then, Abdelaziz's magic came into play, nailing the triple he took a few feet away from the three-point line just in the nick of time to send the opposition reeling.
Stats don't lie: Abdelaziz, who tied his personal-best in points in the win, has never shot fewer than two triples in the FIBA WASL thus far until Monday's game, where he went just 1-of-7 from distance. But that lone trey, without a doubt, should be one of his best moments as a pro.
They said: "I would like to thank all my players. Everybody was focused on the target of the team: playing hard and winning this game. We fought hard and we won in a very impressive way. This is basketball. This is why we play." - Stergios Koufos, Head Coach, Al Rayyan
"Earlier we had a lot of injuries. In practices, we didn't have enough players. But the last two weeks, we've been practicing with the whole team. It's been so intense. We've been building this toughness the whole time. It showed on the court." - Mouhammad Faye, Al Rayyan
"We played hard, fought back. But that last shot was tough. Even Ra'Shad's shot. He made a three on the one end which was a big clutch shot. It's a tough one. And then we come down, and their guy makes another tough shot. This is basketball, right?" - Tyler Wilkerson, Muharraq
FIBA