SINGAPORE (Singapore) - There was no shortage of drama in the Classification Games on the last day of the 2024 FIBA Intercontinental Cup.
In the 3rd-Place Game, the Tasmania JackJumpers needed a sublime fourth quarter to erase a 7-point deficit against Al Riyadi Beirut. They took it one possession at a time, and as the clash entered the final minute the scores were tied at 75-all.
That's when Anthony Drmic did what he does best, knocking down a gigantic three-pointer to give the JackJumpers a three-point lead. The Australians kept their calm at the free-throw line in the dying seconds to secure an 80-75 win.
Drmic finished with 12 points on the day, but the best part of his stat line was the +13 with him on the floor. It was the second highest mark on his team, as the amazing Will Magnay put up 19 points and 7 rebounds with the JackJumpers being +19 in his 25 minutes of action.
Majok Deng played a rock solid game with 13 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists off the bench.
The NBL champions won the final quarter by 12 points, but Al Riyadi Beirut showed they belonged here and are competitive at this level, narrowly missing out on back-to-back third-place finishes for Asia.
The BCL Asia winners got 19 points from Hayk Gyokchyan, who also added 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Elmedin Kikanovic had 16 points, Amir Saoud 14, while Wael Arakji came off the bench in this one to collect 13 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds.
Petro de Luanda claim fifth place in thriller
In a similarly thrilling game earlier on Sunday, Petro de Luanda needed a clutch jumper to seal the deal in the 5th-Place Game against Argentina's Quimsa.
The BAL and Angola champions dialed Solo Diabate's number, and he delivered a pull up two-pointer to put the game out of Quimsa's reach, for Luanda to celebrate an 70-64 win, the first by an African team at the FIBA Intercontinental Cup.
Luanda had to overcome a 13-point margin, and they did so with a brilliant second quarter. Quimsa had one more run in them, but a 10-point advantage in the fourth was enough for the Angolan team.
Abou Gakou was the top scorer for BAL champions with 20 points, Patrick Gardner picked up an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double, while Solo Diabate went all-round for 15 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 steals.
Nicolas Romano was once again the top scorer for Quimsa with 13 points, but the BCL Americas title holders leave Singapore without a win.
FIBA