Falcons fly high over Cedars in response to pressure

AMMAN (Jordan) - The Jordan national team coaching staff had put on their game faces and remained dead serious throughout their game against Lebanon.

After the final buzzer sounded and the rounds of formal congratulatory handshakes were made, however, coach Wesam Al-Sous and co. let loose and embraced. They jumped up and down in joy to celebrate the hard-earned 74-63 win.

"We're always going to play defense, we're always going to play hard, and we're always going to play together."

- Jordan Head Coach Wesam Al-Sous

"The game was not easy," Al-Sous said in the post-game press conference. "We were under a lot of pressure as a team after Dubai."

Less than two weeks ago, Jordan had already played against Lebanon - in Dubai - in a separate competition. The result was almost identically reversed as Lebanon claimed the victory there 64-52. Jordan lost all of their 4 games in that tournament, while Lebanon won all of theirs.

The pressure was cooking, and with a rematch against Lebanon scheduled as the first game in Window 2 of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Asian Qualifier, that pressure must have reached its peak.

But Jordan didn't let that pressure get to them.

"We knew the problems what happened with us in Dubai, so we solved those problems and this is Jordan basketball," said Al-Sous.

"We knew it was a tough moment for us especially for the staff and for the federation at this time because they had hard tournament in Dubai," added Ahmad Al Dwairi.

The star center didn't play with the team in Dubai, only joining the team a few days before the window and provided a huge boost with 11 points and 12 rebounds.

"But we don't care about that friendly tournament. It was just preparation games for us. I don't [care about] what some people talk, some journalist talk. It was just a preparation for the team."

The result of that preparation and the response to the adversity was magnificent.

Jordan immediately burst out of the gates full of energy. They crowded the paint on defense to contest all shots. They crashed the boards for rebounds on both ends of the floor. The exploded in transition, outnumbering the red Lebanon jerseys with white Jordan jerseys in the pursuit to attack the basket.

It was clear that there was a different aura in the air when Freddy Ibrahim broke loose in the open court just two minutes into the game to throw down a one-handed slam.

The intensity level was consistent throughout the entire game for Jordan. Even as Lebanon closed the gap and tied the game in the middle of the second quarter, Jordan would not be fazed. Everyone wanted to win this game and everyone put that passion on display when they took the court.

"Whoever got inside the court, they played from the heart," Al Dwairi said. "They gave something for the team. Even If they played one minute or two minutes. We don't care about the [points], who scored, who didn't score."

"If you watched the game, you can feel that we were playing like a team," added coach Al-Sous. "If you look at the stats, you can also see that we were playing like a team."

Jordan had 4 players score in double-digits, led by Dar Tucker's 29 points. The team dished out 23 assists, led by Ibrahim's total of 11 dimes. With a total of 44 rebounds grabbed by Jordan, 5 players collected at least 5 boards for themselves.

It was a collective effort for the Falcons and they weren't going to shy away from the fact that this was the main factor contributing to the win.

"We played like a team, we won like a team. Everyone had the assists, no one was selfish. We shared the ball very well, we played from the heart," Al Dwairi proudly claimed.

There was also much credit attributed to the "sixth man" in Amman, too.

"Of course, our fans were very great. They gave us big motivation for the day," said Al Dwairi.

This win was much needed for Lebanon for many reason.

Aside from the recent results of their play in Dubai, Jordan had also lost their most recent game in the previous window of the Asian Qualifiers to Saudi Arabia. They needed to earn back the trust of their fans here at home, especially when going up against a team like Lebanon.

Not only did they get their desired win, they did so by playing an exceptional brand of basketball, especially on defense.

"Our game plan was based on our defense," said Al-Sous. "I think defense wins the game, and I think this is how it's going to be with our Jordan national team."

"We're always going to play defense, we're always going to play hard, and we're always going to play together."

FIBA