Pelita Jaya Basketball, NS Matrix Deers qualify for Basketball Champions League Asia

BEIRUT (Lebanon) - Pelita Jaya Basketball and the NS Matrix Deers are bound for Basketball Champions League Asia (BCL Asia) following successful campaigns in the Qualifiers.

The Indonesian Basketball League (IBL) club, Pelita Jaya Basketball, was the first to secure their place in Asia's flagship club competition still with a game to spare in Round 2 of the qualifying stage held at the BritAma Arena in Jakarta, Indonesia, from April 23-26, 2024.

They did so following a dominant 88-67 victory over fellow Indonesian rivals Prawira Harum Bandung last April 24. Pelita Jaya eventually swept the round with a 76-71 win against the Hong Kong Eastern Basketball Team on the tournament's final gameday.

Pelita Jaya went unbeaten through the entire Qualifiers. They swept Group B in Round 1 last April 3-7 by winning all three of their games before going 3-0 again in the next round.

The NS Matrix Deers from Malaysia followed suit after an exciting 91-87 overtime win over Prawira in the final gameday of the Qualifiers as well.

That victory capped off what had been a Cinderella story for NS Matrix, which finished third in Group A back in the first round with a 1-2 record but stunned the competition by beating the more favored Hi-Tech Basketball Club, 96-93, in the Qualification to Round 2.

The Deers finished Round 2 with a 2-1 record, winning their last two games to eventually make their way into the BCL Asia, formerly known as the FIBA Asia Champions Cup.

Pelita Jaya Basketball and NS Matrix Deers will join the Champion teams from Japan (B.League), Korea (Korean Basketball League), China (CBA League), and the Philippines (Philippine Basketball Association), in addition to two clubs from FIBA West Asia Super League (WASL) in the BCL Asia.

FIBA