Palestine camp on cloud nine: "Biggest moments of our careers"

CHANGSHA-HUNAN  (2015 FIBA Asia Championship) - In a fairy tale start to their maiden appearance at the FIBA Asia Championship Palestine pulled the rug from under the feet of last edition's runners-up and the much more fancied Philippines.

Sani Sakakini and Jamal Abu Shamala, two of the more experienced players in the otherwise rookie Palestine team complemented each other when the team needed them and complimented each other after the historic win.

"Did we create history!?" wondered Sakakini, in his immediate post-game reaction to fiba.com.

"Well. We certainly didn't come here just to play some games. We came to win," the 27-year-old, the only Palestine with any professional experience said.

"For starters we came to prove we deserved to come here having come through a tough qualification (in the 2015 WABA Championship)," said Sakakini who has plied his trade in the CBA for the last couple of seasons.

Sakakini had 22 points and 14 rebounds.

"But all that would have mattered for nothing, if Jamal didn't play that game," Sakakini said praising his teammate.

Abu Shamala played the critical role reeling in back-to-back three-pointers giving Palestine the first lead for the first time in the game before the WABA team hung for the momentous victory.

"We told each other that we need to take the bulk of the work. He's a fantastic teammate," the Minnesota alumni who had 26 points and 15 rebounds said.

"We told the team that it's a game of basketball. Anything can happen as long as we keep our focus," the 28-year-old said.

Coach Jerry Steele was profuse in praising his two spearheads.

"We are a young team. We are an inexperienced team. Not many teams in this competition have come through the kind of difficulties that this team has," Steele said.

"But I think we are hungry to do well. That’s what is important for me. I'm really looking at the results we get here. For us, like Sani said coming here was looked at as an achievement. Now we have this. Tomorrow we don't know how better it can get," the American said.

FIBA