Qatar edge double-OT clash with Lebanon

CHANGSHA-HUNAN (2015 FIBA Asia Championship) - Qatar trailed Lebanon by as many as 18 points on Thursday but refused to die and ended up pulling off a memorable 105-100 win in double overtime.

Ali Saad forced the first overtime when he made three free-throws after being fouled while attempting a shot from the arc just seven seconds from the end.

Then at the end of the first overtime, Clinton Johnson drilled a three-pointer to close the gap to 85-84 and following a one-of-two effort at the line by Lebanon, he hit a mid-range jumper at the buzzer to knot the contest at 86-86 and force a second overtime.

Saad then came to the fore again, hitting back-to-back three-pointers for a 96-90 Qatar lead and they held on for a famous victory.

Johnson finished with 31 points and Saad had 20.

Turning point: Lebanon were just seconds away from victory in regulation but they failed to get the rebound off a missed Saad free-throw. Saad got the ball and attempted a three, drawing a foul on the play. He made all three free-throws and the game went to overtime. After Johnson's heroics in the first overtime, Saad's three-pointers in the second extra period effectively gave Qatar the win.

Stats Don't Lie: Qatar looked dead and buried at half-time but resurrected their hopes in the third quarter by outscoring Lebanon, 27-8, for a 54-50 advantage. Lebanon would have won this game had it been able to make some free-throws. As it was, Veselin Matic's team finished a woeful 15 of 29 (51.7 percent) at the charity stripe.

Game Hero: Take your pick because both Johnson and Saad are worthy of this honor. Each poured in the points and also came through in do-or-die situations.

The Bottom Line: There simply can be no excuse for Lebanon blowing such a huge lead and falling to Qatar. That said, it took exceptional performances by John and Saad to lift Qatar to a second precious victory. Qatar had won their Group D opener in overtime against Kazakhstan, too.

FIBA