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FILE – Renaldo Balkman. PHOTO CONTRIBUTION
MANILA, Philippines – The Strong-Filipino Group escaped contention after losing 106-97 to Al Riyadi in the quarterfinals of the 32nd Dubai International Basketball Championship on Friday (Manila time) at the Al Nasr Club Hall.
Strong Group had no answer for Amir Saoud, who poured in 17 of his 41 points in the fourth quarter. The Lebanon national team star’s scoring binge helped Al Riyadi break away from an 81-all deadlock on an 11-0 run with 3:08 remaining.
BJ Andrade’s triple cut the deficit to four, 101-97, with 34 seconds left, but Al Riyadi’s Dominic Johnson kept Strong Group alive with a free throw.
Al Riyadi took sweet revenge against the Philippine team, who dominated the 31st edition under the banner of Mighty Sports.
“It’s a painful and frustrating loss for us. We can’t stop Saoud today no matter what we do. He’s experienced enough for our team now. Offense is not a problem, but we can’t stop,” said coach Charles Tiu.
“Thank you to the Filipino fans who have supported us. We are sorry for the loss. We will definitely come back stronger.
Tiu also took a swipe at officiating.
“It doesn’t help that we cook too much. I don’t know what game we’re watching.
In addition to Saoud, who hit seven threes, Johnson also dominated the Lebanese team with 23 points and seven rebounds. National team members Wael Arakji and Atel Majok contributed 13 points, while Gyok Haykchan added 12.
Shabazz Muhammad, once again, led the Strong Group with 27 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and one block as they ended their campaign with a losing streak after winning their first three games in the group stage.
Renaldo Balkman posted a double-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds, while Justine Baltazar, who missed the Korean Basketball League’s registration deadline due to her Dubai assignment, was the top local scorer with 13 points, eight rebounds, three steals and one assist. .
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