Finishing second in Group E behind New Zealand, Lebanon needed to win both games of the fourth window and KSA to lose against New Zealand in order to qualify, and they did just that.
First game was on Thursday against a bolstered Gillas squad, featuring NBA sixth man of the year Jordan Clarkson and NBA prospect center Kai Sotto.
In front of the roaring home fans, the players couldn’t but deliver.
First quarter saw the Philippines go up by 10 points but Cedars fought back to finish the first down by 3, 25-22.
Second quarter things started heating up for Lebanon in particular Asia Cup MVP Wael Arakji after starting slow, he regained his scoring touch in the second quarter giving Lebanon a 2 point lead at the half after Clarkson’s 3 point shot at the buzzer.
Third and fourth quarter saw an increased defensive approach by the Lebanese players especially Ali Mansour and Karim Zeinoun who took the task of defending NBA’s Jordan Clarkson after the Cedars guard Sergio El Darwich suffered an injury that kept him out of both games of the 4th window. The Cedars forced Philippines to commit many turnovers which was the turning point of the game.
Gillas ended the game with 21 total turnovers with Lebanon only commiting 9.
In the winding seconds of a very close fourth quarter and with Lebanon up by 2 80-78 in the last 20 seconds, it was Arakji time yet again. Ali Haidar cuts to the basket and gets his shot blocked by Sotto, the ball somehow ends up in Arakji’s hands who drains a 3 in Clarkson’s face as the shot clock buzzers sounds.
It was the dagger by Wael, the shot that got the Lebanese National team to the FIBA World Cup.
As the game ended with a narrow Lebanese victory 85-81.
The team couldn’t rest as they took the next flight to India to face the Indian team in Bengaluru, there was no surprise as it was a one sided game having Lebanon’s bench take care of business after the first quarter. The game ended in a blowout 95-63 for Lebanon. And it was the win that officially qualified Lebanon to the FIBA World Cup.
