BEIRUT: The whole league will be watching Friday, when Riyadi host Mouttahed in a clash that could potentially decide the top five in the standings during the penultimate round of the regular season of the Lebanese Basketball League.
With just two rounds to play, each side have the chance to deliver a hammer blow to their opponents in a classic six-pointer, with the two able to pick up a valuable three points for themselves as well as depriving their rivals. Mathematically, if Riyadi win, they will likely secure top spot with only one game left against Champville, while if Mouttahed win by more than five points, Riyadi will drop back to fourth and Sagesse will move into first place with Amchit in second.
Byblos, who lie in fifth place, still have the chance to move to fourth if Mouttahed lose.
“It’s the game of the season, I suppose,” Mouttahed head coach Joe Moujaes said. “The whole league will be waiting for the match to know their positions and whom they will face in the playoffs. For us, it’s as important because it could mean ending in third place or dropping back to fourth or even fifth.
The only match between the two sides this season ended in overtime, after Riyadi edged the contest 70-66 at Tripoli on Feb. 28.
Both teams will have great matchups in several positions, most notably in the paint, with Loren Woods and Ismael Ahmad acting as Riyadi’s fulcrum, while Mouttahed’s Hasan Whiteside and Charles Tabet have a big say in their team’s tempo.
But the big concern for the Tripoli side has been their outside game, having only scored 65 3-pointers this season, while Riyadi have registered 113 triples.
“[The outside game] has definitely had a negative impact on our game, but we are trying to find the necessary adjustments to cover for that, including some changes in positions to give Bassel Bawji more spacing on the court to score,” Moujaes said.
Mouttahed were dealt a bitter loss last week against Champville 64-68 at Dik al-Mehdi, following a dispirited performance. Since then, a few internal problems in the squad have come to the fore, which Moujaes hasn’t hidden.
“As any team going into a decisive phase of the season, we have had a few problems that appeared on the court. But we have had a week to tackle all these issues ahead of the pivotal clash against Riyadi,” the 39-year-old explained.
Riyadi will head into the match knowing a win would give them the upper hand to secure top place on head-to-head advantage over current leaders Sagesse and Amchit, who now hold 13 wins and four losses.
“It’s a big match for us. It determines first place, so we have to give it our best and take advantage of our home court to grab the win,” Riyadi shooting guard Amir Saoud said.
Source: The Daily Star