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MANAMA (Bahrain) and DOHA (Qatar) – The first two days of bubble action are over and it has been packed with intense action.
From high-flying dunks to hand shots to dime drops, fans have enjoyed a healthy appetite for entertaining Asian Cup Qualifiers basketball thus far. The players have been putting on a show and here are five of the best so far.
Dwight Ramos (PHI)
20 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 7-7 shots from the field vs THA
The 22-year-old has been considered a key part of the future of Philippine basketball, but few expected him to do so. this a big impact early in his career in the national team.
After a modest 5-point, 5-rebound outing on his debut in February, Ramos had a rare “perfect” game in the dominating Philippines win. He took command early in the game and kept shooting shot after shot throughout the game.
“Ball just came in today. I suppose. I feel good. My teammates passed the ball to me, they put me in the right places. We were out there trying to have fun, trying to follow our game plan, ”Ramos said after the game.
It’s just Ramos’ second game in the Asian Cup Qualifiers, but fans are already looking for much more from the talented big guard.
Mohamed Ebrahim (BRN)
30 points, 7-10 3-point shots vs IRQ
It is no exaggeration to say that Bahrain would not have been able to draw from its emotional victory over Iraq if it were not for “Kempes” Mohamed Ebrahim. The 33-year veteran had been an effective three-point shooter in the first window, but improved it in Bahrain’s first game of the second window.
His timely three-point shot kept Bahrain ahead during the early stages of the contest. Every time Iraq took the lead of Bahrain, Ebrahim made a great triple to stop them in their tracks.
Ebrahim’s 3-pointer in extra time was also key for Bahrain to finally take the lead.
Brandon Jawato (INA)
22 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 7-7 free throws vs THA
Indonesia had a lot to promote itself in this window. Brandon Jawato’s debut was one of those things to be excited about and it didn’t disappoint.
The 27-year-old winger added size, athleticism and versatility on the Indonesian perimeter and nearly scored a triple-double on his debut. Although he did He struggled a bit to get his shots to fall, Jawato was perfect from the free throw line (7-7).
It’s also worth noting that Jawato’s teammate Lester Prosper also made his debut for Indonesia and was further impressive with 19 points and 13 rebounds.
Behnam Yakhchali (IRI)
27 points, 9-18 shots from the field, 5 triples, 9 assists vs KSA
Iran required a bit more effort than expected to claim victory over Saudi Arabia and they were able to do so with the brilliance of Behnam Yakhchali’s game.
The 25-year-old has recently been playing professionally in Germany and there was interest to see how much he had improved from the experience. The rising star responded with a statement game to keep Iran undefeated in the Qualifiers.
Yakhchali scored half of Iran’s points in the fourth quarter, helping to keep Team Melli ahead of a tough Saudi Arabian team. His efficiency in scoring (50 percent from the field) and handling the ball (9 assists, 2 turnovers) bodes well for the future of Iran as they transition from their golden generation.
Abdulrahman Saad (QAT)
23 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals vs SYR
This was a much-needed redemption for 24-year-old Saad. He had struggled in the first window of the Qualifiers and was unable to help Qatar to a victory.
Now, in the first game of the second window, Saad took a big step to lead his team to a much-needed victory. The swift and strong guard split Syria’s defense over and over again and made some great 3s too.
This is more of the way fans are used to seeing from a 1.9M (6’3 ”) guard. Qatari basketball fans are hopeful that they can continue to witness this type of performance in the remaining games of the Qualifiers as well.
Who do you think was the best?
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