Manama went down fighting to US club side NBA G Team Ignite, 80-60, in the fifth-place play-off of the 2023 Fiba Intercontinental Cup in Singapore yesterday.
After Ignite had taken a seven-point lead at the end of the first quarter with the scoreboard reading 17-10, Manama roared back into the reckoning with a stupendous display in the second quarter which saw them rack up 20 points to Ignite’s 19.
Behind by just six points, at 36-30, at half-time, Manama had every reason during the break to be optimistic about their prospects of landing their first win in the tournament.
But Ignite had other plans as they increased their lead to eight points by the end of the third quarter, adding 19 points to Manama’s 17, with the scoreboard showing the US team leading 55-47 as the fourth and last quarter began.
This was the moment that Manama needed to step on the accelerator and try to catch up with their opponents.
Instead, it was Ignite that gained impetus and sped to victory by scoring 25 points during the last 10 minutes of the game while Manama could manage only 13.
Sir’Dominic Pointer, who almost single-handedly kept Manama in the game, finished with 20 points to go with 13 rebounds and two assists.
Since the tournament’s final was also held yesterday along with the fifth-place and third-place playoffs, the Manama players then got the chance to see Chinese side Zhejiang Golden Bulls clinch third place in the six-team tournament by defeating Egypt’s Al Ahly 81-74.
And, later, Brazilian team Sesi Franca won the trophy pipping Telekom Baskets Bonn by just one point in a thrilling final that ended with the giant scoreboard reading 70-69.