BASKETBALL – MANAMA extended their reign as national basketball champions last night, securing an unprecedented “three-peat” after clinching the title in the 2023-24 Zain Bahrain Basketball League.
Manama took the crown with a come-from-behind 85-71 victory against long-time rivals Al Ahli to close out their best-of-five finals series in four games at a rocking Khalifa Sports City Arena in Isa Town.
A stellar fourth quarter in which they clamped down defensively and held Ahli to just 13 points helped them end the championship battle in style. The two sides headed into the final frame deadlocked, but then, spearheaded by the dynamic duo of Travin Thibodeaux and Sir’Dominic Pointer, Manama erupted for 27 points and enjoyed their biggest lead of 14 at the final buzzer.
Manama came away with their 25th title in league history and third in a row. They also made it back-to-back seasons where they claimed a domestic league-and-cup double, having lifted the 2023-24 Khalifa bin Salman Cup earlier this month, also against Ahli.
Cabinet Affairs Ministry Under-Secretary and Bahrain Olympic Committee vice-president Shaikh Isa bin Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa was in attendance along with other high-ranking officials. They presented both teams their respective awards after the game.
Manama’s veteran trio of Hussain Shaker, Hasan Nowrooz and Ahmed Najaf accepted the champions’ trophy on their team’s behalf.
Thibodeaux and Pointer combined for 51 of Manama’s total output. Thibodeaux poured in 26 on an efficient eight-of-12 shooting, which included four three-pointers, and also took down 12 rebounds. Pointer nearly posted a triple-double, scoring 25 points, grabbing 11 boards, and dishing out six assists.
Nowrooz was their only other player in double figures, finishing with 10 points. Ahmed Salman contributed eight, Ali Hussain seven, and Mohammed Ameer six.
For Ahli, who led by as many as 11 points in the opening half, Ahmed Alderazi was their top man with 19 points, which included five makes from beyond the arc. Backcourt mate Hesham Sarhan added 17, while imports Arnett Moultrie and James Ennis III finished with 14 and 13, respectively.
Sarhan got Ahli off to a strong start, scoring the first two baskets of the game. They ended the quarter with a 27-22 lead, and then in the second kept up their strong play although Manama stayed within striking distance. A lay-up by Ennis III put Ahli ahead 41-38 at the break.
After the restart, Manama took a slim 49-48 lead on an Ameer jump shot with under five minutes left in the third. The two squads then traded jabs and a Salman triple following a Pointer offensive rebound made it 54-50. But Moultrie had a floater and Alderazi knocked down a triple to give Ahli back the advantage, 55-54, and later Pointer closed out the quarter with a lay-up to level the scores at 58-apiece heading into the fourth.
There, Ahli built a five-point advantage, 63-58, with an Alderazi baseline triple fading away, and Moultrie had a lay-up off an assist from Ennis III. Pointer replied with successive baskets to bring Manama back to within one. But the game then turned for good following a crucial Ahli turnover that led to a Nowrooz driving lay-up, which turned out to be the go-ahead basket for Manama at 64-63 and just under six minutes remaining.
They clamped down defensively and an unsportsmanlike foul by Moultrie on Thibodeaux led to four straight points that made it 68-63. Alderazi replied with a three-pointer, but then Thibodeaux answered right back for a 71-66 lead, and Manama wrapped the night up from there with a 14-5 run, deflating the Ahli spirits. Thibodeaux pegged the final score with an uncontested triple and just 59.9 seconds to play.
Last night’s clash marked the end of a dominant showing from Manama against Ahli this season. The two teams took to the hardwood against one another seven times this campaign – twice in the regular season, once in the cup final, and then four times in this league final. Manama won all but one of those contests.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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