BASKETBALL – MANAMA live to fight another day as they extended their best-of-five championship series against Muharraq last night in the 2025-26 Zain Bahrain Basketball League.
Manama powered to a hard-earned 89-83 victory over the defending champions to take their first win of the finals and cut Muharraq’s advantage to 1-2.
Manama raised their intensity and were more physical in the contest. They built leads as big as 17 points and then staved off a late Muharraq rally to seal a thrilling result at a rocking Khalifa Sports City Arena in Isa Town.
Game three was played in front of a large crowd of fans who turned up in support of their respective clubs. It was the Bahrain Basketball Association’s (BBA) first fixture open to spectators since the recent unfortunate events in the region.
The title battle between the two bitter rivals is now extended to a fourth game, which is scheduled to be held on Friday at the same venue. It is scheduled for a 7pm tip-off.
Muharraq still boast a one-game lead and can close things out then, although Manama will be hoping to put off any potential celebrations and send the series to an exciting, winner-take-all fifth game, which is slated for Monday next week.
In attendance for last night’s clash – which was Manama’s first win in eight meetings against Muharraq across all competitions so far this season – were Bahrain Olympic Committee vice-president Shaikh Isa bin Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, BBA president Shaikh Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, and General Sports Authority CEO Dr Abdulrahman Askar, amongst other officials.
Manama took charge yesterday in the second period, where they outscored their opponents by 13, 29-16, to head into the break up 50-38. They then enjoyed their biggest gap of the night late in the third but Muharraq ended the quarter strong, and they rode their momentum into the final frame.
There, after Ali Jaber scored five straight points and Donovan Smith added a slam dunk to make it 81-67 for Manama, Muharraq put up one last stand, spearheaded by inspirational skipper Bader Abdulla Malabes. The veteran guard fired in back-to-back three-pointers and later scored with a driving lay-up to get Muharraq to within six, 78-84, with only a minute-and-a-half remaining.
Manama did well to stay ahead but Wayne Chism made them sweat after rattling in a late triple to make it a two-possession game at 83-87 with just 30 seconds to play. That was as close as Muharraq got, however, and Smith iced the win for Manama, sinking two pressure-packed free-throws.
Smith’s monster effort of 29 points and 14 rebounds spearheaded the victors, while court general Ahmed Salman chipped in with 19 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Mohamed Ghazi was Manama’s only other player in double figures with 10, although Jaber and Emran Ashkanani contributed nine points apiece.
Malabes and lightning-quick backcourt mate Mahmood Abbas Isa scored 16 apiece to pace Muharraq, burying seven three-pointers between them. Wayne Chism finished with 15 points and nine assists while Nick West had 10 points and 10 boards.
In this year’s finals, Manama are looking to add to their record 25 league titles as the kingdom’s most successful basketball club.
Muharraq, on the other hand, are aiming for an historic title treble, having already clinched the prestigious Khalifa Bin Salman Cup last month and the curtain-raising Bahrain Super Cup in November of last year – both single-game contests they had also won against Manama.
Muharraq are also hoping to clinch the league championship for a fifth time.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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