Manama win playoff opener

TDT | Manama                                                     

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com  

Defending champions Manama took one step forward last night to securing their place in the Golden Square semi-finals of the 2022/2023 Zain Bahrain Basketball League.

Manama outclassed Bahrain Club 106-79 in game one of their best-of-three playoff series, being played at Zain Basketball Arena in Um Al Hassam. Manama used a strong second-quarter performance to build a double-digit lead against their opponents, which they did well to hold on to over the game’s final two quarters.

Manama will now be looking to secure their final four berth and sweep this match-up in game two, scheduled for Thursday next week. Game three, if needed, will be on May 4. The winner of Manama’s series with Bahrain Club will next face off with Al Ahli in the Golden Square.

Lamont Jones top-scored for Manama with 23 points in just 23 minutes of work last night. Hussain brothers Ali and Mustafa added 21 and 17, respectively, while firing in a combined 10 three-pointers between them.

All 11 Manama players that took to the hardwood scored in the game. For Bahrain Club, Damonte Dodd had 21 points to pace Bahrain Club while also grabbing 17 rebounds. Ali Abbas chipped in with 16 while Said Shukrallah had 11 in the loss.

In Manama’s win, they held a slim 22-17 edge at the end of the first but extended their lead to 51-39 at the half. A lopsided third quarter where they outscored Bahrain Club 32-16 saw Manama take a commanding 83-55 lead into the final canto, where they enjoyed their biggest lead of 37 points.

Meanwhile, the other Golden Square semi-final clash between Muharraq and Al Ettihad will get underway with game one on May 8. Game two is scheduled for May 11, and then game three, if needed, will be on May 14. Muharraq and Ahli gained automatic berths in the semis as the top two seeds from the regular season.