Al Riyadi turns back Strong Group anew, keeps crown after buzzer-beating triple

Al Riyadi claimed back-to-back championships at the 33rd Dubai International Basketball Championship on Monday morning in the UAE, defeating Strong Group Athletics 77-74 on a last-second three-pointer by veteran big man Ismail Abdelmoneim.

The 37-year-old Abdelmoneim, a Lebanese-Egyptian standing 6-foot-9, buried the game-winning triple at the buzzer after receiving a kick-out pass from Lebanese star Wael Arakji. Arakji had drawn the Strong Group defense on a driving play before finding Abdelmoneim open behind the arc for the decisive basket.

The thrilling victory marked Al Riyadi’s second consecutive title at the annual Dubai tournament. It was also the second straight year that Al Riyadi has taken down Strong Group in the event, following last year’s quarterfinal matchup between the clubs.

Strong Group, owned by businessmen Frank and Jacob Lao, didn’t surrender easily despite trailing by as many as 19 in the third quarter. The team unleashed a furious 29-6 run to grab a 65-61 advantage heading into the final frame.

Strong Group received strong performances from Andre Roberson, McKenzie Moore, Jordan Heading and NBA veteran Dwight Howard to stay in contention. After Arakji scored on a tough layup against Howard, Heading answered with a three-pointer to knot the game at 74-74 in the final minute.

Both squads traded misses down the stretch before Roberson had a potential go-ahead three rim out with eight seconds left. Arakji grabbed the rebound and found Abdelmoneim for the deciding basket.

The loss was especially painful for Strong Group after Moore exited with a possible thigh injury with over four minutes remaining. He had notched 12 points and 5 rebounds before departing.

Roberson paced Strong Group with 27 points and 13 rebounds. Howard recorded 18 points and 12 rebounds, while Heading added 17. Highly touted rookie Kevin Quiambao was held scoreless in 37 minutes for Strong Group but contributed 4 rebounds.

For Al Riyadi, Manny Harris had a team-high 23 points and 7 rebounds. Arakji tallied 16 points, while Abdelmoneim finished with 10, including the game-winner.