The Indian males’s basketball workforce’s probabilities of securing a spot on the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 took successful after it succumbed to a 53-69 defeat towards lower-ranked Qatar within the Group E qualifier match on the Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai on Friday.
Indian Captain Muin Bek Hafeez top-scored for India with 17 factors whereas Mike Lewis and Tyler James Lee Harris led Qatar’s charts with 17 every.
Regardless of the sport starting with each groups exchanging a flurry of photographs at every finish, it took virtually two minutes for the primary factors to be registered, by Qatar’s Mohammed Abbasher’s driving layup.
Backed by the ocean of blue within the stands, Hafeez responded with successive three-pointers. The house aspect saved up the momentum with veteran Amjyot Singh and Sahaji Pratap Sing Sekhon swishing the ball from behind the three-point line.
Nonetheless, Qatar slowly bought into the groove, scoring eight factors on the trot to finish the primary quarter with a 17-14 lead. India didn’t make use of its possibilities, changing solely 5 of its 15 tried photographs within the first interval.
Within the second quarter, Pranav Prince scored two fast layups to offer the house aspect the lead. Nonetheless, it was short-lived as Qatar went on a 10-point scoring spree. Hafeez saved India’s scoreboard ticking, dealing in solely three-pointers to attract his aspect degree at 31-31 with lower than three minutes to go within the quarter.
Mike Lewis, Qatar’s top-scorer coming into the match, discovered his rhythm within the closing phases of the half and drained a 3 with 14 seconds spare to take a five-point lead.
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Issues went from unhealthy to worse for India after the break as Qatar blocked the stress from the booming dwelling crowd to continually breach India’s defence and take a 15-point benefit, with none reply.
In defence, the Qatari gamers saved the house aspect at bay because it futilely took photographs from exterior the semi-circle, lacking eight of its 9 three-point makes an attempt within the quarter.
“Our greatest power is three-point capturing and we struggled tonight,” Indian coach Scott Flemming mentioned throughout the submit match press convention
“That’s the way in which we will beat groups which are extra athletic than us. The opposite factor, we knew we have been going to be at an obstacle if we didn’t rebound the ball. So, these have been the 2 greatest issues,” he added.
Similar to within the first quarter, it was Pranav who took the initiative and sparked life into the competition, scoring two swift baskets. Regardless of that, Qatar saved its foot on the pedal and had a wholesome 11-point lead forward of the fourth quarter.
Hafeez began the fourth quarter by making a bounce shot a lot to the joy of the followers however Qatar saved responding with a shot-for-shot to see the sport by and get its first win of the marketing campaign.
India sits backside of its qualifying group with three losses in three and can face higher-ranked Kazakhstan on November 25 whereas Qatar will journey dwelling to host Iran on the identical day.