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Ahead by 22 points, the Lebanese let a semifinal spot slip away after an incredible turnaround in Jeddah.
At King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Lebanon started their quarterfinal on the right foot.
A Blistering Start
Right from the tip-off, the machine roared to life: Karim Zeinoun and Hayk Gyokchyan lit the fuse from three-point range, Youssef Khayat and Dedric Lawson outran the Kiwi defense on the fast break, and defensive pressure cut off New Zealand’s passing lanes. Result: 35–13 after ten minutes, a lead that grew to +22, and a Lebanese crowd in ecstasy.
“We ran over them in the first half — everything was working, we had the confidence and the shooting touch,” Gyokchyan later admitted.
At halftime, the scoreboard read 45–30: the perfect chance for Miodrag Perisic’s men to reach a continental semifinal.
The Turning Point… and the Black Hole
Coming out of the locker room, the Tall Blacks showed a new face. More aggressive in the paint, more accurate from long distance, they began chipping away at the gap. Max Darling (18 points, 9 rebounds) imposed his will inside, while Mojave King (23 points) caught fire both driving to the rim and from beyond the arc. The Lebanese lead was melting away, minute by minute.
“We let up, that’s clear. We started reacting instead of imposing our game,” Ali Mansour lamented.
With four minutes to play, King tied it at 72–72 before putting his team ahead with a dagger and-one.
Lebanon Still in it… Until the Very Last Minute
Despite the storm, Lebanon tried to hang on. A clutch triple from Gyokchyan, two drives from Mansour, and hope flickered again. But the Kiwis, brimming with confidence, struck the final blow: a thunderous dunk from Carlin Davison, a cold-blooded three from Taine Murray, and an offensive rebound put-back from Flynn Cameron sealed the game (90–86).
A dejected Amir Saoud didn’t hide his frustration:
“I think we deserved to win. But everyone needs to look in the mirror, me first. I should have led the team better, especially in those moments. We had the game in hand… and we let it slip.”
Perisic: “We didn’t know how to shut the door”
In the press conference, Miodrag Perisic made no attempt to hide his disappointment:
“We prepared this game so they’d never have hope. We had a big lead, but we left the door ajar and they rushed through it. We didn’t know how to close the game. This is a painful loss.”
A Missed Chance to Make History
Lebanon had a statement win within reach against a team unbeaten in the group stage. A +22 lead — rare at this level — should have meant qualification. But the offensive drought in the third quarter (just 17 points scored) and turnovers in crunch time handed the Tall Blacks a monumental comeback.
A Campaign with Regrets… and Pride
Despite the heartbreak, Lebanon leaves Jeddah with a positive record: dazzling in the first half against New Zealand, and confirming their status as a team capable of rattling Asia’s top nations.
“We have to learn from this. We showed we can dominate; now we have to know how to kill a game,” concluded Dedric Lawson (24 points, 13 rebounds).
In Jeddah, the Tall Blacks pulled off the biggest comeback of the tournament. Lebanon, meanwhile, will have to live with the memory of a semifinal that was within their grasp… and slipped away in ten minutes of darkness.
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