- 10:20
Winning but rugged first outing for the defending champion: in Zouk Mikaël, Riyadi extinguished Al Wahda’s charge (89–80) by forceps, thanks to a razor-sharp finish and a final 7–0. The “four-peat” is launched… without the fireworks.
The film of the game
Riyadi lived a real first, with highs, air pockets, and a money-time to manage under pressure. With 6'23 left, James Justice Jr. (37 points, 6/11 from three, 6 rebounds) puts Al Wahda ahead 71–69 on the line. Immediate answer from the hosts: Perrin Buford and Ivan Buva chain together and sign a 7–0 run to turn the tables (76–71, 5'40). The game remains tight: at 1'19, a long-range shell from Maiar Albalbisi brings the Syrians back to –2 (82–80). That’s where Riyadi closes the door: an ice-cold triple by Bilal Tabbara to go back to +5, then Buford’s killer pull-up (87–80, 24.5"), before Maurice Kemp hammers the dunk of deliverance at 6 seconds. Cold realism.
The men of the match
Perrin Buford carries the Yellow Castle with an XXL line: 26 points on 12/17, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks (efficiency 35). Around him, decisive contribution from Ivan Buva (15 points, 6 rebounds), Karim Zeinoun (15 points), Bilal Tabbara (11 points and the three-pointer that counts), and Hayk Gyokchyan (11 points). Opposite, Justice Jr. tried everything for the upset; Falando Jones (13 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists) and Albalbisi (11) kept hope alive to the end. But collectively, Riyadi remained the steadier side over the last 90 seconds.
Words from the bench
“Ugly, but thank God we won,” exhales Ahmad Farran. “We showed character. It’s a different group from these last three years: we’re defending a title, everyone wants to beat us. We live with this pressure — it’s on us to raise the level as of the next game.”
Without Wael Arakji or Thon Maker, Riyadi is learning to win differently: less brilliance, more work rate, and an offensive hierarchy taking shape around Buford/Buva, with role players assuming the shots of truth (Tabbara). The engine isn’t tuned to full yet, but the performance floor remains high: money-time defense, emotional control, and the ability to score in the half court when it tightens. That is exactly what you ask of a champion in an opener.
Riyadi meets La Sagesse again on Wednesday, November 12 at 20:45 at the Nouhad Nawfal Sports Complex, a tense remake after the Greens’ false start. Al Wahda, for its part, will look for its first win in Tehran against Gorgan on Thursday, November 20.
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