STRONG Group was held to just two points in the last three minutes and absorbed a stinging 89-83 defeat to Dynamo of Lebanon in the 32nd Dubai International Basketball Championship yesterday at the Al Nasr Club Hall in Dubai.
The team of coach Charles Tiu led most part of the fourth period but failed to hit the big shots in the stretch as the Lebanese crew got away with the victory behind timely baskets from import Cleanthony Early.
“It was a tough loss, led 60 percent of the game but fell short in the last few minutes,” said Tiu, who pointed to Dynamo’s rock-solid defense as the reason for the team’s first defeat in four games at the close of the eliminations.
“Their zone really stifled us and slowed us down,” lamented Tiu.
With the loss, Strong Group, owned by Frank and Jacob Lao and backed by Mighty Sports and Acrocity, will face Al Riyadi — the same team Mighty Sports beat for the title three years ago — today.
Al Riyadi, which finished third in Group B with a 2-1 card, is bannered by several national team players led by Wael Arakji, Amir Saoud, Hayk Gyokchan and import and former NBA second round draft pick AJ Majok.
Dynamo’s zone defense also denied high scoring import Shabazz Muhammad his touches, hastening the team’s downfall.
Early emerged as the biggest problem for the Philippine five, unleashing seven of his 29 points in the final three minutes as Dynamo uncorked an 11-2 finishing kick to steal the game away.
Early nailed six triples — none bigger than the last two he knocked down during that telling run. The first of those two shoved Dynamo ahead 82-81 and the second stretched the lead to five 86-81 with just 48 seconds left.
Muhammad finished with 25 points and nine rebounds while Jerom Lastimosa, despite facing taller and heftier guards, impressed with 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field.
Nick Young, nursing a knee injury, added 11 while Renaldo Balkman, who was under the weather, contributed 10 points and nine rebounds.
