5 months ago
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The Indian men’s hoops team’s shooting woes were astatine the forefront erstwhile again arsenic it succumbed to a 57-81 nonaccomplishment to Saudi Arabia successful their FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers Group-D lucifer astatine the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium connected Sunday.
Kanwar Gurbaz Singh Sandhu was the apical performer for the big with 19 points portion Muhammad Ali Abdur-Rahkman led Saudi’s charts with 24.
Despite caput manager Scott Flemming highlighting the request to beryllium objective successful onslaught up of the game, India lacked precision successful the absorption half, scoring lone 22 of 76 tract extremity attempts. In contrast, Saudi managed 30 disconnected 62 to manus India its 2nd decision successful arsenic galore games successful the competition.
Both teams acceptable disconnected with an assertive purpose, but it was the visitant that took an aboriginal clasp connected the game, with guardant Ali Shubayli scoring 8 points to springiness his broadside a 10-point pb aft the archetypal quarter.
Sandhu’s three-pointer from the corner, midway done the 2nd period, momentarily lifted the spirits of the location supporters, but Saudi Arabia’s Abdur-Rahkman kept draining baskets with regularity astatine the different extremity to instrumentality the crippled away.
India improved ever truthful somewhat successful the 2nd fractional and dilatory chipped distant astatine Saudi’s lead, with Harsh Dagar sinking a mates of baskets aboriginal successful the 3rd quarter. However, the players yet ran retired of steam, and Saudi erstwhile again reasserted its dominance, with Fahad Belal plunging a dagger three-pointer successful the 3rd 4th to widen the pb to 33 and practically enactment the crippled to bed.
The effect leaves India reeling astatine the bottommost of its radical with 2 points with 4 matches near to play.
The scores: India 57 (Kanwar Gurbaz Singh Sandhu 19) mislaid to Saudi Arabia 81 (Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman 24, Marzouq Almuwallad 13, Ali Shubayli 10).
