NNJ FallBall 2025 Playoffs Round 2 Predictions

Last week went as expected, going a nice 8/8. This is the best round of the playoffs, though. Half of the league is out but there’s still 4 games to get excited about and they’re all very good matchups. So many teams have been playing zone this year, we’ll see if it works out for any of them. Predicting no upsets again, unfortunately.

Al-Khalil vs Areeha

After entering the league in the same season, Mahdy and Mahrooz will always be intertwined and now they face off in the biggest matchup between them yet. The offense for Areeha has looked super clean and the stats back it up as they lead the league in FG%. With Jay running point, he has been selective with the ball and his teammates trust him to find a better shot if he demands the ball back. The key for Al-Khalil will be how they decide to match up and how prepared the defenders are. It looks like Swish will be on Mahrooz and I think Omar Sehwail should guard Ali. Offensively, Al-Khalil should look to push the pace. It suits Mahdy and both Areeha’s losses came against fast teams where they got sloppy as the game went on. I think Omar can do a great job but I see Mahrooz having the advantage in his matchup.

Areeha by 4

Tulkarem vs Bethlehem

This is the type of matchup that playoffs are all about. There’s no better test to see if you’re a good vs great team than how you respond to going up against Omar Mana. Bethlehem has struggled to defend around the rim and Mana will no doubt look to exploit. They’ll live with a steady dose of threes from Tulkarem. If Moayad, Elias and Hassan can’t hit those, the game will be over quickly. If they do hit them, Bethlehem still has another card to play. Their balanced and high paced attack has kept them in games all year when the defense struggles. Elias and Moad are strong defenders but the chemistry between Omar Hussein, Jay and Trey has carried Bethlehem very far this season. The consistently high level of play Mana brings can shine in these matchups where every detail is high stakes. However, a strong team effort can also hide weaknesses, as Bethlehem has done all season.

Bethlehem by 6

Nazareth vs Haifa

This matchup is a rematch of an exciting regular season game that saw Haifa mount a comeback after going down big. It felt like a chess match, and Haifa made the last move. Defensively, they stopped playing zone and offensively, they attacked gaps with Shahzaib instead of trying to pick the zone apart from inside. Nazareth now has the opportunity to counter. When they have the ball, they should really try and slow the game down. Luis is a huge mismatch down low but that advantage shrinks as the pace increases and he gets worn down physically over the long run. On the other end, they need someone contesting Shahzaib at all times even if there’s rim protection. Muhammad Assaf has shown defensive playmaking flashes over the last few seasons but he’ll need to put together a complete performance this time.

Haifa by 9

Rafah vs Safad

Another rematch from the regular season but Rafah was missing Joey and Nabil so it will be a different dynamic this time around. Last game, Zain went 0-6 from three and became less involved since he didn’t want to force drives with Brandon sagging off. A better shooting night could change the dynamic of that matchup. Anas Zubi also hit tough shots over Islam but as the game progressed, settled for more perimeter shots. We’ll see if the shot selection changes with a full roster and better spacing, or if Islam wore him out over the course of the game. The biggest matchup for me is Aadil vs Nabil. Nabil gave Aadil lots of trouble in last season’s playoffs but if he overplays his role it could also hurt Rafah’s offense. In a defensive high intensity game, I think play speed and bench play will be the difference.

Safad by 10