Cairo vs Tripoli

Tripoli is rolling with four straight wins and AK continues to power everything. They haven’t needed Mana at top gear which means they are capable of even more. Cairo’s 12th ranked defense relies heavily on individual matchups, so they have to use Jay Wiggins to apply pressure to AK and encourage shots from others. On top of that, Trey needs to make things difficult for Mana.

Cairo relies heavily on their offense to win games and take pressure off their defense. However, they won’t get their usual amount of easy buckets with Mana lurking around the rim. They’ve gotten a few strong shooting games from Abdul Kareem and Omar Hussein, which they’ll need to force Mana out the paint and onto Trey. However, Elias and Moad for Tripoli will look to make that difficult.

Tripoli are the better defensive team and their offense has been clicking as well recently.

Tripoli by 5

Gaza vs Damascus

With Himey and Omar Elsamna preferring to keep the ball moving, Damascus has placed its trust in living and dying with Singer taking the shots. Gaza will look to Fursan to stay in front and stop him from getting to the basket. If this is the offense they are choosing to run, they should try to get Singer different looks on and off the ball and force the defense to communicate through screens.

This could be an entertaining game as both teams will look to get up the court fast for more open looks. Fursan has been leading Gaza in attempts so Damascus will need to have an answer for him, especially if they choose to have Singer match up with Omar. Damascus could look to a bigger defender like Omar Qasem, since Fursan is pretty good around the basket or in the post.

Gaza's defense should be able to make it difficult for Damascus's best options.

Gaza by 8

Kabul vs Islamabad

Islamabad remains one of the league’s most efficient teams from the field. Shahzaib will look to bounce back and Raj is cementing his role as the main shooter on this team that creates lots of good looks from three. Kabul can give Islamabad more problems than some may expect, as Raied can hold his own against Shahzaib, who makes the offense tick.

Kabul did a great job battling last week and will look to keep it going. They got a balanced scoring output, with Hassan Farhat as first option, which looks like a good strategy moving forward despite his efficiency. Islamabad can try and take away others like Raied, Khalied and Muhammad Mustafa and force Hassan to be efficient with high volume.

Kabul will make it close but Islamabad has a big advantage on the perimeter.

Islamabad by 6

GAME OF THE WEEK: Jerusalem vs Amman

We know Amman is among the top teams but these high end matchups are the true test of where they stand. Led by Mahdy and Adeeb, they’ve been able to lean on transition looks and hot stretches from three. However, Jerusalem showed last week that they can play with the physicality and discipline that gave Amman trouble in their loss. If they choose to play zone, they need to limit the threes.

Five weeks in, Jerusalem is 1st in every efficiency stat with both Mike and Mahrooz shooting over 50% from the field and over 40% from three. Amman has many questions to answer, such as how to keep the ball away from Mike and who will match up with Fares and Mahrooz. They could try to use their best individual defender, maybe Jay, on Mahrooz while using a hard double on Mike.

Jerusalem can crowd the paint better, which will give their defense a simpler way to get stops in what should be a high scoring game.

Jerusalem by 4

Lahore vs Istanbul

Istanbul will continue to rely on Nick and Muhanad in the paint but are still looking to build on that strong foundation. Lahore has been a strong rebounding team this season, which they’ll rely on to neutralize Istanbul. If Lahore plays zone, Istanbul will need to share the ball, which they’ve done well, and hit threes, which they have not.

The top scorers for Lahore: Julian, Aadil and Adham, have been pretty efficient and Lahore has been able to get them the ball. It will be interesting to see how Istanbul matches up because the guards may have trouble with Julian’s size and finishing around the rim. The 3pt shooting for Lahore has not been good and Istanbul will likely look to pack to the paint.

Istanbul is at their best in matchups where Nick and Muhanad can create extra opportunities and this does not seem as likely, although it should be close in a defensive game.

Lahore by 4

Mombasa vs Granada

Granada struggled to score last week but will look to bounce back and work through Zain in the post. Mombasa struggled in the post for a few stretches but mostly in games without Will, so that could be a potential solution. If they have their full lineup, Granada’s combination of post scoring and shooting could be a difficult cover for Mombasa, who may have trouble playing zone.

Mombasa is too talented individually across the board. Granada needs Zain protecting the paint, so the perimeter defenders can help each other and limit the space guards like Ali Hassan and Dean will have to attack. However, this will require strong communication and the margins are slim against a talent like Will.

Granada has the tools to win on paper but Mombasa's combination of talent and offensive chemistry are the safer option.

Mombasa by 5