Muslim Basketball

Best win: OT vs Safad. Al-Khalil showed lots of toughness and had to claw their way back in this game. This team is built on the back of its defense, with members of the core that won the chip last year still remaining in Baraa, Heemy, Omar and Mahdy. The offense is retooled with Swish and Elhindi, and Moatze has had a great season as well. They’ve dropped because the defense has shown some cracks in recent weeks and I don’t think there’s room for that with how this team is built.

A win is a win for Al-Khalil, especially missing 3 players. Mahdy took over, looking for quick shots and finding his teammates after drawing the help. He finished with a wild 32-10-10. Elhindi came alive with 17 pts and 3 threes. Moatze also chipped in 14 with some flashy moves. The defense was concerning but with the high pace and no bench, it seems like more of an anomaly than issue.

The start of the rankings shakeup. Looks like Swish will be here moving forward and he had an excellent game, hitting 5 threes for 19 total points. Mahdy missed a lot of his usual shots but responded very well by attacking and finding teammates. Moatze also continued a strong season, chipping in 10 points. Early season wins against Safad and Nazareth are looking better now as well.

Heartbreaking loss after battling without Mahdy and almost pulling it off. Missed FTs down the stretch were killer in letting Rafah hang around. However, the defense looked incredible, Rafah couldn’t generate any space. The offense was a little iso heavy but Moatze and Baraa showed enough flashes to be confident in Al-Khalil’s shotmaking once Mahdy is back in the fold.

Another impressive victory for Al-Khalil whose winning formula has been  surprisingly effective. The team is full of strong defenders and they got 7-8 points from 4 players, all much needed in a close game. Mahdy, with 35 on 13-25, is playing like an MVP and when he gets a running start, it seems like no one can stop him or box him out.

Sometimes the answer is simple and Mahdy being the best player on the court was enough to pull it out in OT. Safad had no plan for him and he moved freely all game. Don’t overlook the support, though. Omar Sehwail made big plays and Heemy had a huge stop to close out the game. They’ll need to repeat this formula next week.

Lots of promising signs from the new look Al-Khalil after some reshuffling. Mahdy with 29 has become regular, but new addition Muhammad Elhindi adding in 5 buckets of his own and Omar Sehwail neutralizing Luis in his season debut give this team something to build on. The team might rely heavily on Mahdy but if no one can stop him, it won’t matter.

MB Insider Towfeek Hamza has reported that this team has done some reshuffling and personnel changes, so won’t harp on their game one box score.