Muslim Basketball

Best win: Shootout vs Baysan. Anytime you’re matched up with a 13 seed, the last thing you want is to have to go up against one of the league's best scorers: Ian Felix. He had 41 this game and looked unstoppable getting downhill and around the basket. Muhanad Deeb has been a consistent presence down low but some of their best games have been when Splash is aggressive and hitting from 3. They have some good offensive momentum heading into the playoffs which is dangerous.

Amazing offense for Gaza, starting with Ian Felix who finished with 34 on 14-23 shooting. Splash and Jehad had key contributions from 3. They’re a different team when they have all 5 starters. As always, the defense was lacking and cost them the game. They would all collapse when Mahdy drove, leaving Al-Khalil wide open for shooting practice. Someone needs to step up as a primary defender.

More of the same for Gaza. They come out the gates with intensity but lose steam as the game goes on and when things don’t go their way. Ironically, the defense needs to retreat a little more as teams continue to skip by them on the perimeter and in transition where they are pressed up and lunging. The wide open shootout games they get into don’t seem to play in their favor.

As a team with higher aspirations, Gaza has to take advantage of opportunities like this against a team without one of their top scorers. Ian tried to bring them back late but against teams that match their physicality, Gaza’s other options can be neutralized. Defensively, too much ball watching and chasing blocks hurt but those can be fixed with better focus and discipline.

Tough loss for Gaza who fought till the end despite missing a few starters. Not a lot of long term takeaways from this game given the opponent and available personnel. It was a big missed opportunity, though, as the schedule definitely gets a lot harder from here on out.

Disappointing performance for Gaza, not because of the end result but how it happened. They had a meltdown mid game and made no effort to get back in transition while Shahzaib scored 10 layups in a row for Haifa. Not much to take away from this game. They’ll have to wipe it from memory and have a good opportunity to bounce back next week.

What a game by Ian Felix, with the 41 piece on 21 shots. Through 2 weeks, there’s not a lot to fault Gaza for with the way they’re playing. This ranking is more of a reflection of the schedule they’ve played so far, which is out of their control. With a matchup vs Haifa on deck, Gaza is a signature win away from launching up the PR.

Gaza delivered a balanced offensive performance, led by Ian Felix’s 17 points and a dominant inside showing from Muhanad Deeb, who posted 16 points and 11 rebounds on efficient shooting. The team knocked down nine threes and shared the ball well with 14 assists, while their defense forced key turnovers and held strong on the glass. Despite some missed free throws, their efficiency and rebounding gave them control throughout the game.