Amman vs Mombasa

Mombasa just hit 25 threes, with Sal Rahin leading the way before the game got out of hand. Playing a zone does not work against this team so Amman will have to match up with Will and Dean. Adeeb could be the best matchup against Will but everyone will need to be ready to step up early and stop Will from getting downhill. A healthy Ali Hassan will make a huge difference.

Amman can go toe to toe with Mombasa from three and have many players who will make you pay if you press up too close, like Mahdy, Adeeb and Ali. Mombasa has played zone very well this season and may need to this week, looking at the potential matchups across the board. This will be their toughest matchup of the season.

Amman is one of the few teams with the skill to match Mombasa and across their lineup they have a slight edge with size and strength.

Amman by 4

Jerusalem vs Tripoli

After matching up with Zain, Fares has another tall task ahead of him this week guarding Mana. Mana won’t be shut down but it will go a long way for Jerusalem if Fares can move his feet when Mana goes around, and force him to shoot moving away from the basket. Mahrooz is likely the best option to match AK’s strength, which will also allow Mike to focus his energy on being an offensive engine.

Tripoli has a lot of good defenders but no need to overthink the matchup against Mike when you have AK. Mana will have an eye on him as well so Mahrooz and Fares will play a huge role in forcing the defense to respect a balanced attack. As Mahrooz showed last week, he can finish at the rim no matter who is down there contesting, and his aggressiveness will open things up for everyone.

Jerusalem have the challenge of beating an opponent twice for the second round in a row but teams can’t match their intensity offensively and stop them from getting to their spots.

Jerusalem by 4

Gaza vs Damascus

Gaza is well suited to stop Damascus’ offense, especially since Damascus has had very concentrated scoring. Brandon should be able to focus on blocking shots at the rim, where Singer and Corey like to score. If there was a time for Damascus to open up their offense, it's now after a breakout Ahmad Saleh performance. Between Obada and Miraoui, they have to drag Brandon away from the paint.

On the other end, the familiarity between the teams could work in Gaza’s favor. Omar will know how to get open for his shots, and even though Damascus may know what’s coming, they struggled to stop him the last time these teams matched up. Some good 3pt shooting would give them additional breathing room, and Islam and Moatze will need to be on their game to give Omar and Fursan some support.

Corey has been a huge driving force for Damascus and it will be hard for him to have an efficient outing against this defense.

Gaza by 6

Beirut vs Lahore

Lahore has been on a roll and the wins have coincided with Chase emerging as a consistent scoring option. They've scored over 70 in four straight weeks with a relatively balanced score sheet. Towfeek will match up with Julian which will be a challenge in space and at the rim against his athleticism but If Lahore continues to shoot well, he could end up on an island.

Last time they matched up, Beirut's guards were able to get to their spots pretty easily and set up the rest of the team. Since then, Lahore’s paint defense has improved as Adham settled into the season. However, Beirut will also be adding Khalid which will give Lahore more to worry about down low. Beirut would benefit from a big Shafic game, after a quiet back half of the season.

This is setting up to be a high scoring offensive game and both teams have got consistent play from their top 4 scorers. The 5th could be the difference and Mustafa Brown is primed for a bounce back.

Lahore by 2