Muslim Basketball

Damascus came into this GOTW showdown as the favorites, and they played like it from the opening tip. With Iyaad back in action after missing last week, the dynamic duo of him and Husan wasted no time putting on a show. Husan was surely letting it fly, and Iyaad had some fancy finishes through traffic against one of the league’s toughest defensive squads. But the real game-changer? Mikael Chowdhury. Making his season debut, Mikael exploded onto the scene with 15 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals, bringing energy on both ends of the floor. Coming into the year, he may have flown under the radar — but after Sunday’s breakout performance, Damascus might’ve just uncovered the perfect third piece to complement their lethal 1-2 punch in Iyaad and Husan. 

Looking at the box score, this was anything but an easy win for Gaza as they took on a Beirut squad with only five players available. Beirut battled all game long and actually held the lead deep into the final stretch before Gaza finally found a way to close it out. The comeback was fueled by Mattias’ elite playmaking and Usman catching absolute fire from deep. Mattias finished with another classic all-around performance: 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. But Usman was arguably the best player on the floor, knocking down seven threes and completely swinging the momentum of the game. Credit to Beirut for making life difficult, but Gaza always seemed to find the right man open at the right time — whether it was Mattias creating, Sami attacking, or Usman letting it fly from beyond the arc. 

Jerusalem looked like they completely shook off their Week 1 loss, getting right back to business with a dominant blowout win over Cairo. This was an offensive masterclass from start to finish as they shot 52% from the field and had everyone involved — every single player scored. The star power of the Shah brothers, Big Moose, and Ehsan Popal is already tough enough to handle, but the depth around them makes this team scary. Adding reigning champion Mohammad Bashir gives them another level in transition, while NoLimitHam and Outman Dajya continue to stretch the floor and knock down shots from deep. What’s even crazier is Abuallah Dajya had a relatively quiet game, which feels more like an outlier than anything else. If this team is rolling while one of their key guys is still finding rhythm, the rest of the league should be worried.

This one is tough to write, especially after all the hype Islamabad earned last week, but games like this happen. What looked like a strong outing early quickly turned into a second-half collapse, making it clear that Islamabad still has offensive issues to figure out. There’s no question the talent is there. Omar, Jamall, and Kareem are all elite scorers who can take over a game at any moment. But when things get tight, who’s the guy you trust to fully settle the offense and control the pace? That seemed to be the biggest issue in this one. On paper, Islamabad might still be one of the most balanced teams in CNJ on both ends of the floor. But having talent and putting it all together are two completely different things, and this game exposed some of those growing pains. They’ll need answers quickly too, because Beirut is next and they are ready. 

One of MB’s newest-looking squads, led by Captain Mairaj and reigning champion Mohamed Eladl. While most of the roster is still new to the league, it’s obvious these guys know how to compete. Their win over Granada was a big early statement and could easily set the tone for the rest of their season. Abdul-Ghanee was the standout performer, finishing with 14 points while consistently being Delhi’s go-to option throughout the game. His handle is seriously impressive, and he played with confidence every time the ball was in his hands. Samy Lazrak also brings a ton of energy to the squad, and if his shot starts falling consistently, he’s going to be a major problem for opposing teams. With the impact both of these guys are already making, they could quickly become serious Rookie of the Year candidates this season.

Despite trailing for most of the game, Tripoli never stopped fighting and kept threatening to flip the script late in the second half. Every time it looked like Damascus might pull away, Tripoli answered with a run of their own — they just couldn’t get the biggest shots to drop when it mattered most. Marawan once again delivered with a strong double-double performance, controlling the paint and making his presence felt all game. Meanwhile, Ammar Rana had the green light from deep and let it fly, finishing with 15 points and helping keep Tripoli within striking distance. Still, for anyone watching closely, it felt like Tripoli may have left something on the table by not going to Marawan even more. With the way he was impacting the game, a heavier offensive workload for him could be the key to turning close battles like this into wins moving forward.

Rooz. That’s all we really have to say. With only four other players alongside him, Mombasa pulled off an insane win against a stacked Islamabad squad. This was a pure championship-type performance — sticking to roles, staying composed, and executing when it mattered most. Any team with Rooz is always in good hands. His ability to space the floor, attack the lane, and control the game makes him one of the toughest covers in the league. Salman Khan also put on a show from deep and became a major focal point in Mombasa’s offense. If he keeps shooting like that, he’s going to be a huge piece moving forward. And somehow, Mombasa still isn’t fully loaded yet with Shafic still waiting to return. Pulling off a win like this is massive, and teams around the league should definitely be paying attention. Also, shoutout to Farhan, we saw the middy!

Another Granada game that came down to the final buzzer, but unlike last week’s thrilling win over Cairo off an Abbassi game-winner, this one ended in heartbreak. One thing is certain though — Granada is a gritty team that refuses to take its foot off the gas. And without Omar Abbassi in the lineup this week, you can’t help but wonder how different the outcome could’ve been if he was available. Against a very energetic Delhi squad, it was encouraging to see other pieces step up alongside reigning Player of the Week Towfeek. Omar “Big O” Abbassi controlled the paint with 13 points and 12 rebounds, while CNJ veteran Ibraheem Sharaf made his return and immediately added valuable size and shooting to the lineup. Araiz Spall also had a strong outing and he’s continuing to show he can be one of Granada’s biggest difference-makers moving forward.

Didn’t we say just wait until Anas and Aidan got back? Well, they wasted no time reminding the league exactly why. The duo nearly combined for 50 points and both were flirting with triple-doubles in a performance that completely controlled the game. Usually when teams rely heavily on two ball-dominant guards, the offense can start to feel forced or out of rhythm. But Amman has figured it out. Aidan and Anas clearly understand their roles and somehow manage to elevate each other’s game without taking away from one another. And then there’s Cole MacKnight — yes, Aidan’s 6’8 brother — who made his presence felt all around the rim. He finished with 18 points and 9 rebounds, giving Amman another dominant piece inside. 

When four of your five players finish in double figures, you know the offense is clicking. Kabul came out firing and built an impressive 11-point lead by halftime thanks to some beautiful team basketball. They spread the floor, moved the ball selflessly, found the open man, and consistently took smart shots. Even when Istanbul made things interesting in the second half, Kabul never let up and kept the pressure on until the final whistle. And when it comes to giving flowers where they’re deserved, Haider Zaki absolutely earned his. Haider dropped a career-high 18 points while shooting nearly 50% from three, completely controlling the pace of the game from start to finish. He looked like the floor general all game, making life easier for stars Akshay and Hashim Rahman and keeping Kabul’s offense running smoothly every possession.

Honesty is the best policy — this is a really tough loss to swallow, especially against a team with only five players available. Last week, Istanbul escaped with a win against a squad of just four players, but this time they couldn’t find enough answers down the stretch. To their credit, they fought back and made the second half competitive, but too many defensive breakdowns and missed opportunities early forced them to play catch-up all game long.  

Another hard-fought game for Khalil, Elton, and Ronny, who were still recovering after last week’s battle where Beirut only had four players available. Availability is already becoming a major concern for this squad, and it’s unfortunate considering just how much talent this team actually has. And the scary part? Beirut still hasn’t seen the debuts of Elias — one of MB’s true swiss-army knives — or Adam Spengler, who has delivered some impressive performances in previous seasons. Once those pieces are available, this team could look completely different. On the bright side, Abdulrahman Musa looks like the real deal. He finished with 20 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals in a breakout performance that definitely turned heads around the league. It’s starting to look like Elton finally got the help he’s been waiting for.

Week 1 ended in heartbreak for Cairo, and it looked like that last-second loss might light a fire under them heading into a matchup with Jerusalem. Instead, Cairo found themselves searching for answers again in a game that had flashes of brilliance but never fully clicked offensively.  After turning heads in his debut last week, Alex Lorenzo couldn’t buy a bucket against Big Moose. The shots that were falling before — especially from deep — just weren’t there this time around, and you could feel the frustration build as the game went on. One major storyline, though, was the return of Ahmed Ismaeli. Getting him back adds another layer to Cairo’s rotation, and now the question becomes how they balance all the pieces moving forward. But the real spark came from Mustafa Brown. Mustafa dropped 21 points and kept Cairo active in this game. Straight confidence. 

A 42-point loss is never the ideal way to end the weekend, and for Lahore, this one was tough from the opening tip. But considering that most of this roster is still new to MB and building chemistry together, some growing pains were expected. Even in the loss, there were still flashes of talent. Rizwan Khan led the way with 14 points, while Umer Wattoo added 13 of his own and showed the kind of scoring ability Lahore can build around moving forward. Right now, the biggest thing for this team is developing that connection and figuring out how all the pieces fit together. The talent is there — now it’s about turning these early struggles into lessons and better preparation for the games ahead.