Muslim Basketball

It's becoming increasingly clear that this team doesn't have just one superstar—it has several. And when one star is unavailable, another is ready to step up. With Abdul Ghanee out, Xavier Pulla and Samy Lazrak rose to the occasion, leading Delhi to a hard-fought win in a much tighter game than expected. The two rookies showed great chemistry, constantly finding each other and delivering in key moments. Whether creating for themselves or their teammates, they knocked down big shots and kept the offense flowing. Chris also turned in a strong performance and continues to be the veteran presence every team needs. When he's not making tough baskets, he's guiding the younger players, keeping them composed, and acting like an extension of the coaching staff on the floor.

Fresh off his historic performance in NNJ, Shafic and company entered this Game of the Week matchup as favorites and showed exactly why, cruising to a 25-point victory over Gaza, who were once again without superstar Mattias. The second half was the difference-maker, as Mombasa pulled away behind strong performances from Mahrooz and Ameer Koyas, who finished with 20 and 17 points, respectively. Now riding a three-game winning streak, Mombasa has been playing disciplined, well-rounded basketball—moving the ball, taking smart shots, finding the open man, and rotating effectively on defense. They look like a team that has figured things out. Then again, what else would you expect from the defending champions?

There goes the undefeated streak. After an impressive start to the season that included wins over some of the league's top teams, Damascus suffered its first loss as Beirut finally picked up its first victory of the year. Husan and Iyaad led the way with 20 and 15 points, respectively, but despite the strong scoring output, MVP frontrunner Husan Zakir never found a consistent rhythm. Iyaad's bursts to cut into the deficit weren't enough, and Damascus' underuse of its big men was hard to ignore. It's something the team will need to address moving forward. Still, this loss doesn't change much for Damascus, which remains near the top of the standings.

A massive statement win for Granada against a very tough Islamabad squad. The dynamic duo of Omar and Towfeek powered the team to a convincing victory, doing it shorthanded with just five players available. Towfeek delivered a strong double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds, while Omar led the scoring with 26 points, including six triples from beyond the arc. When these two are clicking, they’re extremely difficult to contain, and Islamabad simply had no answer despite strong names like Omar, Jamall, and Aymen in their rotation. A gutsy, composed win from Granada—one that only strengthens the feeling that this group is trending toward the top of the standings.

Kabul is quickly establishing itself as one of the most impressive teams this season with a commanding win over Cairo. This was a true team effort, with Hashim Rahman and Hisham Ali both stepping up in a big way, finishing with 17 and 15 points respectively, while Hassan Saleh added 15 of his own to round out a balanced attack. What stands out most about this group is the way they play together. This is textbook team basketball—constant communication, unselfish play, and relentless effort on both ends of the floor. There are no quiet possessions with this squad; they stay engaged, locked in, and connected from start to finish.

Another dominant win for Jerusalem, a team that has become very familiar with blowout victories. The star duo of Musa "Big Moose" Yanes and Ismail Shah once again put on a show, finishing with 26 points and 11 rebounds, and 33 points and 10 rebounds, respectively. Both players are recognized stars across Central and North divisions and continue to remind opponents why they're among the league's most dangerous scorers. Their combination of skill, basketball IQ, and ability to take over games is tough to match. What makes Jerusalem even more dangerous, though, is the consistency of its supporting cast. Everyone contributed, the energy never dropped, and even with a 30-point lead, Jerusalem continued to play hard on both ends of the floor. That's the mindset of a championship contender.

A big-time win for Tripoli against Amman, and one that should do wonders for this team's confidence. Players like Ammar, Hicham, and the Sakar brothers have shown up week after week, playing hard and doing all the little things right. In previous games, they just couldn't get the key shots to fall when it mattered most. This time was different. A dominant second-half performance flipped the game on its head and showcased the potential this group has when everything clicks. If Tripoli can bottle up that energy and execution, they'll be a tough out for anyone in the league.

The biggest red flag in this game for Islamabad was the quiet night from their go-to scorer, Omar Hussein, who finished with just 4 points—well below his usual production. If Islamabad wants to stay competitive, they’ll need him back at his normal scoring level, and soon. Beyond that, the larger issue continues to be offensive balance and figuring out how to properly distribute the ball across their multiple options. This is now the second straight week they’ve lost to a team playing just five players, despite having a full roster available, which makes the concern even more urgent. Islamabad will need to sort out its offensive identity quickly before these issues start piling up.

Back-to-back weeks without Mattias have raised questions about how long Gaza can continue to stay afloat without its superstar. While the team showed plenty of fight against Mombasa and went into halftime tied 19-19, the second half once again proved to be its downfall. Much like their game against Kabul, Gaza gave up too many easy transition baskets against a fast and disciplined Mombasa squad. Sami, Gaza's second scoring option, struggled to find his rhythm, and Usman—who has delivered several standout performances this season—also had an off night. With Mattias sidelined, Gaza needs both players producing at a high level if they want to remain competitive in the weeks ahead.

In a much-needed result, Beirut finally secured its first win of the season behind the offensive firepower of Omar Abufarha and the defensive intensity of Abdualrahman. Both players have been tremendous assets for a team that has struggled with availability all season. Omar put together a strong Player of the Week performance, finishing with 24 points and 12 rebounds while delivering several crucial baskets that kept Beirut in control. Elton was also instrumental, contributing 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. As Damascus began to mount a comeback, Beirut stayed composed, executed down the stretch, and closed out a well-earned victory.

Without Anas in the lineup, Amman faced a tough challenge against the powerful Tripoli squad. Aidan MacKnight, a fan favorite across CNJ, put together a spectacular performance with 34 points and 10 rebounds. Had Amman come away with the win, that stat line likely would have secured him Player of the Week honors. Unfortunately for Amman, Tripoli's late second-half surge proved too much to overcome. Outside of Aidan, the scoring was relatively quiet, and that's where Anas' absence was felt the most.

Shoutout to Cairo, who were playing without their star, Alex Lorenzo, in this matchup. Despite the setback, Ahmed Ismaeil and Mustafa Brown stepped up and led the way with 16 points apiece. However, the lack of ball movement proved costly—finishing with just 2 total assists as a team simply isn’t going to be enough to win games at this level. For Cairo to turn things around, the offense has to become more fluid and unselfish, with the ball moving and creating better looks for everyone. Until that happens, they’ll continue to struggle to close out games.

Despite the loss, this was an encouraging performance for Istanbul, a team that has struggled to find consistency early in the season. They went into halftime tied and kept things competitive well into the second half before a few costly defensive lapses allowed Delhi to pull away with some easy baskets. Still, there were plenty of positives to take away. It's becoming clear that Usama and Ahmed are the engines that drive this team. When those two are playing with confidence and in sync, Istanbul is capable of some very good basketball—as they showed in their impressive performance against Beirut. If they can build on that chemistry, better results should follow.

Another tough loss for Lahore, which found itself chasing the game against Jerusalem from the opening tip. While the results haven't gone their way, it's important to remember that this is a brand-new team, and building chemistry doesn't happen overnight. It takes time for players to learn each other's tendencies, develop trust, and find a rhythm together. Lahore has also faced one of the tougher schedules in the league, making the learning curve even steeper. The good news is there are still positives to build on. New addition Waheed Alli-Owe turned in a strong performance with 17 points and showed flashes of what he can bring to the team. It will be exciting to see him develop alongside Rizwan Khan, another proven shooter, as Lahore looks to find its footing in the second half of the season.