Muslim Basketball

Say what you want about the ending—controversial or not—but Husan delivered one of the biggest shots of the season to force overtime against Kabul. He finished with 27 points and once again looked like an MVP candidate. Without Iyaad, others stepped up as well. Mikael scored 18 points, while Ahmed Abdullah narrowly missed a double-double with 11 points and 9 rebounds. Damascus found a way when it mattered most and that is what they do best. 

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.

At this point, Damascus feels like a fixture in every Game of the Week matchup. They’re playing some of the best basketball in the league, led by Husan Zakir, who continues to dominate with a league-leading 27.7 PPG. His 24-point outing this week earned him Player of the Week honors and further cemented his status as the league’s top scorer. While Iyaad had a quieter game statistically, his energy and hustle remained valuable. Abdoul Traore also deserves credit for stepping up in place of Mo Amin, showing flashes of a stretch big and making a strong impact on both ends of the floor.

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. 

A 4-on-4 full-court game is chaos, but Damascus made it look fun. And Husan Zakir? Completely ridiculous. 36 points in Week 1 immediately puts him in POTW conversations. Husan continues to prove he’s one of the best shooters in CNJ, and teams are going to have nightmares trying to guard him this season. Watching him and Iyaad run it back is going to be must-see basketball. Also, keep an eye on young star Shayan Ahmed — he’s coming.