India pulled out a 73-70 win against Palestine, who ran out of gas in the fourth quarter as in the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship’s second round in CHANGSHA-HUNAN a few hours ago today. Amjyot was able to lead India to only their second win in four starts. It was a back-and-forth affair for much of the game, with both teams exchanging runs. Even until the final buzzer, Palestine had a chance as Jamal Abu-Shamala stole the ball off an inbound pass and very nearly hit a potential game-tying three-point shot but failed. This was a huge game for India as they needed a win to improve their chances of making the next round.
It was a battle of Amjyot Singh, Amrit Pal Singh, and Vishesh Bhriguvanshi against big three Palestine’s Abu-Shamala, Sani Sakakini, and Imad Qahwash . Amjyot exploded 32 points and 11 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 assists. He also got able support from Bhriguvanshi’s 17 points, while Amrit Pal added 14 points and 9 rebounds. Palestine was led by Sani Sakakini’s 23-point, 12-rebound effort while Jamal Abu-Shamala and Salim Sakakini had 21 and 16 points respectively. Qahwash finished with only 5 points, but he handed out 9 assists.
The first quarter saw the game on equal footing Indian taking a slender lead of 91-17. The second quarter saw India trailing 32-38 due the aggressive play by Palestine. India came back in the third quarter to lead 62-61. At the 4:40 mark of the fourth period before India went on a 9-2 spurt punctuated by a nasty Amjyot Singh put-back slam dunk that gave them a 6-point cushion with under a minute to go. Abu-Shamala made a couple more shots to stay within striking distance, but his squad eventually fell short.
Palestine ruled the boards, outrebounding India, 49-38, but this was offset by their 17 turnovers. India also converted more points in the paint, 34-26. Nobody outside of Abu-Shamala made a three-point basket for Palestine, with the rest of the team going 0-of-9.
Amjyot Singh really stamped his class in this match. He exploded for 32 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. He also hit three times from beyond the arc and played all but one minute of the game. Amjyot has certainly transitioned from up-and-coming player to breakout star for the Indians.
Next up for India is Hong Kong, whom they should get past with ease while things get even tougher for Palestine as Japan awaits tomorrow.