KUWAIT CITY, Feb 17: Kuwait’s national basketball team defeated its Saudi counterpart 79-75 in the first friendly match held two days ago at the Kuwait Basketball Federation Hall in Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Complex. The game is part of the preparations for both teams ahead of upcoming tournaments. The two teams are set to face each other again in a second friendly match at 6:30 PM today at the same venue. The Saudi team arrived in Kuwait last week to play these matches as part of the cooperation between the Kuwaiti and Saudi basketball federations, aiming to prepare both teams for upcoming championships and maintain players’ readiness. The game was intense and spirited, with the visiting Saudi team dominating the first quarter entirely, finishing with a 20-point lead, 33-13.

However, the Kuwaiti team gradually regained its form and reduced the deficit to 14 points in the second quarter, ending 33-47. The team’s performance continued to improve under the leadership of standout player Hamad Adnan, the top scorer for Kuwait with 21 points. By the end of the third quarter, the gap had shrunk to just 5 points in favor of the Saudi team, 60-65. In the final quarter, Kuwait asserted its dominance, with strong performances from both starters and substitutes, sealing a well-earned victory, 79-75. In addition to Hamad Adnan’s impressive performance, his teammates also stood out: Abdulaziz Al-Humaidi scored 17 points, Ahmed Al- Bloushi 12 points, Omran Jawhar 10 points, and Abdulmohsen Al-Mousawi 9 points.

By Khaled Al-Anzi
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff