Basketball Olympics Qualifiers: India beat Indonesia 90-74 to continue winning streak — Highlights
With 2 wins in 2 matches, India are now in 2nd place behind Bahrain in the Asian pre-qualifiers for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Pranav Prince in action; India's men's basketball team are looking to make it to their first Olympics in 44 years. (BFI)
The Indian men’s basketball team beat Indonesia 90-74 in the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament Asia 2023 on Sunday. Having beaten higher-ranked Syria already, India have won 2 in 2 matches.
With this win, India are now in 2nd place in the points table behind Bahrain. The team that finishes on top of the table in the Asian leg of the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament will advance to the final global FIBA Olympic qualifying tournament scheduled in 2024. India next face Kazakhstan on Monday.
As it happened:
India beat Indonesia 90-74! They beat 72nd ranked Syria yesterday, today they beat 85th-ranked Indonesia. India's dream run towards the 2024 Olympics continues as charted. India move to joint top of the points table in the Asian zone. Bahrain have a points difference of +52, so are ahead of India, who are on +25 with 2 matches played. 3 more matches remain.
Tomorrow though, India face their toughest test yet when they face Kazakhstan, the highest ranked team in these Asian qualifiers.
The comeback attempt ends in a series of fouls. India steal back the advantage with some quickly stolen points. The lead swells back to more than 14 now.
Indonesia in charge of the match again! India look to have been caught by heavy legs. Defenders not coming back fast enough. A quick series of points reduces the lead to 10 points.
It remains a 14-point lead at the end of Q3 too.
In terms of individual stats, it's Sekhon and Prince who are leading the attack line again today. But the rise of Muthu (13 points) has been the story of the day so far.
Indonesia pick up the momentum as Q3 nears its ends. A couple of 3-pointers now gets them ahead in 2nd half points won. Overall, India still have a comfortable lead.
Sekhon clinical on the counter! Pranav Prince then scores a brilliant point on the coiunter, but it's scored 1 second after Indonesia call a time out. He is not pleased with that, but India would be pleased with this 15-point lead.
Prince misses, but Bhriguvanshi is there to score off the rebound. India regain a semblance of control with a series of 4 points. Hafeez then gets a free point off a foul to take India's lead back to 14.
Second half begins. With a 3-pointer for Indonesia! Then it's another 2-pointer in transition. Indonesia begin the 2nd half with 5 points!
Muthu Krishnan's darting runs keep hurting Indonesia. Sekhon scores a 2-pointer off his pass as India move to 50 points. Daylight now between the two teams.
Indonesia get a free shot as the 1st half comes to a close, but misses! Nothing going right for them now. As the half-time hooter goes, it's India who lead 50-36.
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