In Almaty, the crucial FIBA Asia Cup 2029 qualifying match ended in defeat for Kazakhstan, losing to Palestine 67:80 (13:22, 10:12, 25:25, 19:21), reports infohub.kz.
The easy 71-point win over the Maldives may have backfired on the Kazakh team. Palestine proved to be a completely different level of opponent. The first quarter was a disaster for the hosts: the visitors dominated under the basket, while the Kazakhs, facing a solid defense, lost their composure and committed numerous unnecessary fouls. The score steadily grew against the home team – 5:11, 8:14, 13:22.
The second quarter saw no improvement. Alexander Lysyak's men made frequent mistakes and struggled to score, while the opponents confidently controlled the game, regularly hitting from comfortable positions. When the deficit reached 12 points (16:28), the coaching staff called a timeout, but the hosts still lost the first half – 23:34.
Midway through the third quarter, the awakened Kazakhs cut the deficit to two points (39:41), but the Palestinians quickly restored their comfortable lead – 53:42. Heading into the final period, the team trailed by 11 points, and ultimately lost by 13 – 67:80.
Top scorers for Kazakhstan were Vladimir Ivanov (13 points) and Robert Pan (12). For Palestine, Brian Halums shone with 26 points.
Despite the unexpected setback, Kazakhstan's tournament prospects remain intact: the top three teams advance to the next round. However, the issues in the team's play have become clearly evident.
In the first game of the day, Sri Lanka defeated Kyrgyzstan 72:65 (12:13, 19:20, 20:16, 21:16). The neighbors led by two points at halftime – 33:31, but then faded. Kyrgyzstan's leader Nazim Adilbekov's 18 points were not enough.
Tomorrow is a rest day. On Sunday, August 30, the Central Asian derby between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan will take place, while the Maldives face Palestine in the other match.
The tournament in Kazakhstan, along with parallel competitions in the UAE, Mongolia, and Malaysia, is the first stage of the multi-step qualification for the 2029 Asia Cup. The top three teams from each group will advance to the second qualifying round.
From November 23 to December 1 this year, eight teams will be determined to join the 16 teams already qualified for the final stage of the 2025 Asia Cup in the third qualifying round.