Petrochimi sweeps Naft Abadan to win Superleague title

Petrochimi (Iran-Superleague) finishes off their dominant run in the Iranian Superleague playoffs with the title in-hand. They finished the postseason undefeated after winning 90-75 in game three of the finals.

The champions of the Superleague went all the way thanks to their efficient shooting. In game three, the team shot 64.4 percent from inside the arc while hitting 5-of-12 three-point attempts. A big part of the interior efficiency is credited to Hamed Haddadi (218 cm) who made 11-of-16 shots to finish with 28 points. Haddadi dominated on the glass as well with 13 rebounds in the game and finding four assists. His dominance on offense and defense put Petrochimi over the top.

James White (201 cm, Cincinnati ’06) played the point forward and recorded seven assists for Petrochimi. He found Haddadi on multiple occasions as the pair worked well together which they have all season long. White not only spreads the floor with his passing but also found a way to score 18 points. and grab eight boards. The veteran swingman is a complete player and finished, what might have been, his best year as a pro. He finished the season averaging 14.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg, and 2.4 apg while being voted to the All-Superleague first-team.

Naft Abadan made a great run to make it to the final round but ultimately did not stand a chance. They were dominated for the majority of the series. However, game one almost went their way but they came up short, losing 80-74. The next two games were decided by double-digits including the 14-point loss to end their season.

Saeed Davarpanah (190 cm) did play well to keep Naft Abadan competitive in the series. His three-point stroke was on point as he shot 46.4 percent from deep in the three games. The swingman finished game three with 26 points but the rest of his team let him down with poor shooting displays. No other player finished with more than 12 points which will not get any Superleague team past Petrochimi.