Game Three: City Oilers 76-72 Namuwongo Blazers
Game Four: Friday, 9:00 pm.
Kampala, Uganda: City Oilers moved within two wins away from reclaiming the National Basketball League (NBL) Men’s championship after edging Namuwongo Blazers 76–72 in overtime in Game Three of the finals at Lugogo on Sunday.
The victory gave the Oilers a 2–1 lead in the best-of-seven finals series, putting them halfway to the four victories required to claim the championship.
The two sides were locked at 64–64 at the end of regulation before City Oilers outscored the Blazers 12–8 in overtime to secure a crucial victory.
Namuwongo started brightly, but City Oilers finished the opening quarter with a 18–15 advantage.
The Blazers responded in the second quarter, outscoring the Oilers 19–17 to reduce the deficit to one point, with the Oilers leading 35–34 at halftime.
Namuwongo then produced its strongest spell of the game in the third quarter, taking control of the contest and building an eight-point advantage before the Oilers fought back to lead 50–49 heading into the final period.
City Oilers appeared to be closing in on victory after opening a 62–56 lead with just over three minutes remaining.
However, the Blazers mounted a dramatic late comeback.
Nyembo Fataki cut the deficit with a three-pointer before another three from the Blazers forward with just two seconds remaining in regulation levelled the score at 64–64, forcing overtime.
Fataki finished with a game-high 28 points and eight rebounds, while Anthony Chukwubuka Chukwurah added 13 points and 11 rebounds. Jimmy Enabu contributed 12 points for the Blazers.
In overtime, the Oilers regained control through key plays from Jonathan Komagum, Joel Lukoji and Landry Ndikumana.
Komagum put the Oilers ahead from the free-throw line before Lukoji and Ndikumana helped extend the advantage.
Fataki continued to keep Namuwongo in contention, scoring to reduce the deficit to 68–66 before later making it 72–71 with just over a minute remaining.
The Oilers, however, held their nerve in the closing moments.
Patrick Rembert sank two crucial free throws with six seconds remaining to put City Oilers 75–72 ahead before adding another from the line to seal the four-point victory.
Rembert finished with 22 points, including five three-pointers, while Lukoji contributed nine points and seven assists.
Fayed Baale and Titus Lual scored 10 points apiece for the Oilers, while Ndikumana added eight.
City Oilers’ three-point shooting proved decisive, with the Oilers converting 12 of 34 attempts from beyond the arc compared to Namuwongo’s five from 33 attempts.
The Blazers dominated the boards, collecting 68 rebounds against the Oilers’ 50, but their shooting struggles ultimately proved costly.
The result gives City Oilers a 2–1 advantage in the best-of-seven series, meaning they need two more victories to secure the championship, while Namuwongo must win three of the remaining games to successfully defend their title.
Game Four is scheduled for Friday at 9:00pm, with City Oilers hosting Namuwongo Blazers.
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