NAIROBI (Kenya) - The 5,000-seat Kasarani Indoor Gymnasium was packed with fans who were thoroughly entertained as the East Division Elite 16 hosts, Nairobi City Thunder (NCT), beat their rivals, the Johannesburg Giants, 86–83.
This result saw NCT top Group A and secure their place in the all-important semi-finals.
This was the second match between the teams and was a decider for the group.
Widely touted as a final before the final, it lived up to expectations, with Albert Odero being named the hero of the day.
With 11 seconds left, Odero was fouled on the final play. When the inbound came back to him, he beat his two markers with a spin, expecting to be fouled and get the chance to go to the charity stripe and extend their lead to three.
However, the basket was left open, so he drove in to hammer down a dunk.
The Giants had eight seconds to tie the game, but Dhieu Abwok Deing's and Pieter Prinsloo's shots from deep bounced off the rim, handing the hosts the victory.
Odero and Tylor Ongwae combined for 39 points; Odero scored 21 points despite a slow opening quarter in which he managed only one basket.
He shot 8-of-15 from inside and added a single trey to his final tally. Ongwae, renowned for his three-point shooting, achieved a modest 2-of-8 conversion rate from range but still contributed the second-highest score with 18 points, four more than Lance Thomas.
The hosts made an 8-0 run, getting the NCT fans at Kasarani wild, as four of the five starters opened their scoring accounts.
Nkosinathi Sandile Sibanyoni rose above his marker to score with a floater; Ongwae responded to make it 10–2.
The South Africans rallied to make it 15-11, but the home side shut down their resurgence with another run to lead 20-11.
Chase Adams scored three, and Ariel Okal added two putbacks to make it 24-14.
Adams scored four more in the opening half of the second, as NCT took a 29-17 lead.
However, Deing kept his side in contention with a long-range shot, making it 34-28. Ozabor kept the fight going to make it 36-31, but the hosts remained solid to take a 44-35 lead at halftime.
Two costly turnovers for NCT at the start of the third quarter saw Joshua Eromosele, Ozabor and Deing punish the hosts, making it 46-42.
The duo struck again moments later to make it a one-point game at 48-47. Lance Thomas stole the ball, missed his dunk attempt, but got to the offensive rebound for a putback.
However, Prinsloo tied the game at 50 from deep.
Ongwae responded to restore NCT's lead to three. Albert Odero scored four more to make it 61-44, and the quarter ended 21-17 in favour of the Giants, who had trailed by seven heading into the final stanza.
The momentum shifted in the opening minute of the final quarter, with Odero and Ongwae going back-to-back for 67–56.
The Giants needed to regroup. Dieng and Ozabor came out of the timeout firing on all cylinders, scoring from deep; the latter added a fast-break dunk to make it 69-64. It was coach Bradley Ibs who needed a minute with his players to rethink their strategy.
NCT switched up their defence and coach Ibs reintroduced Eugene Adera, whose speed on the transition offence was evident as he influenced their run to restore their lead to 75–66.
The South Africans refused to give up, however, with Dieng bringing them to within a point at 84–83. Odero then secured victory for the hosts with a dunk, silencing the Kasarani Indoor Gymnasium.
FIBA