Nairobi City Thunder are one win away from completing a third consecutive unbeaten Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) Men’s Premier League championship season after taking a 2-0 lead over Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) in the playoff final staged at Makande Gymnasium in Mombasa the past weekend.
Thunder, who are under a KES 10 million sponsorship by I&M Bank this season, opened the best-of-five series playoff with a 78-67 overtime win in Game 1 on Saturday after playing to 59-59 draw in regular time, before following it up with a 72-63 win on Sunday evening to move within one victory of a third straight KBF title and another unbeaten campaign.
Speaking after the game, coach Brad Ibs hailed his team’s relentless approach in both matches, adding that they look to get the job done in Nairobi.
“I am proud of their will to win. Every time we came back from a hurdle, it felt that we had a group of players that was playing for each other and refused to lose. Ahead of Game 3, we need to rest and get healthy considering we have a couple of players who are sick and had to play with fevers and flus. We want to play our brand of basketball, and I think we will do that in Nairobi,” Ibs said.
The defending champions had to dig deep for the win on Saturday after Eugene Adera hit a three-pointer with two seconds remaining in regulation to level the scores. Thunder then dominated overtime, outscoring KPA 19-8 to take a 1-0 series lead.
Game Two presented another test, with Thunder taking a 39-35 lead into halftime before KPA responded strongly in the third quarter. The hosts outscored Thunder 17-12 to take a narrow 52-51 advantage into the final period.
Thunder, however, produced their strongest spell of the game when it mattered most, outscoring KPA 21-11 in the fourth quarter to close out the nine-point victory and take a commanding 2-0 series lead.
Captain Tylor Ongwae led Thunder’s scoring with 20 points, while Derrick Ogechi added 18 points. Adera contributed 11 points, while Tom “Bush” Wamukota added six points and four rebounds.
I&M Bank Group Head of Marketing & Communications Mary Githinji congratulated the team on the two wins, noting that the partnership with Thunder is anchored on supporting both the players’ performance on the court and their development beyond basketball.
“Congratulations to the entire Nairobi City Thunder team on taking a 2-0 lead in the final. I know they will get the win on Friday to wrap up another unbeaten season. They have worked hard throughout the season, and we will be there to cheer them on. As I&M Bank, we are proud to be part of this journey and to support a team that continues to create opportunities for local basketball talent.
“We want to help the players build strong financial foundations through financial literacy and we have already held two sessions on the same with them, saving, investment and financial planning, recognising that a professional sporting career is only one part of their journey. We believe in supporting them to succeed both on and off the court, and we look forward to seeing the team continue to compete at the highest level with BAL on the horizon.”
For KPA, Trevor Opiyo led the hosts with 13 points, while Cedric Tsangue added 12 and Lennox Wanje scored 10.
The two victories leave Thunder one win away from an unbeaten third consecutive championship season as they return to Nairobi for Game Three on Friday, October 2 at Nyayo Stadium Gymnasium, where they will have the opportunity to close out the series on home
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