City Oilers have one hand on ninth title
City Oilers Ben Komakech (R) drives past KIU Titans' Innocent Ochera in Game Two. PHOTO/JOHN BATANUDDE
What you need to know:
The champions were dominant in Game Four, with five of their key pieces scoring in double figures to hold off a Titans side that heavily relied on Saidi Amisi.
City Oilers put one hand on a ninth straight championship following Thursday night’s 83-76 win over KIU Titans in Game Four of the National Basketball League Finals.
Things can even get better when the two sides clash in Game Five at the Lugogo Indoor Stadium on Sunday.
Victory will hand Mandy Juruni’s charges the championship, but KIU have made it hard in all four games and will be looking to stretch the series.
The champions were dominant in Game Four, with five of their key pieces scoring in double figures to hold off a Titans side that heavily relied on Saidi Amisi.
Having gone into Game Four with aspirations of levelling the series, the Kansanga-based side got off to a flying start, leading 25-19 at the end of the first quarter.
But it was the defending champions who dominated the second frame to lead 46-41 going into the halftime break, and despite KIU winning the third 22-15 to lead by two with 10 minutes to play, the Oilers wrapped it to take a two-game lead.
Tonny Drilleba and Titus Lual connected from long range down the stretch to see the Oilers pull away and send the vocal KIU crowd back home with two minutes left to play.
James Okello got Oilers going early in the game and ended up with a double-double of 10 points and an14 rebounds.
Lual (16), Drilleba (13), Luak Ruai (12), and Jimmy Enabu (11) all scored in double figures for Oilers.
Amisi recorded a game-high 25 points, while Joseph Chuma and Edgar Munaaba added 12 points each.
Oilers dominated the glass 53-48 and forced the Titans into committing 23 turnovers on the night.
The Titans now have their backs against the wall and will be looking to win and stretch the series.
JKL close
Like Oilers, JKL Lady Dolphins will win the championship if they beat KIU Rangers.
The two-time champions needed overtime to overcome KIU Rangers in Game Four and take a 3-1 lead in the seven-game series.
The Rangers struggled to execute on offence in overtime and let is slip, but will have it in mind that tonight is a do-or-die affair for them.
