Facing elimination and trailing 3–2 in the NBL Finals series, the Namuwongo Blazers delivered a masterclass under pressure, dismantling the City Oilers 82–64 in Game 6 at a packed Lugogo Indoor Arena.  The emphatic victory levels the finals series at 3–3, setting up a winner-take-all Game 7 at the newly constructed Hoima Stadium Arena.

The stand out performers in this game were Peter Obleng and Henry Ssebaggala who were unlikely heroes. The 2 delivered performances that will forever be etched in history if the Nam Blazers go on to win the championship.

Drama ahead of the game

Coming into the game, there was a lot of uncertainty if the game was going to be played. The Namuwongo Blazers had filed a protest about player eligibility and also requested for postponement of the game hours to the game. This left very many fans wondering what would happen and if the game was going to happen. Another thing, there was increment in the ticket prices and this left many fans grumbling. That and the protest created a dark cloud around the game. Nonetheless, the game happened.

Competitive opening quarter

Both teams were cautious in the opening quarter. It was also very competitive as the game was close at all times. The game was tied on 3 occasions and also the lead changed 3 times. In the opening quarter, the lack of efficiency from the 3-point line was very visible. There was a total of 11 3-point shots attempted but none was made. That changed in the second quarter.

By the end of the quarter, the City Oilers led 14-12 as Petr Obleng scored all their last 6 points in the quarter.

Obleng and Ssebaggala rise to the occasion

The game was decided in the second quarter and this was due to the explosion of Peter Obleng and Henry Ssebaggala. The duo was perfect from the 3-point line in the quarter as they each made 3 triples. Ssebaggala scored 3 3-pointers in a row and made 11 consecutive points for the Namuwongo Blazers.

Obleng, who had opened the quarter with a triple, added more 2 and Kevin Leonel Nyemeck also made a huge impact offensively.

Namuwongo scored a staggering 31 points in the quarter and they made 11 of their 19 attempts from the field. The most important statistic was the 6 3-point shots scored which was more than the 5 they score in the entirety of game 5.

The City Oilers were also not bad offensively in the quarter but the Blazers’ 3-ppoint shooting was the difference. City Oilers scored 3 3-point shots and a total to 17 points in the quarter. At the halftime break, the Namuwongo Blazers led the game 45-29.

Seeing out the game

In the second half, the Oilers tried to make a comeback. At the start of the third quarter, Namuwongo extended their lead to 22 points, the highest in the series so far, but the City Oilers kept their spirits high. They kept fighting and with 6 minutes to go in the fourth quarter, the deficit had been cut to 10 points after a Fayed Baale triple.

Peter Obleng responded with a very big 3-point shot, his fourth of the game, and that was the beginning of the end. All the Namuwongo Blazers had to do was manage the game and they did exactly that.

Top performers

Peter Obleng rose up to the occasion and delivered a game high 22 points and 7 rebounds. Henry Ssebaggala who hadn’t featured in the finals registered 15 points in 18 minutes. After scoring less than 10 points in game 5, Franck Nyembo managed to bag 18 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. He had 2 highlights, the big dunk and the no look assist to Anthony Chukwurah. Leonel Nyemeck contributed off the bench with 13 points and 4 rebounds in 16 minutes.

The most important player in this game was perhaps Tonny Drileba. He had just 3 attempts from the field but he controlled the tempo and the flow of the game more so in the first half when they had that 31-point explosion.

Jonathan Komagum produced perhaps his best performance for the City oilers. He registered a double-double with 18 points, 13 rebounds and 2 assists. Patrick Rembert registered 14 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. Fayed Baale knocked down 3 3-point shots and finished with 11 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists.

Talking Points

Throughout the series, we have seen that the team that take the early advantage has won the game. The Namuwongo Blazers did exactly that and they managed to see out the game. Secondly, the 3-point shooting changed the situation for Namuwongo. They have largely been poor from beyond the arc and even in this game, they weren’t as good statistically. However, that efficiency in the second quarter helped them accumulate a big lead and they managed to maintain it.

Peter Obleng and Henry Ssebaggala were the unlikely heroes. There haven’t been many players, outside of the stars, who have risen up to the occasion. Ssebaggala and Obleng explosion was a unique problem that the Oilers had not prepared for. Namuwongo outscored the Oilers 52-25 in bench points and that was a huge difference.

Game 7

With the series tied at 3 all. The championship shall be decided in game 7. The game shall take place at the 2,000 capacity Hoima Arena on Saturday 22nd.