Oilers stand on slippery slope
Nov 24, 2014
The City Oilers thought they had the best strategies for their big dreams. But even the most thorough plans are vulnerable to factors beyond human control and the Oilers are finding out the greasy power of untameable forces.
By Charles Mutebi
Pepsi National Basketball
League Playoffs
Best of five semis
Men
UCU 69 Oilers 66
(UCU lead 1-0)
The City Oilers thought they had the best strategies for their big dreams. But even the most thorough plans are vulnerable to factors beyond human control and the Oilers are finding out the greasy power of untameable forces.
We are talking the two injured knees of Ben Komakech and Kami Kabange that are threatening to have the last word on the Oilers’ season.
Komakech’s strain is more serious than Kabange’s but the point is the reigning National Basketball League champions are in danger of being eliminated in the playoffs semifinals by the UCU Canons because two of their star players are operating below optimum capacity.
It is well below
In Komakech’s case, it is well below.
The Oilers are 1-0 down following Saturday’s 69-66 loss in the replay of the series opener at the YMCA but the big deal is not that they lost Game 1. In this five-game series, the Oilers have chances to bounce back.
Secondly, while UCU are the Oilers bogey team (having won all the their previous five league meetings), no one is suggesting the reigning champions can’t beat the Canons. It’s just a matter of time before they do.
Can they do it thrice?
The real question for Mandy Juruni’s outfit is whether they can do it three times in this series without Komakech being a factor and Kabange playing through knee pain?
Probably not.
And if that happens, the Oilers won’t qualify for the 2015 Zone V club championship, something they almost took for granted all season. Not that Sudi Ulanga and the Canons will care.
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