Dullah shines, Falcons tie series

By Charles Mutebi

National Basketball League Playoff Finals 

Men 

Falcons 84 City Oil 76 (Series tied 1-1) 

Women 

UCU 62 KCCA 53 

FUBA Div 1 Finals 

Men 

Sharing 57 Diamond 45 (Sharing lead series 2-0) 

Women 

Nkumba 75 Crane High 67 

(Nkumba lead series 2-0) 

FUBA Development League 

Phenoms 86 UPDF 67 (Series tied 1-1) 

CITY Oil played some awesome basketball. 

Problem is, they did for just the first two quarters and against this insanely talented Falcons side, that is not enough. 

Ramadan Abdullah sunk a post-season high 30 points and Serge Kabangu added 20 as the Falcons rallied from a 14-point deficit to defeat City Oil 84-76 Sunday at Lugogo and level the best-of-seven men’s National Basketball League (NBL) Finals at 1-1. 

“We didn’t play for four quarters,” lamented City Oil coach Mandy Juruni after the contest, which for the most part looked headed the way of his Finals debutants. 

Ramadan Arou snatched a team-high 25 points and 12 rebounds and was a huge factor in City Oil’s amazing start. The main reasons, though, were City Oil’s ball movement, intelligent floor spacing and incisive transition play. 

It was just amazing stuff. Unfortunately, it didn’t last and after falling behind by 14 points with over four minutes to play in the third quarter, Abdullah engineered the Falcons’ comeback. 

“We understand this business of basketball,” bragged Dullah after the match, a comeback for his critics after his turgid Game 1 performance. 

Meanwhile, Purity Odhimbo claimed an amazing 29 points and 21 rebounds as the UCU Canons defeated the KCCA Leop¬ards 63-52 to level the best-of-seven women’s NBL Finals at 1-1.