Home Support Remains Key as They Helped Odero and Thunder Power Past Giants In Vital Win

Home Support Remains Key as They Helped Odero and Thunder Power Past Giants In Vital Win

The day's Road To BAL 2026 East Division Elite 16 headline clash produced a thrilling display, with the Nairobi City Thunder (NCT) of Kenya clinching an 86-83 victory over the Johannesburg Giants of South Africa in a packed Kasarani Indoor Gymnasium. The highly anticipated game, which determined the Group winners, lived up to its billing as a potentially explosive final.

Albert Odero emerged as the decisive player for the hosts. With 11 seconds on the clock and his team holding a narrow lead, Odero received an inbound pass, spun past two defenders, and drove to the basket for a game-sealing dunk after anticipating a foul. The Giants had eight seconds to force a tie, but two three-point attempts from Dhieu Abwok Deing and Pieter Prinsloo missed their mark, securing the win for NCT.

Odero led all scorers for the home team with 21 points, shaking off a slow first quarter where he managed only one basket and was efficient from the field, shooting 8-for-15 on two-pointers and adding a three-pointer, with Tylor Ongwae supporting with 18 points, including two three-pointers, while Lance Thomas added 14. For the Giants, Dhieu Deing was their standout but couldn't prevent a loss, posting 27 points while grabbing five rebounds, while Joshua Ozabor, with a huge support cast, finished with 25 points and four rebounds.

NCT had established control early on in the game when they went on an 8-0 run and extended their lead to 20-11. They maintained this pressure and eventually closed out the first quarter with a 10-point advantage, 24-14, which proved vital to NCT's outcome. The back-and-forth continued in the second quarter, with the crowd kept on the edge of their seats as the Giants edged it by a point, but it was NCT who headed into halftime with a 44-35 advantage.

The Giants continued to mount a serious challenge in the third quarter, capitalising on NCT turnovers to tie the game at 50. However, NCT responded to close the quarter and entered the final stanza with a seven-point lead, but it was the Giants who came out on top in the penultimate quarter.

The Giants staged another comeback in the fourth quarter, narrowing the deficit to a single point at 84-83 after a surge led by their most outstanding player, Deing. Still, it was Odero's final dunk that secured the victory, propelling NCT to the semi-finals as they pursue their second Basketball Africa League (BAL) appearance, while the Giants are looking to follow in the footsteps of Cape Town Tigers and MBB as they hope to become the third South African side to have played in the Basketball Africa League (BAL).

In the end, NCT won this game by dominating inside the paint, pouring in 50 points and running the floor for another 30 points on the fast break. Despite the Giants' ability to capitalise on turnovers and a strong 29-point bench performance, NCT still secured the win with the statistical edge needed for victory.

[Photography Courtesy of FIBA/Road the BAL]