By Franklin Kaweru

Copyright kawowo

The second round of the National Basketball League Playoffs tipped off on Tuesday night at Lugogo Indoor Stadium.

The primetime fixture saw league newcomers Sommet battling ten-time Champions City Oilers, shortly after Nam Blazers had weathered UCU Canons’ storm.

Sommet ran away victorious, 86-74, in the high-paced game that was a bit reminiscent of modern offenses that are designed for a relentless pursuit of transition opportunities through pitch-aheads.

So, what exactly happened in the game?

Throughout their Game 1 loss, the City Oilers couldn’t do the one thing that helped them go past JT Jaguars: get back on defense. Sommet scored 27 fast-break points officially but the eye test will probably suggest half of the 86 points scored came from running.

Sommet, known for its transition basketball, enjoyed one of its best offensive performances of the season. Fataki Nyembo, Peter Cheng, Mark Ngobi and Kasereka Tembo galloped up and down the court, perpetually unbothered by scattered City Oilers defenders who weren’t able to bring the same cohesive, a little disciplined, and mildly communicative effort that was ever present during the first round series against the Jaguars.

Almost every live-ball turnover or defensive stop at the top led into a layup (some blown by John Teko, of course) or uncontested 3 (that even Richard Mutawulu launched 3 in the six minutes he logged), an unforgiving reminder of how Oilers’ transition defense was bleeding.

Obviously, Sommet also shipped in a bunch of transition points, especially in the first half, because there was no will to make a stop and the Oilers played so fast, which is unusual for the side, particularly in the playoffs.

“I didn’t like how we defended on transition. We did not do a good job, especially in the first half but I kept communicating to the players,” Sommet head coach Albert Aciko told Kawowo Sports.

While the Oilers shot the ball poorly, especially in the third quarter, the side never tried to set up in the half-court. Offensive alignments were not visible, and that is because there was barely any. Fayed Bbale, the primary ball handler, was in the corners launching 3s, Chad Bowie was jacking jumpers as was the case with Kurt Wegscheider who was looking for coast-to-coast baskets.

Sommet running is bread and butter for them. When you have a big man like Nyembo whose handles and agility are better than some guards in the league, the foundation for transition is super solid. Cheng and Teko can also thrive in transition.

Oilers will have to be more intentional about curtailing an initial rush from Sommet and then force them to execute in the half-court. To do that, the floor balance, shot location, and spatial awareness are all key factors.

The Oilers will almost definitely not survive Game 2 on Friday without executing at the elite level defensively.