Power Basketball Club players must have hit their heads hard on the wall after losing the opening game of the 2016 National Basketball League playoff finals.
Despite having a 74-71 lead with under forty seconds to play, Power lost the game on Oilers final three possessions.
“It was a tough loss to take but it’s just one game. We still have six games to do what we do better,” Power’s Paul ‘MacGyver’ Odong said after the game.
MacGyver, as commonly known, probably did not refer to defending as what Power can do better because it’s not their strength. But after their performance on the defensive end of the floor in Game 2, probably defending is something Power can do better.
In the past, playing great team defense was simple – having a big and great center.
Today, good defense is no longer mainly about guarding the rim. Stopping the three-point shot has become the paramount defensive objective especially against teams that launch them in unprecedented volumes.
Jimmy Enabu added the midrange pull-up jumper and three-point shot to his armory this season. Along with Ben Komakech, City Oilers back court turned into a real threat beyond the arc. Matter of fact, they shot UCU Canons out of the zone!
The duo’s ability to shoot coupled with their court vision that will get their bigs some easy looks meant Power were in for a handful given their inability to defend in the past.
And going into the series, the major question was: Can Power can limit City Oilers’ rolling offense?
The question may not have been answered in the opening game but Sunday night presented a more definite answer.
Power’s focus in Game 2 was on preventing the three and denying the driving lanes by harassing Oilers shooters and thinkers – and they did it to near perfection.
Each time Enabu or Komakech advanced the ball for a half-court offense, Power made the switch to have a bigger defender especially Michael Kojjo and Paul Mwaka and at times Micheal Makiadi step out to guard Enabu and Komakech. Little wonder that Enabu managed a mere 6 points in 27 minutes – a drop by ten from the first game.
Like they did against KIU Titans in Game 5, Power suffocated City Oilers’ bigs. Makiadi and Kojjo doubled up when needed to force Kami Kabange and Landry Ndikumana away from the basket into tough shots. They cleaned up the glass.
Of course Power cannot become feared and revered for their dogged defense in a single game but they have demonstrated that they can be bullies on the defensive end of the court when they have to.
It’s up to Mandy Juruni and his charges to counter Power’s defensive strategy as they try to claim their fourth title in as many attempts.
