- City Oilers 64-82 Nam Blazers (Series tied 3-3)
The 2026 National Basketball League Men’s Finals will go the absolute distance after a sensational performance from the Namuwongo Blazers tied the ultimate series.
In a display of sheer offensive firepower and relentless defensive hustle, the Blazers comfortably brushed aside defending champions City Oilers with an 82-64 victory in Game 6 at a packed Lugogo Indoor Arena on Wednesday night.
The high-stakes encounter tipped off with early intensity as Titus Lual put the City Oilers on the board with a smooth layup, only for James Okello to answer back instantly with a driving layup of his own.
The opening frame remained a gritty, back-and-forth battle, but Joel Kayira capped off the period with a slick turnaround layup as the Oilers trailed by two points (14-12) heading into the first break.
The floodgates opened wide in the second quarter as the Blazers shot lights out from all areas of the floor.
Namuwongo’s fluid ball movement, spearheaded by Tonny Drileba’s remarkable orchestrating role, dissected the Oilers’ defense and sparked a decisive scoring run that blew the game wide open.
Drileba eventually finished the night with an impressive double-double of 11 assists and 11 rebounds, helping his side build a commanding 45-29 advantage at halftime.
City Oilers attempted to steady the ship coming out of the long break, trading blows with the Blazers in a competitive 19-19 third quarter.
However, the Oilers failed to make any real dent in the margin, allowing Namuwongo to carry a comfortable 16-point cushion into the final frame.
Fataki Nyembo lit up the home crowd late in the fourth quarter by scoring four consecutive points, punctuated by an emphatic dunk to extend the lead to 18 with two minutes remaining.
Jonathan Komagum led the effort for the Oilers with a solid double-double of 18 points and 13 rebounds, supported by double-digit scoring from Patrick Rembert (14 points) and Fayed Baale (11 points).
Namuwongo maintained their relentless composure to close out the game in style. Heavy scoring contributions from Peter Obleng with a game-high 22 points, Nyembo with 18 points, and Henry Ssebagala adding 15 points kept the Oilers at bay.
With the series now locked at three games apiece, both heavyweights head into a winner-take-all Game 7 to determine the champions on Saturday in Hoima.
