By SAMUEL LUKHANDA –
GREEN Buffaloes booked a place in the Zambia Basketball Association (ZBA) 2015 Sprite National Championship finals after beating northern league champions, Lunga Bullets.
The other semi final saw Matero Magic and UNZA Pacers locked at one apiece and will face off this weekend to decide who joins Buffaloes in the finals while UNZA Honeys reached the finals in the women’s category.
Buffaloes were never bothered by the Bullets who were shooting blanks as they took charge of the series winning the first game 73-64. Lunga, cheered on by the partisan Copperbelt fans in Chingola, took the game to Buffaloes early in game two and lead by halftime.
But the army side deep bench was the main factor as Lunga starters tired their shallow bench could not keep them in the game losing 76-71 to exit the playoffs.
In the other semi final played in Lusaka, Pacers had Magic in the hole in the first game racing to 60-46 victory and had fans wondering if the former had lost its magic.
Realising the gravity of the situation, Magic upped their game in the second match leading from kick off as Pacers were down and out by halftime trailing by more than 16 points.
Pacers showed championship demeanour as they patiently reduced the deficit to a basket in the fourth quarter but Magic held off the surge to take the second game by half a basket 66-65 pushing the series to game three next weekend which promises to be fireworks.
In the B league, Don Bosco and Nishati Denver Nuggets won a game each 68-48 and 78-73 respectively to take the series to Chingola this weekend for game three.
Panthers survived Matero Magic B scare in Chingola after going down 76-67 in game one but rebounded in game two winning 83-77 and a trip to play Magic B in Lusaka in game three.
In the women’s league, three time defending champions UNZA Honeys beat LCC Lootresses in two straight games winning game one 70-32 before taking the second 46-37.
Nishati Shells beat NAPSA Breeze 61-59, 64-37 in two games for a shot at the national championship and another chance to dethrone the defending champions Honeys.