Kenyan-based Ntambwe keen to lead Kriol Star to BAL success

DR Congo’s ace Joel Ntambwe, who featured for Umoja Basketball team in the Kenya Basketball League (KBF) men’s league this season before taking a break to feature in the Basketball Africa League (BAL), top scored for Cape Verde's Kriol Star as they overcame multiple deficits to claim a 91-88 win over FUS Rabat on Friday.

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The Kenyan-based forward rose to score 22 points, grabbing six rebounds, an assist, and a steal in just under 36 minutes to lead the Islanders to victory as they opened up their campaign the same way they closed their regular season: With a hard-fought win in the classification matches to claim seventh seed.

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Ntambwe, a big brother to NBA star, Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga, says he is using the premier African club competition as a relaunching pad after a back injury derailed his G League experience with the Delaware Blue Coats.

“I decided to come this year (to BAL) because I felt like it was a great opportunity, and it is a very big stage to showcase my career and my talents,” he offered.

“When I got to the G League, with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, I got a back injury, and had to do rehab. After that, I got picked up by Delaware. I am grateful that Kriol made it to the BAL finals. Right now, my body is feeling the best that it has ever felt before,” the small forward told ESPN before FUS Rabat’s clash.

On Friday, the Cape Verdean champions were trailing by as many as 10 points in the third quarter. However, when Jalan McCloud hit a fast-break three-pointer midway through the fourth quarter, giving them a 75-72 lead, FUS Rabat had no way to catch up.

Although there was some uncertainty later in the quarter, the BAL debutant Kriol Star emerged victorious, 91-88. McCloud, who had only recently joined the team for the playoffs, contributed immensely, finishing with 21 points.

When FUS Rabat saw a glimmer of hope after narrowing the gap to 89-88 with 16 seconds remaining, Ivan Almeida, who finished with 18 points,  made a long pass that found McCloud wide open. McCloud finished with an easy layup, sealing the final score.

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“It was all about adjustments. We did a pretty good job of staying together. We figured out the different switches, matchups, and assignments that worked in our favor,” said McCloud when asked about Kriol Star’s ability to fight back when it mattered most.

Yacine Baeri sat out the entire opening quarter but turned out to be FUS Rabat’s most productive player. He finished with 22 points, shooting 7 for 8 from deep. He later admitted that they could have done things differently, but remains upbeat about their next game.

In the quarterfinals, Kriol Star will face Al Ahli Tripoli, both having qualified for this BAL season through the Road to BAL qualifier, face off in a repeat of the West Division, Group Phase, Group A match that saw the North Africans take a 100-77 victory at home. The squads are, however, very different, setting the stage for an interesting match-up.