Thunder rebound with win over Giants as BAL Kalahari Conference rolls on

Nairobi City Thunder saved their best performance for last to secure their first win of the season, with Garang Diing proving to be the key to their victory over Johannesburg Giants.

The two-time Kenyan champions had lost their Kalahari Conference opener in the 2026 Basketball Africa League (BAL) 90-85 to debutants Dar City and needed to redeem themselves to maintain their hopes of a Playoff place.

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With the score tied at 52-52 at the end of the third quarter, Thunder tasked Diing with taking control, and the South Sudanese player did not disappoint.

He scored 12 of his 24 game-high points in the fourth quarter, securing a 71-65 victory for the Nairobi City Thunder.

Backed by an enthusiastic home crowd, the Giants found themselves trailing by double digits.

Still, they managed a 7-0 scoring run to relaunch their chances in the third, but Thunder's tenacity and desperation proved challenging to overcome.

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Skipper Tylor Ongwae and Lance Thomas, the other two Thunder players to score in double digits, finished with 12 and 10 points, respectively.

City Thunder guard Eugene Adera, who was part of the squad that fell short of reaching the postseason in 2024, insisted that beating Giants was the boost they needed: "It's an amazing feeling because we really needed this win. After losing the first game, we knew this was a must-win as they were playing in front of their home fans."

With the win, the Thunder improved to 1-1 with three games left in the Kalahari Conference.

"Our goal is still to make the playoffs. The upcoming games will be tough, but we want to win them all," Adera explained.

Asked to elaborate on the Giants' challenge, Adera said that they just needed to keep their composure.

"By the end of the third quarter, we just had to keep our focus, run our sets and plays, and that’s what we did. We have a great team. We have been playing together for a couple of years now. It's like a brotherhood."

Jakobi Heady led the Giants with 20 points.

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Joshua Ozabor, who contributed 18 points to the Giants, remained confident for the remaining part of the Conference.

"We got to the third set, but our defence was a bit off there. We adjusted our defence, but we didn't rotate properly. Our players gave their all," Ozabor offered. "We still have a chance. Let's put the first two games behind us, the next three will be tough battles, but we'll be ready."