Rivers Hoopers, Three Others Seal NPBL Final Four Spots

The race for this year’s Nigeria Premier Basketball League title is down to four teams after an intense Final Eight series wrapped up on Sunday.

Defending champions Rivers Hoopers, Lagos Legends, Gboko City Chiefs, and Nigeria Customs all booked their tickets to the Final Four.

Rivers Hoopers and Lagos Legends ended the group stage with matching records of six wins and one loss, while Gboko City Chiefs finished third after claiming five victories. Nigeria Customs completed the top four, narrowly edging out Kano Pillars and Nile University Spartans in the standings.

The 2025 NPBL Final Four will take place from November 20 to 24, where the four sides will compete for the championship and a spot in next season’s Basketball Africa League. The tournament will follow a round-robin format, with each team facing the other three once. Rivers Hoopers will aim to defend their title and keep their continental dreams alive.

Sunday’s fixtures began with a fierce battle between Gboko City Chiefs and Hoops & Read, both chasing a place in the top four. The Chiefs held on for a narrow 63-62 victory after nearly letting a 20-point lead slip away. Michael Oriahki stood out for Gboko, leading the scoring with 16 points.

In the second game, Nigeria Customs secured their qualification after a hard-fought 70-64 win over Kano Pillars. Customs captain David Godwin was the difference-maker, pouring in 22 points and guiding his team through a tense fourth quarter.

Lagos Legends continued their fine form in the third matchup, outclassing Nile University Spartans 93-63. Nile started strongly with impressive defensive plays in the second quarter, but their failure to convert chances cost them. Patrick Abah was in devastating form for the Legends, scoring 20 points and driving relentlessly into the paint.

The final game saw Kwara Falcons, already out of contention, take on defending champions Rivers Hoopers. The Falcons began with energy but eventually faded as the Hoopers powered to an 83-69 win to close out the round.

Source: Naijanews