Maktown Flyers, Warriors, Chiefs, Hoopers Record Wins on Thrilling NPBL Playoffs Day Two
Day Two of the 2026 Nigeria Premier Basketball League Playoffs lived up to expectations as Maktown Flyers, 313 Warriors, Gboko City Chiefs and Rivers Hoopers recorded hard-fought victories in a day packed with drama, comebacks and a buzzer-beater.
The action began with a fiercely contested clash between Kano Pillars and 313 Warriors, with the two sides separated by the narrowest of margins for most of the encounter. Kano Pillars took a 15-12 lead after the opening quarter and maintained a slim advantage in the second period before 313 Warriors fought back.
Armstrong Carl produced one of the memorable moments of the game after weaving through defenders and finishing with a jump shot, while Yusuf Tanko recovered from an earlier missed open three-pointer to score a crucial basket.
However, it was Ibrahim Abdulkadir who delivered the decisive moment, sinking a game-winning buzzer-beater to hand 313 Warriors a dramatic 62-61 victory.
Defending champions Maktown Flyers also had to dig deep to overcome Hoop and Read 72-70. Hoop and Read built the biggest lead of the game, opening a 12-point advantage during an impressive run in the second quarter, but the experience and composure of the Flyers eventually proved decisive as they battled back to claim a narrow victory.
Gboko City Chiefs survived an extraordinary comeback from Aso Skyhawks to win 83-80 in another thrilling contest.
The Chiefs appeared to be cruising after establishing a commanding 51-32 halftime lead, with Oliver Hampton producing a slam dunk and a three-pointer during a dominant first-half display.
Aso Skyhawks, however, returned strongly after the break, cutting the deficit to 62-53 at the end of the third quarter before reducing the gap to a single point in the fourth.
The Skyhawks eventually drew level at 70-70 with just over four minutes remaining, but the Chiefs held their nerve in the closing stages to secure the victory.
In the final game of the day, six-time Nigerian champions Rivers Hoopers made it two wins from two in the playoffs after overcoming Lagos Raptors 69-50.
The Raptors matched the hosts basket for basket in the opening quarter, which ended 15-15, but the KingsMen took control in the second period, outscoring their opponents 20-9 to open a decisive halftime advantage.
The result maintained Rivers Hoopers’ perfect start to the playoffs as the hosts continued their push for another successful title campaign.
