Pirates and Lynx Face Tough Challenge against Defending Champs KPA As Playoffs Begin

The playoffs for the Kenya Basketball Federation Premier League have begun, with Kenyatta University’s Pirates and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology’s Lynx facing a challenging test as they host reigning champions Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) in their respective quarter-final Game One matches at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi on Saturday.

Lynx, who just managed to qualify for the women’s playoffs after finishing eighth with 28 points, will host KPA, the 13-time Kenyan champions, from 1 pm.

Pirates, who also struggled to qualify and finished in eighth place with 31 points, will host KPA in the men’s opener from 8 pm.

However, it is expected that the KPA sides will triumph in these matchups, as Lynx and Pirates lost by significant margins to them in their final regular season fixtures last week.

The best-of-five series will move to KPA Makande Gymnasium in Mombasa for Game Two and Three next weekend. In the event of a 3-3 tie, Games Four and Five will be played in Nairobi.

In other men’s quarter-final Game One matches, former champions Ulinzi Warriors will play Eldonets Plantinum at Uasin Gishu Primary School in Eldoret on Friday.

Ulinzi Warriors finished third with 38 points, while Eldonets Plantinum were rated sixth with 33 points.

On Sunday at Nyayo Stadium, fifth-place finishers City Thunder will face off against fourth-ranked Blades.

The playoffs’ opening weekend will feature multiple matches, including Stanbic Shield v Little Prince, Jkuat Warriors v Cabals Elisists, USIU Tigers v Blazers, Jkuat Straycats v Strathmore, Snipers v MAB, and Thunder v Blades, all of which will take place on Saturday at Nyayo Stadium.

On Sunday, games will be held between Snipers v MAB, Strathmore v Jkuat Straycats, Absa v Coastal Kings, Strathmore Swords v Scarlet, Strathmore Swords v Storms, Thunder v Blades, Terrorists v Equity Dumas.