The 2026 Nigeria Premier Basketball League (NPBL) Final 4 tipped off on Sunday, September 20, 2026, with the Gboko City Chiefs and Rivers Hoopers throwing down early markers in their title chase.
Fans packed the Basketball Stadium at 59b Niger Street in Port Harcourt to witness an exviting opening day that delivered elite hoops and down-to-the-wire drama, na weytin Hitvibz dey yan be dat.
Nigeria Premier Basketball League Final 4 Thrills Fans on Opening Day
The Chiefs edged out a resilient Maktown Flyers squad 74–73 in a nail-biting opener, while the host team, Rivers Hoopers, got sweet revenge against Aso Sky Hawks with a decisive 74–60 victory.
If you love pure basketball intensity, the opening game between Gboko and Maktown gave you everything you could ask for.
Gboko City Chiefs jumped out to an early 23–15 lead by the end of the first quarter, but Maktown fought back in the second, trimming the deficit to 24–20.
Capitalising on fast breaks to score 10 transition points, the Flyers clawed their way closer, though they still trailed 35–29 at halftime.
Maktown Flyers looked like a shadow of themselves for much of the night as Gboko ballooned their lead to 60–45 by the end of the third quarter.
But just when you thought Gboko had the game safely wrapped up, missed shots and crucial turnovers triggered a late collapse.
Adekoya Jawad sank a clutch three-pointer to put the Flyers ahead 67–64, completely shifting the momentum.
That is when the stars showed up. Despite struggling all game, Marcus Thomas Jr. drained a massive three to pull Gboko back within one at 71–70 with 1 minute remaining.
Augustine Richard then hit a heroic two-pointer off the floor to push the Chiefs ahead 73–70 with 21 seconds left. After Maktown’s Abah missed a potential game-tying triple with 14.8 seconds remaining, Gboko secured possession.
Maktown fouled Marcus to stop the clock, and he sank a free throw to make it 74–70. Keita answered with a three-pointer for Maktown with just six seconds left to cut the lead back to a single point.
Dike went to the line for Gboko with a chance to seal it; even though he missed both free throws, Gboko managed to run out the clock and escape with a wild 74–73 win.
The victory was especially sweet for Chiefs’ coach Habib Afodun, who came out on top against Coach Mike Ikima—the man he served under as an assistant just last season.
Bright Akhutie proved instrumental inside, scoring crucial buckets under the rim to help hold off Maktown’s late charge.
Marcus Thomas Jr. and Oliver Hampton led the Chiefs in scoring with 20 and 16 points, respectively, while Okpegba dominated the glass with 12 rebounds and 10 points—the only player on the court to post a double-double.
Rivers Hoopers Dominates Aso Sky Hawks in NPBL Showdown
In the day’s second game, you could feel the home crowd’s energy as the Rivers Hoopers set out to kick off their Final 4 run on a high note. Having fallen 74–67 to Aso Sky Hawks on the final day of the Final 8 stage, the Kingsmen knew the debutants were anything but pushovers.
The Sky Hawks started strong, taking a two-point lead five minutes in, but the Hoopers responded quickly to close the first quarter up 22–15. Halftime arrived with Rivers Hoopers leading 39–28 following a hard-nosed, physical battle.
As the debutants searched for answers in the second half, the Hoopers turned to their depth. The bench delivered 25 massive points to keep Aso Sky Hawks at bay, while a relentless defense racked up 12 key steals. When the final buzzer sounded, Rivers Hoopers walked off with a commanding 74–60 win.
Abel Offia stole the show for the hosts, knocking down back-to-back triples on his way to a game-high 28 points. Samuel Sani also put in a stellar performance, dominating the interior with crucial rebounds and putbacks.
Looking ahead to Day 2, you won’t want to miss the action as Maktown Flyers face Aso Sky Hawks at 3:00 PM with both teams desperate for their first win.
Following that match, host team Rivers Hoopers clash with Gboko City Chiefs in a heavyweight battle as both teams look to stay undefeated.
Last Updated on September 21, 2026 1:04 pm by Hitvibz Media
NPBL Final 4 Thrills: Rivers Hoopers and Gboko City Chiefs Claim Opening Day Victories
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