2023 BAL playoffs

Last updated

2023 BAL Playoffs
BK Arena during 2023 BAL Playoffs.webp
Promotional material outside of the BK Arena
Tournament details
City Kigali
Venue(s) BK Arena
Dates21 – 27 May 2023
Teams8
Final positions
Champions Flag of Egypt.svg Al Ahly (1st title)
Runner-up Flag of Senegal.svg AS Douanes
Third place Flag of Mali.svg Stade Malien
Fourth place Flag of Angola.svg Petro de Luanda
Tournament statistics
Matches played8
←  2022
2024  →

The 2023 BAL Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the 2023 BAL season to determine the champions of the third Basketball Africa League (BAL) season. For a third consecutive season, the playoffs will be hosted in the BK Arena in Kigali.

Contents

Al Ahly defeated AS Douanes in the final, for their first-ever BAL title. [1]

Qualified teams

On 16 March 2023, the BAL incorrectly reported that REG became the first team to qualify for the playoffs. [2] US Monastir and ABC Fighters were also reported to have qualified on 20 March. [3] [4] However, only on the last day of the Sahara Conference, the final ranking was determined and the four advancing teams were decided based on their head-to-head point difference. Petro de Luanda was the first team from the Nile Conference to qualify. [5]

Sahara Conference

SeedTeamRecordClinched
Playoff berthBest record

in conference

1 Flag of Mali.svg Stade Malien 3–221 March21 March
2 Flag of Senegal.svg AS Douanes 3–221 March—
3 Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg ABC Fighters 3–221 March—
4 Flag of Rwanda.svg REG 3–221 March—

Nile Conference

SeedTeamRecordClinched
Playoff berthBest record

in conference

1 Flag of Angola.svg Petro de Luanda 5–03 May5 May
2 Flag of Egypt.svg Al Ahly 4–15 May—
3 Flag of Mozambique.svg Ferroviário da Beira 2–36 May—
4 Flag of South Africa.svg Cape Town Tigers 2–36 May—

Bracket

 
 Quarterfinals Semifinals Final
 
          
 
21 May
 
 
 Flag of Egypt.svg Al Ahly 94
 
25 May
 
 Flag of Rwanda.svg REG 77
 
 Flag of Egypt.svg Al Ahly 78
 
21 May
 
 Flag of Mali.svg Stade Malien 73
 
 Flag of Mali.svg Stade Malien 78
 
27 May
 
 Flag of South Africa.svg Cape Town Tigers 69
 
 Flag of Egypt.svg Al Ahly 80
 
22 May
 
 Flag of Senegal.svg AS Douanes 65
 
 Flag of Angola.svg Petro de Luanda 88
 
25 May
 
 Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg ABC Fighters 84
 
 Flag of Angola.svg Petro de Luanda 86
 
22 May
 
 Flag of Senegal.svg AS Douanes 92 Third place game
 
 Flag of Senegal.svg AS Douanes 93
 
26 May
 
 Flag of Mozambique.svg Ferroviário da Beira 73
 
 Flag of Angola.svg Petro de Luanda 65
 
 
 Flag of Mali.svg Stade Malien 73
 

Games

Quarter-finals

Al Ahly vs. REG

This was the second competitive game between the teams, who last met in the third round of Group C of the 2018–19 Africa Basketball League when Al Ahly won. [6]

After taking a 8–5 lead, REG trailed in the rest of the game to the Egyptian champions Al Ahly. During the third quarter, Al Ahly led by as much as 23 points. Adonis Filer scored a game-high 26 points for REG, while Ehab Amin scored 22 points for the Egyptians. [7]

21 May 2023
16:00
Al Ahly Flag of Egypt.svg 94–77 Flag of Rwanda.svg REG
Scoring by quarter: 23–18, 23–14, 21–21, 27–24
Pts: Amin 22
Rebs: Amin, Fakuade 6
Asts: Amin 4		Pts: Filer 26
Rebs: Kambuy Manga 6
Asts: Filer 9
BK Arena, Kigali
Attendance: 6,423
Referees: Marcy Williams, Kalume Tonton Banza, Mbaye Seye

Stade Malien vs. Cape Town Tigers

This was the first competitive game between the two teams.

The Tigers were forced to play without Zaire Wade and Evans Ganapamo, who suffered from injuries. Stade Malien never trailed throughout the game, as they had already built a sixteen point advantage after the first quarter. Import player John Wilkins scored 16 points in the opening quarter. During the third quarter, Stade Malien led by as much as 22 points, but this lead was cut to just two with 41 seconds left on the clock. After this point, the Tigers turned over the ball three times, which were conversed to six points by Malien. Aliou Diarra had a double-double of 18 points and 13 rebounds, his sixth double-double in six BAL games. For the Tigers, it was their second consecutive elimination in the quarterfinals. [8]

21 May 2023
19:00
Stade Malien Flag of Mali.svg 78–69 Flag of South Africa.svg Cape Town Tigers
Scoring by quarter: 31–15, 17–15, 16–22, 14–17
Pts: Diarra, Wilkins 18
Rebs: Diarra 13
Asts: Foster 7		Pts: Prinsloo 19
Rebs: Gbinije 13
Asts: Gbinije 5
BK Arena, Kigali
Attendance: 3,632
Referees: Hortencia Sanchez-Carrizales, Jean Sauveur Ruhamiriza, Leslie Cherubin

AS Douanes vs. Ferroviário da Beira

This was the first competitive game between the two teams. AS Douanes defeated Ferroviário to seal its first semi-final appearance.

22 May 2023
17:00
AS Douanes Flag of Senegal.svg 93–73 Flag of Mozambique.svg Ferroviário da Beira
Scoring by quarter: 28–23, 24–14, 19–15, 22–21
Pts: Fall 23
Rebs: Bryan-Amaning 11
Asts: Ndour 8		Pts: Gueye 19
Rebs: Gueye 9
Asts: Perry 8
BK Arena, Kigali
Attendance: 2,240
Referees: JD Ralls, Banza Kalume, Sara Elsharnouby

Petro de Luanda vs. ABC Fighters

This was the first competitive game in the BAL between the two teams, and the third meeting ever. They met twice in the FIBA Africa Club Champions Cup, in the semi-final of the 2005 and in the group stage of the 2007.

22 May 2023
20:30
Petro de Luanda Flag of Angola.svg 88–84 Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg ABC Fighters
Scoring by quarter: 23–16, 18–25, 23–22, 24–21
Pts: Morais 18
Rebs: Pedro 8
Asts: Diabate 5		Pts: Abada 21
Rebs: Three players 3
Asts: Abada 8
BK Arena, Kigali
Referees: Klyde Mulla, Yann Vezo Davidson, Mbaye Seye

Semi-finals

Petro de Luanda vs. AS Douanes

AS Douanes won the semi-final against Petro de Luanda, to become the first Senegalese team to reach the BAL final. Jean Jacques Boissy had 28 points and Chris Crawford scored 26. The Douanes led the majority of the game and won their fifth straight BAL game, after losing their two opening games in the Sahara Conference.

The win for Douanes was widely seen as a "shock" as unbeaten Petro de Luanda were considered the title favourites. [9]

24 May 2023
17:00
Petro de Luanda Flag of Angola.svg 86–92 Flag of Senegal.svg AS Douanes
Scoring by quarter: 19–20, 26–29, 18–20, 23–23
Pts: Hollis 19
Rebs: Pedro 8
Asts: Pedro 6		Pts: Boissy 28
Rebs: Crawford 7
Asts: Ndour 5
BK Arena, Kigali
Attendance: 4,554
Referees: Marcy Williams, Jean Sauveur Ruhamiriza, Mbaye Seye

Stade Malien vs. Al Ahly

Al Ahly became the second Egyptian team to advance to the BAL Final, despite trailing by five at the half to Stade Malien. Ehab Amin led the Red Devils with a game-high 21 points. Stade Malien's Aliou Diarra recorded his sixth straight double-double, but was fouled out two minutes before the end of the game. [10]

24 May 2023
20:30
Stade Malien Flag of Mali.svg 73–78 Flag of Egypt.svg Al Ahly
Scoring by quarter: 17–17, 21–16, 15–25, 20–20
Pts: Amayo 15
Rebs: Diarra 11
Asts: Foster 6		Pts: Amin 21
Rebs: Amin 6
Asts: Thompson 4
BK Arena, Kigali
Attendance: 6,102
Referees: Klyde Mulla, Jean Sauveur Ruhamiriza, Annie Joyce Muchenu

Third place game

Petro de Luanda played in its second third place game, having won the game in 2021. Stade Malien finished their surprising season by claiming the third place after pushing away from Petro in the final minutes of the game. Aliou Diarra had 25 points and 12 rebounds, his seventh double-double in as many games.

26 May 2023
18:00
Petro de Luanda Flag of Angola.svg 65–73 Flag of Mali.svg Stade Malien
Scoring by quarter: 15–20, 19–16, 20–14, 11–23
Pts: Morais 15
Rebs: Morais 9
Asts: Morais, Diabate 4		Pts: Diarra 25
Rebs: Diarra 12
Asts: Three players 5
BK Arena, Kigali
Referees: Hortensia Sanchez-Carrizales, Marie Leslie Cherubin, Mbaye Seye

Final

27 May 2023
18:00
Al Ahly Flag of Egypt.svg 80–65 Flag of Senegal.svg AS Douanes
Scoring by quarter: 17–10, 21–23, 25–13, 17–19
Scoring by half: 38–33, 42–32
Pts: Omot 22
Rebs: Fakuade 10
Asts: Seif 4		Pts: Boissy 20
Rebs: Ochereobia 9
Asts: Ndour 4
BK Arena, Kigali
Attendance: 7,532
Referees: JD Ralls, Yann Vezo Davidson, Arnold Moseya

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al Ahly (basketball)</span> Egyptian basketball club in Cairo

Al Ahly is an Egyptian basketball club of Al Ahly SC, located in Cairo, Cairo Governorate, that plays in the Egypt Basketball Super League. Currently, two of its athletes play for the Egypt men's national basketball team. The team is a part of the multi-sports club of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ehab Amin</span> Egyptian basketball player (born 1995)

Ehab Mohamed Mohamed Amin Saleh is an Egyptian professional basketball player for Al Ahly. He played college basketball for the Oregon Ducks. He spent his first three college seasons at Texas A&M–Corpus Christi, leading the NCAA Division I in steals and earning first-team All-Southland Conference accolades as a junior.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AS Douanes (basketball)</span> Basketball team in Dakar, Senegal

Association Sportive des Douanes, commonly known as AS Douanes, is a Senegalese basketball club from Dakar. Part of the Senegalese national customs agency, the team plays in the national top division Nationale 1 (NM1) and in the Basketball Africa League (BAL).

The 2021 BAL Playoffs were the inaugural playoffs of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) and were the concluding tournament of the 2021 BAL season. The playoffs began on 26 May 2021 and ended on 30 May 2021 with the Finals. The entire playoffs were played at Kigali Arena in Kigali, Rwanda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape Town Tigers</span> South African basketball club

The Cape Town Tigers are a South African basketball team founded in Cape Town. The Tigers play in the Basketball National League (BNL) and the Basketball Africa League (BAL).

The 2022 BAL Playoffs was the second edition of the playoffs of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) and was the concluding tournament of the 2022 BAL season. The playoffs began on 21 May 2022 and ended on 28 May 2022 with the Finals. For a second consecutive season, all playoffs games were played at the BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 BAL season</span> 3rd season of the Basketball Africa League

The 2023 BAL season, also known as BAL Season 3, was the third season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). The season began on 11 March 2023 and ended on 27 May 2023. The playoffs were played in the BK Arena in Kigali, which hosted the final stage for a third season in a row. The regular season was played in Dakar, Senega and Cairo, Egypt, both venues hosted a conference for a second year in a row.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 BAL finals</span> The final of the 2022 edition of the Basketball Africa League

The 2022 BAL Finals was the championship game of the 2022 BAL season, the second season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). The final was played in the BK Arena in Kigali on 28 May 2022, between Angolan club Petro de Luanda and Tunisian club US Monastir.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stade Malien (basketball)</span> Basketball team in Bamako, Mali

Stade Malien is a Malian basketball team based in Bamako. It is part of the multi-sports club, which also has a football team and rugby team. Founded in 1960, Stade plays in the Ligue 1, the highest level of basketball in Mali. They play in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) in the 2023 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 BAL Sahara Conference</span>

The Sahara Conference of the 2023 BAL season was played from 11 March to 21 March 2023 and was hosted in the Dakar Arena in Dakar, Senegal for a second straight season in a row. In a group of six teams, all team played each other one time. The top four teams in the standings advanced to the 2023 BAL Playoffs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aliou Diarra</span> Malian basketball player (born 2001)

Aliou Fadiala Diarra is a Malian professional basketball player for FUS Rabat. Diarra was recruited on outside courts by Stade Malien and was an unknown in professional basketball circles until he gained attention in 2023 for his performance in the Basketball Africa League (BAL). In his rookie season, he was named the BAL Defensive Player of the Year and was named to the All-BAL First Team.

The Nile Conference of the 2023 BAL season is played from 26 April to 6 May 2023 and will be played in the Hassan Moustafa Sports Hall in 6th of October, Cairo, Egypt. The four highest-ranked teams advance to the 2023 BAL Playoffs where they will each meet a team from the Nile Conference in the quarter-finals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 BAL season</span> 4th season of the Basketball Africa League

The 2024 BAL season, also known as BAL Season 4, will be the 4th season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). The season will begin on 9 March 2024 and will finish with the final on 1 June 2024, which will be played in the BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda, for a fourth consecutive season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 BAL final</span> The final of the 2023 season of the Basketball Africa League

The 2023 BAL Final was the championship game of the 2023 BAL season, the third season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL), and concluded the playoffs. The final was played on 27 May 2023 in the BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda, for a third year in a row. The final was contested by Egyptian club Al Ahly and Senegalese club AS Douanes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean Jacques Boissy</span> Senegalese basketball player (born 2001)

Jean Jacques Boissy is a Senegalese basketball player who last played for Aurore Vitré Basket and the Senegal national team. Playing at point guard, he is a graduate of the NBA Academy Africa and has played professionally since 2021. Boissy was an All-BAL First Team selection in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022–23 Al Ahly men's basketball season</span> 93rd season of Al Ahly mens basketball team

The 2022–23 season Al Ahly men's basketball season was the 93rd season of Al Ahly's men's basketball team. This season, the Reds made their debut in the Basketball Africa League (BAL), and won their second continental title.

The AS Douanes men's basketball team played the 2023 season in the Nationale 1 (NM1) and the Basketball Africa League (BAL). Having won the previous national championship, the Douanes returned to the BAL after one-year of absence. They signed Terrell Stoglin and Chris Crawford for the season as American import players. On 27 September 2023, AS Douanes won its record-setting 11th national championship, thus overtaking ASFA as the Senegalese club with the most NM1 titles.

The 2022–23 season of the Cape Town Tigers was the 3rd season of the South African basketball team. The Tigers played in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) for a second straight season, following their win in the Road to BAL's East Division.

References

  1. ↑ "Al Ahly are the 2023 BAL champions". The BAL. 27 May 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  2. ↑ "How REG secured the first 2023 BAL Playoffs spot". The BAL. 17 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  3. ↑ "Bile's heroics send ABC to playoffs". The BAL. 20 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  4. ↑ "Randle, Thomas lead Monastir to playoffs". The BAL. 21 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  5. ↑ "Petro de Luanda become first Nile Conference team to qualify for the Playoffs". The BAL. 3 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  6. ↑ "REG BBC v Al Ahly boxscore - FIBA Africa Basketball League 2019 - 10 February". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  7. ↑ "SUPERB AMIN, WEBSTER KEY IN AL AHLY'S SEMI-FINALS SLOT". The BAL. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  8. ↑ "DIARRA'S SIXTH DOUBLE-DOUBLE STEERS STADE MALIEN INTO SEMI-FINALS". The BAL. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  9. ↑ "AS DOUANES SHOCK PETRO DE LUANDA, ADVANCE TO FINAL". The BAL. 25 May 2023. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  10. ↑ "AL AHLY BECOME SECOND EGYPTIAN TEAM TO REACH THE BAL FINAL". The BAL. 25 May 2023. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
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