How do the Basketball Africa League and NBA compare?

Petro de Luanda’s Carlos Morais (left) and Al Ahly Libya’s Jo Lual-Acuil (right) meet in the BAL final and could become the competition’s MVP – matching NBA star Nikola Jokic (centre) [Getty Images]

First-time champions of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) will be crowned when Al Ahly Libya face Angola’s Petro de Luanda in Rwanda on Saturday.

The BAL has held a one-off final since it was first staged in 2021, compared to the best-of-seven series seen in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

The NBA, which is heavily involved in supporting and promoting the BAL, is also reaching its endgame with the Boston Celtics taking on the Dallas Mavericks in the Finals from 6 June.

“This has been the most competitive BAL season we’ve ever seen. There are so many stand-out players,” BAL commentator Usher Komugisha told BBC Sport Africa in Kigali, where the play-offs have been held.

“It’s an evenly-matched final. Al Ahly Libya has shown so much maturity while Petro have made it to the semi-finals of every BAL season and have a very smart coach in Sergio Valdeolmillos.”

BBC Sport Africa has been crunching the numbers on the fourth edition of BAL and seeing how its star men and teams measure up to its well-established big brother in North America.

What did the Most Valuable Players achieve?

Earlier this month Denver Nuggets centre Nikola Jokic joined some of the NBA’s all-time greats by winning the league’s MVP award for the third time.

The Serb averaged 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds and nine assists this season and completed 25 triple-doubles for the defending NBA Champions.

Jokic, 29, became just the second player to finish with more than 2,000 points, 900 rebounds and 700 assists in a regular season.

The BAL will not announce its MVP until after the final in Kigali, but Jo Lual-Acuil is among several names in contention.

The South Sudanese-Australian centre has been crucial in Al Ahly Libya’s run to the final in their debut season, breaking the BAL’s single-game scoring record with 42 points in their Nile Conference win over City Oilers of Uganda.

Lual-Acuil averages 21.8 points and 9.9 rebounds but is well down on assists compared…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/basketball-africa-league-nba-compare-221812287.html

Author : BBC

Publish date : 2024-05-31 22:18:12

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.