NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept 18 – Nairobi City Thunder are one win away from a place in the 2026 Kenya National Basketball League (KNBL) final after taking a commanding 2-0 lead over Stanbic Shield in their best-of-five semifinal playoff.

Thunder, who are under a Sh10 million sponsorship by I&M Bank this season, followed up Wednesday’s 82-65 Game 1 victory with an emphatic 91-67 win in Game 2 at Nyayo Stadium on Thursday, putting themselves within touching distance of the championship decider.

The Brad Ibs-coached side will have a chance to punch their ticket to the final tomorrow, Saturday 19, at the same venue when they take on their opponent for the third match of the series.

City Thunder raced into a 35-19 lead after the opening quarter and maintained a 48-33 advantage at halftime. Although Stanbic Shield narrowed the gap during the third quarter, Thunder responded strongly in the final period, outscoring their opponents 23-12 to seal the 24-point victory.

I&M Bank Group Head of Marketing & Communications Mary Githinji congratulated the team on the two wins, noting that the partnership with Thunder is anchored on supporting both the players’ performance on the court and their development beyond basketball.

“Congratulations to the entire Nairobi City Thunder team on taking a 2-0 lead in the semifinal. They have worked hard throughout the season, and they deserve the wins that are coming their way. As I&M Bank, we are proud to be part of this journey and to support a team that continues to create opportunities for local basketball talent.

“Our partnership with Thunder goes beyond the game itself. We want to help the players build strong financial foundations through financial literacy and we have already held two sessions on the same with them, saving, investment and financial planning, recognising

 that a professional sporting career is only one part of their journey. We believe in supporting them to succeed both on and off the court, and we look forward to seeing the team continue to compete at the highest level.”

Garang Diing led Thunder’s scoring with 20 points, while Dismas Mbaka added 16 points, six rebounds, four assists and five steals. Captain Tyler Ongwae contributed 15 points, with Derrick Ogechi adding 14 points and five blocks.

David Deng was also influential off the bench, scoring 13 points. Bush Wamukota controlled the boards with 10 rebounds, while Eugene Adera collected eight rebounds. 

For Shield, Alvin Otieno and Cliff Alela led the scoring with 16 points apiece. Alela also collected 12 rebounds, while Lenson Kisia finished with nine points and nine rebounds.

Thunder will be looking to win the league unbeaten for the third season in a row.