Pune: Day 5 of United Basketball Alliance (UBA) Pro Basketball League Season 2 action began today, with defending champions Chennai Slam taking on the Punjab Steelers. Slam triumphed 80-57 to go a perfect 3-0, while Punjab was condemned to their third straight loss.
The evening was made extra special by the presence of former India cricketer Vinod Kambli and singer/actor Ali Quli Mirza.
Defending champions Chennai Slam have remained perfect this season, winning both their games so far. Their opponent today, the Punjab Steelers, have had a sub-par run in the tournament for their standards. Last year’s semifinalist, Punjab, is yet to win a single game and was looking to change their fortunes today in the first cross-division game of Season 2 against Chennai.
Chennai started the game with a bigger lineup today. Arjun GK, who had a good all-round game off the bench in Chennai’s last match, was moved into the starting lineup along with forward Ashutosh and centre Gopal in the frontcourt. The Steelers chose to start the game with forward Kaushal, who was useful for Punjab in the early going, scoring the first 8 points for his team cutting to the basket.
For the Slam, the move to make Arjun a starter paid off. He showed his touch from outside today, knocking down a three in the first quarter. On the defensive end, he used his long arms to make life difficult for the Punjab offense. Punjab’s point guard Akilan finished on a couple of buckets in transition and at the end of the first quarter, the Steelers were up by 1 point 15-14.
But the script changed for Punjab once the second quarter commenced. Chennai brought on forward Ram Kumar and he had an immediate impact on the game. Ram was on fire from 3-point range draining shot after shot. The Steelers were unable to contain Ram Kumar, who made them pay for leaving him open and even got to the basket with his crafty drives. Employing a Spurs-like style of play, Chennai used ball movement to take the best shot available. Point guard Agu skillfully controlled his team’s offensive tempo using the clock and finding the open man on his way to 11 assists in the game. Five Chennai players ended up scoring in double digits, and the game was blown wide open in the first half itself.
The Steelers’ young international forward Gurvinder Gill was shut down by the Slam defense today. He managed to score only 3 points in the contest, finding it difficult to maneuver around Chennai’s big frontline. Only Ravi Bhardwaj (10 points) and guard Manoj (11 points) managed to score in double digits for the Steelers. Point guard Agu had another great defensive game today, applying pressure on the Steelers’ guards as they brought the ball up the court. Agu ended up with a triple-double in the game with 11 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Ram Kumar won the man of the match award for his 24 points and Chennai sealed their third straight victory in the tournament. The Steelers will be searching for answers and will have a lot of work to do to get their way back into contention this season.
Chennai Slam (Ram Kumar 24, Arjun GK 16, Chukwunanu Agu 11) bt Punjab Steelers (Manoj R. 11, Ravi Bhardwaj 10, Amrit Pal Singh 10) 80-57 (14-15, 26-17, 23-13, 17-12)
Mumbai Challengers bt Punjab Steelers
After their opening loss against the Delhi Capitals, the Punjab Steelers were looking to kick start their win column in their second game of Season 2 against the strong Mumbai Challengers side. Mumbai won their first game in blowout fashion against Haryana Gold and are the early favourites in the tournament. The Steelers had a rejuvenated starting lineup with India international point guard Akilan Pari playing his first game for the Punjab.
The first five minutes were better than anyone expected for Mumbai as they got off to a 15-2 start. Karan Pal Singh found his touch from long range draining a couple of 3s in the early minutes. Challengers’ centre Gagandeep Singh used his body in the paint to find space and knock down his patented bank shots. Punjab’s Gurvinder Gill had a tough time with Jagdeep Bains guarding him.
Bains schooled Gill, stripping the ball off him as Gill was unable to get around Bains in the paint. The first half completely belonged to the Challengers who had a fluid offensive rhythm withcontributions from multiple players.
With the first half ending with Mumbai up 47-28, Punjab had to make a big run to get back into the game. That's exactly what they did in the third quarter, cutting down the deficit one basket at a time. Punjab’s international point guard Akilan broke down the Mumbai defense, penetrating and creating for his teammates. Shooting guard Manoj drained the open shots he got from long range and Akilan managed to score from 3-point range as well. Gurvinder became more aggressive in the third quarter powering his way to the basket.
At one point, the Mumbai lead was cut down to 6 points and the game became a contest. But, late in the third quarter, the Challengers switched into a higher gear. Forward Nikhil had another great game for Mumbai working his way on the inside, which included a couple of spectacular two-handed slams in transition.
Former India player Ranbir Singh (15 points) came off the bench for the Challengers and was very efficient for his team, knocking down shots from inside and outside. Mumbai also pounded the offensive boards – Jagdeep Bains was especially aggressive on the boards creating multiple second chance opportunities for his team. Karan Pal Singh and Gagandeep Singh kept nailing their attempts, helping to extend Mumbai’s lead and eventually convert the game into a blowout.
The Challengers won their second game of the tournament 83-68, while last year’s semifinalists, the Steelers, are still looking for their first win this season.
Mumbai Challengers (Gagandeep Singh 17, Karan Pal Singh 15, Ranbir Singh 15) bt Punjab Steelers
(Gurvinder Gill 15, Manoj R. 13, Ravi Bhardwaj 10) 83-68 (24-10, 23-18, 16-23, 20-17)
