By Douglas Mazune
FUBA Basketball League
Best-of-7 playoff finals
Friday; Games 1:
Warrior v Power
Women
A- 1 Challenge v KCC
DESPITE defending champions D’Mark Power’s pedigree, Kyambogo Warriors coach Gad Etau reckons it is time for his side to rise and shine in the basketball playoff finals series that tip off on Friday at YMCA Wandegeya.
Coming off victory over the Mountain Dew Falcons, Etau hailed his team as a championship side and challenged his players to win the 2009 MTN Basketball League title.
“This is Warriors’ best chance. I keep on telling the players that if they don’t win this year, even if they take it next season it won’t matter,” Etau said in an interview yesterday.
“Our credibility was tested in the semi-finals. Falcons are the best team in the country in terms of discipline and technically.”
Warriors triumphed over Falcons 79-62 in the semi-final decider for a 3-2 win in the best-of-five series.
Etau acknowledged that Power has a more talented bench but it can be neutralised.
“We have got a fairly good bench now, just like they do. We respect their talent. We will manage their transition game,” he said.
He warned that they would approach the Power fixture in a different way.
“This is a different team we are facing. A lot is going to change from the way we approached Falcons,” Etau warned.
“My colleagues at Power say it’s going to be a clean sweep but that’s the power of the tongue. I see an interesting long final series.”
The Warriors fell to Falcons in the 2007 finals and were eliminated by the same side in the semi-finals last year.