Petro de Luanda back in BAL semis for sixth time in a row

Petro de Luanda overturned an eight-point deficit from the first round of the quarterfinal and beat Tanzania’s Dar City 83-69 to advance into the Basketball Africa League (BAL) semifinals for the sixth time in a row. The 2024 BAL champions took to the court with determination, leading by 10 points at the end of the opening quarter (26–16) and they never looked back. Even when Dar City scored 10 points in an attempt to minimise the damage, Petro de Luanda maintained their momentum, leading by as many as 20 points at one stage in the game. Former APR guard Chason Randle led Petro de Luanda's scoring with 20 points, while Yannick Moreira added 16 points off the bench to keep the Angolan champions in the running for this season's BAL title by at the same time bringing Dar City's season to an end. Petro de Luanda will face Egypt’s Al Ahly in the semifinals in a rematch of the 2024 BAL final. Daniel Utomi, Nisre Zouzoua and Michael Foster – the only Dar City players to score in double digits–spent over 39 minutes on the court each, combining for 52 of their team’s 69 points. David Michineau punished the Petroliers’ defence with 12 points and eight assists in the first round, but he limped off the court in the second quarter and never returned due to a reported hamstring injury. Reflecting Dar City’s struggles, their bench was outscored 51–16. In contrast, Petro de Luanda rotated their players and led from the outset, maintaining complete control of their destiny. Pete Jok gave Petro a huge boost, scoring all 15 of his points from beyond the arc on 5-for-9 shooting.

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Petro de Luanda back in BAL semis for sixth time in a row