Plovdiv's Locomotive Dethrones Champion Rilski Sportist in NBL Playoffs

Locomotive Plovdiv is the second finalist in the Sesame National Basketball League (NBL). In the decisive fifth playoff game of the semifinal series, the team led by Asen Nikolov overcame the defending champion, Rilski Sportist, by a score of 92-87. This eliminated the team from Samokov. Plovdiv led by 13 points at halftime, but the players of Lubomir Kirov played a fantastic third quarter, and the final period in "Arena SamElion" in Samokov was a nail-biter until the final seconds. In the end, the newcomers in the Bulgarian elite, who were narrowly defeated in the Bulgarian Cup this season, triumphed and will now compete with Balkan for the trophy in the Sesame NBL.

Semifinal Series Recap

Locomotive Plovdiv and Rilski Sportist each won two home games in the semifinal series before the decisive fifth match. Locomotive turned the series around from 0-2 to 3-2. Rilski Sportist will now compete for third place against Chernomorie Ticha.

Game Highlights

The game started with a back-and-forth scoring pattern, with both teams tied at 10:10 in the middle of the first quarter. The visitors then led 19-16, but a three-pointer from Jonathan Davis tied the game again. A two-pointer by Khalil Miller for the visitors closed the first quarter at 24-21 in favor of Locomotive.

In the second quarter, the game remained evenly contested. Locomotive scored a 8-2 run to take a 29-26 lead. The visitors then played strong minutes, and the players of Asen Nikolov went ahead 33-31, followed by a three-pointer from Devarre Ramsey that gave Plovdiv a five-point lead. A few moments later, the visitors led by 10 points at 43-33. A three-pointer by Grant Singleton at the end of the first half gave Locomotive a 13-point lead at halftime - 50-37.

In the third quarter, the home team seemed rejuvenated and determined to make a comeback. A 14-1 run ate away almost all of the visitors' lead, closing the gap to just two points at 49-51. A three-pointer by Michael Edwards with 4:24 left in the third quarter tied the game at 56-56, and seconds later, Jonathan Davis also hit a three-pointer from long distance, giving Rilski Sportist a point lead - 59-58. However, the visitors responded with a 7-0 run, giving them a 65-59 lead. The players of Lubomir Kirov closed the third quarter at 65-67, with the home team outscoring the visitors 28-17 in the third quarter.

In the final quarter, the game remained a fierce battle with neither team able to gain a substantial lead. A beautiful drive by Grant Singleton ended with a successful free throw for Plovdiv, giving them a four-point lead. Exactly two minutes before the end, the visitors' lead increased to seven points - 90-83. The home team closed the gap to one possession at 87-90, but Michael Edwards missed a crucial three-pointer for a tie with nine seconds left, and the champions had to swallow their defeat.

Devarre Ramsey scored 21 points for Locomotive, Khalil Miller had 18 points and seven rebounds, and Tomislav Minkov achieved a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. For Rilski Sportist, Hristo Bachkov scored 20 points from the point guard position, and Michael Edwards and Krasimir Petrov each scored 13 points.

Photo: Sesame NBL