BDA2K26 PLAYOFFS | GAME RECAP
FOUR WINS BOUGHT NEWPORT NOTHING: AFRIKA STEALS GAME 1, 65-58
After going 0-4 against Newport in the regular season, Afrika erased the history that mattered least and stole home court in the opener.
QF2 Round 1 Game 1 — Afrika Afrikaans 65 at Newport 100s 58. Series before: 0-0. Series after: Afrika leads 1-0. Winner: Afrika Afrikaans. Location: Newport.
Newport swept Afrika four times in the regular season. Game 1 made all four wins irrelevant.
The Afrika Afrikaans walked into Newport and won 65-58, stealing home court and killing the idea that regular-season control guaranteed a comfortable playoff series.
No Afrika player scored more than 12. That was part of the problem for Newport: there was no single source to remove. Stephen Curry scored 12, Moses Malone added 10 points and eight rebounds, and Anthony Davis produced five defensive stocks.
Afrika moved the ball for 19 assists, grabbed 11 offensive rebounds and committed only 11 turnovers.
Newport’s issue was concentrated at the top. Luka Doncic and LeBron James combined for 19 points on 7-for-25 shooting and turned the ball over seven times.
The 100s had the higher seed, the regular-season evidence and the favorite’s price. Afrika had Game 1.