By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE Commonwealth Bank Giants and Your Essential Store (YES) Giants will both return to yet another New Basketball (NPBA) Providence Association Finals.

Both defending champions swept through their division one and two best-of-five semifinals respectively in weekend action.

The CB Giants sent the TMT Giants home in a 105-68 drubbing on Saturday night at the Kendal GL Isaacs Gymnasium.

In the opening contest of Saturday night’s double header, the reigning division two champions ended the Discount Distributors Rockets’ postseason run 86-74.

Division One

Perry Thompson, head coach of the CB Giants, was all smiles as he talked about how it felt to return to the NPBA finals.

“It feels like home basically. It is just a testament to the work we put in every year. Every offseason we start early and our goal is to win. This just gets us one step closer to it but it is always good to be back in the championships because it lets you know that you are doing something the right way,” he said.

The division one defending champions dominated their fellow team in a wire-to-wire victory to advance which Thompson described as a “bittersweet” feeling.

“It was bittersweet. We practiced against this team all year and kind of watched them grow and it is unfortunate we were matched up against them. However, we came here and we are on a mission and we had to close them out and do our jobs,” Thompson said.

On the hardwood, the CB Giants closed out the TMT Giants in emphatic fashion and Dylan Musgrove led the charge. The Giants’ veteran scored a game-high 22 points complemented by 7 rebounds and 4 dimes. Musgrove shot 10-for-14 from the field and splashed two three-pointers from deep.

In just under 15 minutes of playing time, Jackson Jacob dropped 17 points in the blowout win.

The defending champions opened the game with a strong 33-2 run making the victory a foregone conclusion from the first quarter. The TMT Giants then trailed by 38 points going into the halftime break but the game was already out of reach.

The 2023 NPBA division one champions were a tier above the TMT Giants in nearly all statistical categories. They out-rebounded the TMT Giants 58 to 40. They scored 21 points off turnovers compared to just 8 earned by the competitors.

Additionally, the CB Giants capitalised on second chance points 23 to 8.

Next up for the CB Giants will be the winner of the Sand Dollar High Flyers versus the Discount Distributors Liquors Rockets series.

Division Two

The YES Giants brought out the brooms to send the Rockets packing in a 3-0 series sweep.

Head coach Mark Hanna, who also played for the TMT Giants, said the team is looking to complete the three-peat.

“We should be victorious once the guys stay together. We do not know who is gonna win on the other side yet but we are gonna come out to play and try to three-peat and celebrate,” Hanna said.

The 2023 NPBA division two champions willed their way to the finals once again and Hanna gave insight on what was the difference maker in the series.

“I think the difference was more exposure. The Giants’ guys play a high level of high school basketball and some of the guys play in college. They have played at a high level before so at this stage it is very easy right now,” he said.

Brandon Strachan gave the Rockets’ defence problems all night long. He mailed in a game-high 29 points, pulled down 8 boards and picked up 3 steals in the win.

The Rockets kept the game close going into halftime trailing by just 7 (39-32).

However, the Giants kicked it into high gear in the second half and out- scored their opponent 47-42.

The YES Giants had the biggest lead of the game in the third quarter where they led by 19 (64-45).

Defensively, the Giants picked off the ball 19 times which translated to the 22 points from turnovers. They also scored 16 second chance points compared to 12 earned by the Rockets.

Davito McIntosh went down swinging for the Rockets. He dropped 28 points and 8 rebounds in the losing effort.

The YES Giants will now await the winner of the Cyber Tech Blue Marlins versus the Produce Express Rockets semifinals round.