The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

IT's playoff season for several marquee Bahamian basketball players in their respective leagues across the globe.

David Nesbitt and Kadeem Coleby are in the midst of their championship series, while Juraun "Kino" Burrows will begin his playoff run this weekend.

Nesbitt and his Paulistano Sao Paolo took a 1-0 series lead in the Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB) finals with a 99-82 win over Mogi.

The veteran forward finished with six points and five rebounds in 28 minutes.

The NBB is the Brazilian premier professional men's basketball league.

Paulistano took an early 30-14 lead at the end of the first quarter and led 52-23 at the half. Mogi won the third quarter by eight but never threatened in the fourth.

In the opening round of the playoffs, Paulistanano defeated Cearense 3-1 and outlasted Bauru 3-2 in a pair of best-of-five series.

This season Nesbitt averaged 8.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game on 55 per cent shooting from the field. He played last season for Ciclista Olimpico de La Banda in the Argentinian LigaA.

In 32 games with the club, he averaged 9.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.

Earlier in the season, he was also a key component for Goes Montevideo in Uruguay's (LUB). In 19 games he averaged 15.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.8 steals per game.

Nesbitt spent the previous season in the Iraqi Superleague with Al Mina. He helped them to win the regular season and make it to the final. He was also voted to Asia-Basket.com's Iraqi League All-Imports Team and All-Second Team. He has also played professionally in Kazakhstan for Kaspiy Aktau.

In the Japanese B2 League, Kadeem Coleby led his Akita Northern Happinets into 1-1 tie after the first two games of the championship series against Fukuoka Rizing.

In game one, Coleby finished with 14 points on 7-10 shooting from the field en route to an 83-69 win for his club. They trailed by three at the half, but dominated the second half, particularly in the paint where they outscored their opponents 58-36 and held a 16-rebound advantage on the glass.

In game two, Coleby finished with 10 points in an 82-73 loss.

Akita and Fukuoka split a two-game series in late March in the only previous matchup between the two teams in the regular season.

Burrows and his FOS- Provence Basket begin their run toward a title when they begin play in the quarter-finals this weekend against Nancy in the French ProB League.

FOS-Provence ended the season with six consecutive wins and head into the playoffs as one of the league's hottest teams. They finished the season ranked No.4 with a 24-10 record. In the final game of the regular season, Burrows finished with 11 points in a 70-63 win over top ranked ADA Blois.

On the season, he posted averages of 13.9 points, 5.1 rebounds per game on 62 per cent shooting from the field.

Following a late season stint and playoff run with FOS Provence Basket last season, Burrows agreed to a contract extension to return to the club this year.

In 12 games last season, Burrows averaged 10.7 points, four rebounds and three assists in just over 25 minutes per game. He helped the club to the league's semi-finals.