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NBA stars shine in NBA Africa Game, Bismack Biyombo quiet on court

By Philip Rossman-Reich

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - AUGUST 1: Bismack Biyombo of the Orlando Magic goes through a work out during the Basketball Without Borders Africa program at the American International School of Johannesburg on August 1, 2017 in Gauteng province of Johannesburg, South Africa. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - AUGUST 1: Bismack Biyombo of the Orlando Magic goes through a work out during the Basketball Without Borders Africa program at the American International School of Johannesburg on August 1, 2017 in Gauteng province of Johannesburg, South Africa. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The NBA put on another entertaining exhibition in the NBA Africa Game. While Bismack Biyombo was quiet on the court, he spoke volumes off it this week.

The fans in Johannesburg, South Africa got their second taste of NBA basketball Saturday in the second NBA Africa Game. The good and the bad.

There were plenty of highlights. And then. . . there was intentional fouling of Andre Drummond in a close game. Some things never change. Even in an exhibition game.

Team Africa needed to catch up. And the strategy worked. Andre Drummond missed one of the free throws and Victor Oladipo drained a 3-pointer to pull the team within one. That was as close as Team Africa would get. Victor Oladipo could not draw a foul on a wild drive to the lane and Kyle Lowry answered with an and-one to give Team World a 108-97 in the league’s second NBA Africa Game.

Oladipo was named the games MVP, scoring 28 points on 11-for-25 shooting with nine rebounds and five assists.

Orlando Magic center Bismack Biyombo scored five points and grabbed three rebounds in 12 minutes. He missed all three of his shots. It is an exhibition game, so do not draw a lot of conclusions from Biyombo’s stat line in the game. His style of play — defense and shot blocking, not to mention poor offense — is not built for these kinds of games.

About the only highlight he had was a hard foul he gave to Kristaps Porzingis. Being at the game was more important for Biyombo than anything else.

He has spent the majority of his summer in the Democratic Republic of Congo working to open a school as part of one of his many charitable endeavors to give back to his home country. Playing in the NBA Africa Game and participating in the NBA’s Basketball without Borders program is only further developing the future of basketball in Africa as a continent. Just like Biyombo has invested in growing basketball and citizens in his home country.

In addition to building basketball courts and opening schools in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Biyombo funds a scholarship for students in his home country to travel to the United States for school.

Biyombo was excited to participate in this game.

No, Biyombo did not have the strongest individual game during the NBA Africa Game. That will not mean very much for the season ahead. Biyombo is not going to develop a post game out of nowhere.

None of that was the point of this game. The point of this game was to put on a good exhibition for fans in Johannesburg.

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Between Victor Oladipo, Emmanuel Mudiay (22 points, eight rebounds and nine assists), Kyle Lowry (13 points, seven rebounds and five assists) and Kristaps Porzingis (14 points, eight rebounds), the fans got a good show from start to finish.