Boras finally break through in playoffs, stunning Norrkoping from 0-2 down for second SBL title

Boras Basket exorcised years of playoff heartbreak on Saturday, completing a stunning comeback from 0-2 down in the finals to beat Norrkoping Dolphins 87-78 in Game 6 and claim their first-ever playoff championship ending three consecutive finals defeats to the same opponents.
The title is Boras' second overall after the 2019-20 crown was awarded based on regular-season standings when COVID-19 cancelled the playoffs. But this one was earned the hard way through a grueling postseason that included a seven-game semifinal war against Jamtland and a finals comeback that will go down as one of the greatest in Swedish basketball history.
"We've lost three straight finals to Norrkoping it was about time we won," said Ludvig Johansson (185-PG-1998), who had 11 points, six assists, and five rebounds in the clincher. "We've kept grinding with the same group. I'm proud of the guys."
KJ Jenkins (188-G-2000, college: UNCW) and AJ Clayton (203-F, college: Ohio) shared the scoring load with 19 points apiece. Jenkins drilled four three-pointers, while Clayton attacked the rim relentlessly with 7-of-12 from two-point range and eight rebounds in 37 minutes. Ali Sow (185-PG-1998, college: Laurier, agency: Players Group) provided a devastating third punch with 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting, and Justin Vander Baan (213-C, college: Lafayette) was ruthlessly efficient with eight points on a perfect 4-of-4 and eight rebounds.
Boras fell behind 21-31 after a slow first quarter, but a suffocating 27-13 second period their best defensive stretch of the series flipped the game entirely. They took a 48-44 lead into halftime and never relinquished it, shooting 50.8 percent from the field while holding Norrkoping to a frigid 34.2 percent (26-of-76).
For Norrkoping, chasing a sixth consecutive title, Zach Harvey (198-G-2001, college: UCSB, agency: Octagon Europe) was magnificent in defeat with 26 points on 6-of-11 from three, but his supporting cast crumbled. Ladarien Griffin (200-F-1996, college: St.Bonaventure) managed just nine points on 2-of-9 shooting despite 12 rebounds, Hugo Bergstrom (183-PG-2001) had 13 on 5-of-16, and Ben Middlebrooks (208-F, college: NC State) shot 3-of-10. The Dolphins' 29 percent clip from two-point range (9-of-31) told the story of an offense that disintegrated in the biggest game of the season.
Boras' path to the title was a gauntlet. They swept Sodertalje 3-0 in the quarterfinals, survived a decisive Game 7 on the road against Jamtland in the semis, and then looked finished when Norrkoping took both opening finals games at home. But Boras won four straight from there including two at the Dolphins' fortress to complete the upset.
The championship was built by a new head coach who blended experienced Swedish talent like Johansson, Oskar Palmquist (203-F-2000, college: Rutgers), Fredrik Andersson (202-PG-1993), and John Brandmark (201-F-1997) with a fresh import quartet of Jenkins, Sow, Clayton, and Vander Baan. After three finals defeats to Norrkoping (2023, 2024, 2025), the formula finally clicked.