Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Game Report: London Lions 89-74 Leicester Riders

Game Report: London Lions 89-74 Leicester Riders


London Lions used a strong third quarter to create space between them and Leicester Riders to go 2-0 in the British Basketball League Trophy on Sunday.

A 13-0 start to the second half, leaving Leicester scoreless for nearly six minutes, lifted the Lions to an 89-74 win at the Copper Box.

Matt Morgan came back from injury with a bang, leading the Lions with 15 points with Donte Grantham adding 14.

Teddy Allen had 19 points in the first half but settled for 21 in the end to lead the Riders.

Starting Fives

London Lions starting five: Gabe Olaseni, Conor Morgan, Tarik Phillip, Matt Morgan, Donte Grantham.
Leicester Riders starting five: Kimbal Mackenzie, Miryne Thomas, Teddy Allen, Mo Walker, Jaren Holmes.

First Half

It was a scrappy first four minutes with London defending free-scoring Teddy Allen well, as he hit all his four points from the foul line, starting 0/4 from the field.

In fact, as the first timeout loomed, Leicester were only shooting 1/9, whereas the Lions were able to take a 10-7 lead with Tarik Phillip scoring four of those, going 50% overall.

The introduction of Blake Bowman off the bench injected some life into the visitors, but on the other side, Luke Nelson did the same for the hosts, commanding the court on both sides.

As was the case with Josh Sharma as he got two quick buckets, the latter being a tip off the lob from Nelson to give London a 25-19 lead after one.

That lead sprung to 31-19 after just 1:15 of the second played, as London got good second-chance looks, taking advantage of isolation plays from the Riders that came to nothing.

Leicester were able to keep the scoreboard ticking out of the timeout, with Allen finding his groove. Still, the Lions were able to keep their double-digit advantage thanks to numerous second-chance opportunities.

Despite Allen’s 19 first-half points, he didn’t have much support as the Riders only shot 36%, with London quiet yet deadly at 54% as they led 50-40 at the break.

Second Half

The half-time break seemed to rejuvenate the Lions as they raced to a 13-0 start, hitting three from range as Leicester were sluggish, unable to get the ball in the hoop despite decent looks.

It wasn’t until the sixth minute of the third when the Riders finally got their first basket when Miryne Thomas got a tough lay-up to drop, followed by a triple from the wing by TJ Lall.

But London’s hot start to the quarter was a huge difference maker, taking a comfortable 70-49 cushion after three.

There were highlights for the fans inside the Copper Box as Sharma brought the house down with a one-handed slam off the pick-and-roll to provide a highlight play.

Briefly, the Riders managed to claw the deficit a little with Kimbal Mackenzie and Allen narrowing the gap to 14 points having trailed by as many as 23.

However, the start of the third quarter proved to be the game-changer, as London sail to 2-0 in the British Basketball League Trophy.

Player of the Game

Anyone from the Lions could have landed this accolade, but Donte Grantham has announced his return from a injury lay-off. A big task to mark Leicester’s main scoring threat in Allen, Grantham shot 5/8 from the field for his 14 points and held Allen to 6/25.

Team Player Points Rebounds Assists
London Lions Matt Morgan 15 4 2
London Lions Donte Grantham 14 4 2
Leicester Riders  Teddy Allen 21 7 1
Leicester Riders  Sanuel Idowu 13 10 1





Source link

This website aggregates and curates news articles, blog posts, and other content from a variety of external sources. While we aim to link back to the original source, this site does not own or claim ownership of any articles, posts, or other content indexed on this site. The views, opinions, and factual statements expressed in each piece of aggregated content belong solely to its respective author and publisher. We make no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy or completeness of aggregated content. Visitors are advised to verify facts and claims through the original source before reuse or redistribution.