Flyers win however Riders take second seed; Lions victory units up playoff play-in

Bristol Flyers 87-70 Surrey Scorchers (24-10, 24-22, 23-17, 16-21)
Flyers – Watson-Gayle 21, Bell 19, Olison 15; Scorchers – McFolley 22, Metal 13, Carey/Johnson 10

London Lions 96-62 Plymouth Metropolis Patriots (21-16, 32-8, 18-25, 25-13)
Lions – Hruban 25, Nelson 19, Zubcic 15; Patriots – Bissainthe 18, Hassan 16, Dang-Akodo 10

Leicester Riders 85-76 B Braun Sheffield Sharks (16-14, 16-15, 25-26, 28-21)
Riders – Loving 25, Jackson 13, Mackenzie 11; Sharks – Delpeche/Glasgow Jr/Nelson/Pipkins 12

With locations within the playoffs and seeding nonetheless to be decided for a lot of the desk, the London Lions made positive the competitors would proceed thanks an enormous win over the Plymouth Metropolis Patriots.

The 34-point Lions victory, due to 25 from Vojtech Hruban, meant the Patriots will go into this weekend’s conflict towards the Newcastle Eagles with a playoff spot on the road.

Bristol Flyers did every little thing of their energy to battle for second place, by beating the Surrey Scorchers 87-70 – with Jelani Watson-Gayle main the best way with 21 factors. 

However the Leicester Riders’ effectively fought victory over the B Braun Sheffield Sharks meant the Flyers would drop all the way down to the three seed.

Marc Loving was magnificent for Leicester, dropping 25 factors and grabbing 10 rebounds to safe a nine-point win in a sport that was shut till the ultimate few seconds.

The rationale the Bristol Flyers have flown across the prime of the BBL Championship this 12 months is nice defence and methodical offence.

These have been on full show all through the primary quarter towards the visiting Surrey Scorchers, which meant they have been in a position to get out to a 24-10 lead within the first quarter.

A giant motive for the lead was the regular stream of offence from the dynamic guard duo of Thomas Bell III and Jelani Watson-Gayle. They managed 14 between them throughout the first 10 minutes, however in fully alternative ways.

It felt like Bell obtained to the free throw line each time he drove to the basket, whereas Watson-Gayle’s mid-range sport was on level with fairly floaters and jumpers.

Within the second quarter, the Scorchers managed to loosen up the defensive chains Bristol clamped on them within the first quarter. 

Josh McFolley led the comeback. He was relentless attacking the basket and scored 13 of his aspect’s 22 factors within the quarter. 

This opened up some house for his teammates, together with a dunk by Shakem Johnson that closed the hole to 9, and a Tayo Ogedengbe three.

A timeout by Bristol coach Andreas Kapoulas refocused the house staff and located Watson-Gayle open for back-to-back three.

His teammate Mike Miller helped out with scoring to push the result in 48-32 on the half.

It was a back-and-forth affair to open the third quarter, as McFolley and Kyle Carey scored and assisted on a number of buckets early to combat again for Surrey.

However Bristol’s Tevin Ollison wasn’t letting the Scorchers get again into the sport that simply. 

The guard discovered alternative ways to attain, and he lobbed the  main cross for Malcolm Delpeche’s alley-oop that introduced the Bristol crowd alive.

Surrey labored onerous to shut the hole within the fourth, however the 22-point deficit was an excessive amount of to beat, and Bristol received 87-70.

If the BBL Championship successful London Lions thought they have been in for a simple experience when the Plymouth Metropolis Patriots entered Copper Field Area, the primary jiffy didn’t go to script.

London’s Vojtech Hruban was good within the early going, scoring in and out of the three-point line. However Plymouth matched the house staff basket for basket.

The ultimate jiffy of the opening body, nonetheless, noticed Tarik Phillip return for the primary time since getting back from damage. His presence pushing the tempo and passing forward helped create separation on the finish of 10 minutes, together with an enormous three from Luke Nelson.

This continued rising into the second quarter. Aaron Finest led the best way for London after hitting a 3, adopted by a breakout layup and the additional free throw on the foul for six fast factors. 

London’s defence was glorious, and it took almost seven minutes for Plymouth to attain within the second quarter.

As soon as the hole had opened up, the Lions relaxed and began enjoying unfastened. 

Nothing exemplified this greater than when Jordan Taylor was doubled on the left-hand block dealing with away from the basket, however launched a two-handed, no-look cross over his head into the other nook to seek out Hruban open for a 3.

This pushed the result in 30 with three minutes to go within the first half. 

The hole was massive, however the Patriots got here into the second half with lots of combat.

Level guard Elvisi Dusha discovered quite a few methods for Ralph Bissainthe and Jules Dang-Akodo to hit a number of threes.

The final one Dusha and Bissainthe related on minimize the hole to 16, earlier than the guard took a much-needed breather.

The substitution meant Plymouth’s offence slowed, which is when London’s Nelson was in a position to hit two massive threes and push the hole as much as 22 going into the ultimate 10 minutes.

London received the league with a report six video games to go for a motive. They got here out of the break between the third and fourth quarter with a recent focus and upped the defensive depth. 

Holding the Patriots to 13 factors within the quarter, the Lions grew the hole again to greater than 30 and gave the house followers one thing to cheer about when Miye Oni dribbled between two defenders at half court docket, when behind his again and drove into the lane earlier than kicking out to Mo Soluade for a 3.

A dunk for Tomislav Zubcic gave London a 96-62 win over the Plymouth, who may have a win-and-your-in playoff face-off towards the Newcastle Eagles on Sunday.

Playoff seeding was nonetheless up for grabs at Morningside Area for the B Braun Sheffield Sharks once they travelled south to play the Leicester Riders.

The Riders wanted to win going in the event that they wished to safe second place within the desk, however the Sharks had an opportunity to complete fifth.

You can really feel the depth as every staff went shot for shot within the opening 10 minutes. They have been separated by simply two factors in favour of the house staff, due to Marc Loving, who hit a 3 to offer his staff the sting within the closing possessions of the quarter.

Loving hit one other triple to open the second quarter, which impressed his teammates to affix a scoring run – his dunk a couple of minutes later created a spot of 11.

Sheffield’s Marcus Delpeche turned up the defensive depth and compelled a few misses, which gave his staff the possibility to reel off six straight factors, together with a Jalon Pipkins dunk.

Pipkins was excited to get out in transition for one more jam to place an exclamation level on the comeback and went for a windmill dunk, however rimmed it. 

This gave Carrington Love the possibility to get again up the opposite finish of the court docket shortly for a Leicester layup.

Every staff’s defence made life tough within the closing jiffy however Sheffield continued to claw again into the competition and the primary half completed 32-29.

Sheffield lastly took a slim lead when Jordan Ratinho gave his staff a go-ahead layup early within the third quarter, and he arrange Delpeche a couple of possessions later for a possible rating.

The massive man was fouled and hit each free throws, however completed a area objective the following time down to offer the Sharks a five-point lead.

Kimbal Mackenzie sparked a comeback for the Riders by reeling off seven straight for his staff.

Sa’eed Nelson introduced the guests again to inside two earlier than the third quarter got here to a detailed, but it surely was nonetheless all to play for with the Riders main 57-55.

Defence continued to be the calling card for each groups however Sheffield’s foul hassle put Leicester to the road – a staff that has three of the ten greatest free throw shooters within the league.

Patrick Whelan hit 5 out of six from the charity stripe, which helped create a nine-point hole – but it surely wouldn’t final lengthy

Nelson tried an extended jumper for the Sharks however knew it was off the second the ball left his hand. 

He chased his personal rebound within the nook, Delpeche gave him display and the guard curled round for a mid-ranger within the lane that diminished the hole to 6 with two minutes left.

Pipkins hit a similar-looking jumper from the other aspect of the court docket to chop the hole to 4 a couple of possessions later.

And a possible three for Sheffield by Kipper Nichols hit the again of the rim and Leicester’s Loving grabbed the rebound.

He was fouled, and the third greatest free throw shooter within the league hit each.

A remaining play drawn up by Sharks coach Atiba Lyons was disrupted by Jubril Adekoya for the Riders, which he has made a behavior of in latest video games. 

Leicester made all the required free throws, and Zach Jackson despatched the followers house blissful after choosing off a foul cross to complete an enormous dunk to safe second place within the BBL Championship.