Bristol surviving London in OT highlights five-game rollercoaster journey

BBL Championship

 (AOT) Bristol Flyers 87-82 London Lions (25-21, 40-39, 55-54, 76-76)(Flyers: Olison, 26; King, 16; Watson-Gayle, 14 — Lions: Taylor, 20; Hruban, 15; Finest, 13)

BBL Championship

Caledonia Gladiators 106-97 Manchester Giants (29-25, 54-52, 85-78)(Gladiators: Alihodzic, 29; Sloan, 18; Onwas, 17 — Giants: Fletcher, 26; Inexperienced, 21; Williams, 20)

BBL Championship

 Surrey Scorchers 78-79 Newcastle Eagles (24-22, 41-37, 58-55)(Scorchers: Jacdonmi/Wang, 18; S.Johnson, 16; Carey, 8 — Eagles: Okay. Johnson, 26; French, 17; Cohn, 15)

BBL Championship

 Plymouth Metropolis Patriots 85-99 Leicester Riders (16-25, 39-46, 63-74)(Patriots: Dusha, 19; Bissainthe, 18; Hassan, 12 — Riders: Jackson, 24; Loving, 15)

 BBL Championship

Cheshire Phoenix 83-80 B. Braun Sheffield Sharks (20-17, 38-37, 57-56)(Phoenix: Evans, 34; Teague/Archibald, 13; Anderson, 11 — Sharks: Koch, 20; Ratinho, 16; Nichols/Ramsey, 12)

Bristol Flyers introduced the newly topped BBL champions London Lions, all the way down to earth with an enthralling 87-82 win after a interval of time beyond regulation within the SGS Campus on Sunday afternoon.

Trailing 74-73 late on, Josh Ward-Hibbert calmly drained a 3 to provide London a two-point lead with 9 ticks left, just for Jelani Watson-Gayle to attain inside with 0.9 seconds to go to pressure time beyond regulation.

In a nervy additional interval, the place neither group gave an inch, lastly, the Flyers made it a two-possession recreation with 3.9 seconds left to seal the win in an unforgettable conflict between the league’s prime two, offering probably the most unimaginable of adverts for the BBL.

Tevin Olison led Bristol with 26 factors, going 6/8 from three-point land, with VJ King posting a double-double of 16 factors and 13 rebounds.

Jordan Taylor led the champions with 20.

The champions confirmed no indicators of slowing down within the first two minutes as they began with a 6-0 run earlier than Olison acquired Bristol off the mark, to the delight of the sell-out crowd, with a 3 from the wing.

Olison hit from the identical spot once more to provide the Flyers their first lead of the sport because the physicality and depth stepped up between the league’s prime two sides.

It favoured the hosts, as they have been feeling it from the sector together with out-hustling the Lions defensively to take a 21-13 lead, highlighted by a colossal putback slam from VJ King off the miss from Watson-Gayle.

London have been in a position to reply, led by Luke Nelson, as they took benefit of some sloppy offences from Bristol, as a clean jumper from Vojtech Hruban narrowed the hole to 23-19 with 57.3 seconds left within the first.

Capturing 3/7 from the three-point land in comparison with Lions 0/4, Bristol have been snug from deep, and regardless of the champions levelling it up at 25-25 rapidly within the second, King responded from the wing for a 28-25 lead with lower than a minute performed.

The Lions couldn’t launch from deep because the Flyers’ perimeter defence was in verify, however Olison had no such bother, as he hit his fifth triple in six makes an attempt to provide the house facet a 34-29 cushion with 4:29 remaining.

The Lions persevered, and Miye Oni knotted the sport at 34-34 with 3:34 left as he hit London’s first three in eight tries, and because of a rating from Nelson, they secured their first lead for the reason that early phases of the primary to push Flyers coach Andreas Kapoulas right into a timeout.

And out of the timeout, Bristol recovered to take a 40-39 lead on the half, regardless of a spotlight go from Nelson to seek out Hruban for a four-point play for London within the final 90 seconds.

Bristol have been in a position to lengthen their benefit as Brandon Mahan hit a 3, solely to be answered by a triple from Hruban.

It was nervy however thrilling; you couldn’t take your eyes off the motion as each groups fought tooth and nail to the end.

There was no BBL Trophy hangover for the Caledonia Gladiators as they beat Manchester Giants 106-97 in an all-action affair on the Emirates Area.

Fahro Alihodzic thrilled the Glasgow crowd with 29 factors and 6 rebounds, going 12/17 from the sector, with Trophy Ultimate MVP David Sloan posting 18.

Rahmon Fletcher went for an explosive double-double of 26 factors and 13 assists for the Giants.

The Gladiators began sturdy, particularly inside, as they took an early lead, just for Fletcher to reply for Manchester as he single-handedly guided them with six of their first eight factors.

And the Giants, who lead the league in factors scored, have been in a position to showcase their lethal transition recreation as Fletcher and Williams broke clear to provide the guests a 14-12 lead half-way via the interval.

However with Legend Robertin out for Manchester, it opened the door for Alihodzic, who dominated the Caledonia, scoring within the first quarter with 12 of his facet’s 29 factors to take a four-point lead in what was an end-to-end first ten minutes.

Six straight factors from the evergreen Fletcher and 5 from William Lee saved the Giants forward, which was answered by Al Durham because the second quarter marked the identical livid tempo that was on present within the first.

Regardless of the quick tempo, which historically is likened by Manchester, it was Caledonia who edged forward on the half.

The Gladiators prolonged their result in 71-64 with 4 minutes performed within the third because the Giants couldn’t execute from the sector, however 5 straight factors from the high-flying Tajh Inexperienced decreased the hole to a one-possession recreation.

And like the primary two quarters, the tempo and the execution by no means dropped, and the hosts led 85-78 heading into the fourth.

Nevertheless, there was no grandstand end as Caledonia ended the sport on the foul line to get a big victory of their battle for post-season spots.

Newcastle Eagles boosted their playoff hopes with a slender 79-78 win over Surrey Scorchers at Surrey Sports activities Park.

It was finally one other fourth-quarter collapse for the Scorchers, who had led for almost all of the sport, just for Newcastle to take pole place.

In the direction of the tip, although, the Eagles weren’t in a position to speed up away as Surrey put collectively a spell to slender the hole to 76-73 with 1:05 left.

Each groups struggled to get their offence going as a result of intense defence, but it surely was the Scorchers who decreased the deficit to some extent with 9 ticks left.

Nevertheless, with all the arrogance in a stress scenario, Jermel Kennedy drained a 3 within the nook with 3.6 seconds left to ice the sport.

Kyle Johnson led all scorers for the winners with 26 factors, supported by a 17-point, 18-rebound double-double by Hasahn French, as ninth-placed Newcastle’s win, helped by an eighth-seeded Patriots loss, narrowed the hole within the Playoff standings.

Boban Jacdonmi and Padiet Wang paced Surrey with 18 factors, and the latter added 9 assists.

Offensively, Newcastle appeared the extra composed of the 2 groups taking an early lead, just for Andrew Lawrence to tie the sport at 11-11 with a three-pointer.

Eagles rapidly responded as French scored 9 of his facet’s first 13 factors to retain the guests’ benefit.

Nevertheless, the general gameplay turned scrappy as either side produced damaged performs and missed makes an attempt till Tayo Ogedengbe put the hosts forward, adopted by a rating from Kyle Carey as they put collectively a strong sequence of group play.

And with Surrey main as the primary quarter got here to a detailed, Newcastle produced maybe their most glorious set because the buzzer sounded as Denzel Ubiaro fed Kyle Johnson for a ravishing reverse lay-up in site visitors to provide them momentum for the second.

The Scorchers managed to hold on to their lead within the first three minutes of the second, as back-to-back scores from Kyle Johnson have been bettered by 4 factors by Shakem Johnson and Josh Metal that, gave the hosts a 30-26 cushion.

Following the timeout from Eagles’ coach Marc Steutel, his facet got here out a greater facet.

The offence flowed via Johnson and French, but it surely labored as Scorchers’ Lloyd Gardner was compelled into bringing his troops in because the guests knotted the sport at 32-32 with 5 minutes left within the half.

Nevertheless, Surrey ended the second on a excessive by regaining the benefit, taking pictures 44% from the sector, in comparison with the Eagles’ 40%, as they led 41-37 on the interval.

With each groups buying and selling baskets at the beginning of the third, Surrey took cost with a 6-0 burst to take a 50-41 lead with three minutes of the quarter performed.

Eagles recovered however nonetheless trailed because the Scorchers have been the extra composed of the 2 sides.

Nevertheless, that composure appeared to fade away as either side went chilly from the sector, however going into the fourth, the hosts nonetheless led by three.

That benefit was wiped away throughout the first minute as Justin Gordon hit from deep to tie the sport at 58-58, and that was adopted by a decisive 12-2 run by the guests that proved to be the game-changer.

Leicester Riders saved their unbeaten streak in opposition to the Plymouth Metropolis Patriots with a 99-85 win on the Pavilions.

Zach Jackson led Leicester with 24 factors and 6 rebounds, helped by 22 from Marc Loving, because the Riders claimed their forty second win in a row in opposition to Plymouth.

Elvisi Dusha had 19 for the Patriots, however defeat, coupled with a Newcastle win, can be trigger for concern for the group from the south-west.

Each groups executed within the opening performs, however the Patriots took the early initiative as scores from Elvisi Dusha and Rashad Hassan gave the hosts an early 11-8 lead.

The Riders quietly and effectively responded with a 9-0 run, with the first supply of factors coming via again door cuts and free throws to take a 17-11 cushion when a mid-range jumper from the elbow from Ralph Bissainthe stemmed the bleeding.

The tempo of the sport was livid, but it surely favoured the deeper Leicester facet, as they have been in a position to set up a double-digit benefit nearing the tip of the primary, which was reduce to 25-16 with lower than a minute left because of a 3 from Bissainthe.

Because the second quarter progressed, the Riders’ lead grew as Kimbal MacKenzie drilled a 3 from the highest, and regardless of a thunderous slam from James Hawthorne Jr., the guests saved placing factors on the board, main 35-21 with 7:10 remaining within the half.

Slowly however certainly, the Patriots hit again, decreasing the deficit to as little as 5 factors as they have been preventing for each unfastened ball, attacking the basket and placing Leicester within the penalty.

And in consequence, the sizeable double-digit benefit that the Riders loved was decreased to 46-39 on the half.

Nevertheless, Leicester restored their double-digit cushion as soon as extra, as they attacked the rim and hit their free throws as a part of a 10-0 run to take a 65-51 lead with 4:20 left within the third.

The Patriots have been in a position to shrink the deficit to single figures in direction of the tip of the third, however the Riders nonetheless held a manageable lead heading into the fourth.

Any hopes of a comeback although from the hosts have been dashed because the Riders maintained their double-digit lead all through the ultimate interval to strengthen their top-four goals.

Cheshire Phoenix edged the B.Braun Sheffield Sharks 83-80 in a topsy-turvy battle on the Ellesmere Port Sports activities Village.

Sheffield’s Jordan Ratinho tied the sport at 80-80 with a 3 from the wing with lower than a minute remaining. Marcus Evans responded by splitting his free throws, leaving the Sharks free to win the sport with 13.9 seconds left.

The guests had their likelihood, however a wide-open Ratinho clanged his three leaving the delighted Phoenix free to win the sport from the foul line. Rodney Glasgow Jr. had one other likelihood for the Sharks, however his three rimmed out.

Marcus Evans – who hit the game-winning free throws – led the Phoenix with 34 factors as his facet this time have been on the successful facet of the ultimate possession as they put their BBL Trophy heartbreak behind them.

Bennett Koch paced Sheffield with 20 factors.

After a cagey opening spell, it was the Sharks who broke clear first as Koch and Ratinho related back-to-back to provide the guests a 15-9 lead.

Sheffield did get pleasure from an eight-point cushion as they compelled the Phoenix’s beginning 5 into early fouls, however the dwelling facet have been in a position to reply and turned it round as a fadeaway from Amorie Archibald handed his Cheshire a 20-17 lead after one.

It was bodily and closely-fought all through, particularly within the second as each groups matched one another however the Phoenix managed to remain forward 38-37 on the half.

A 3 from Jamell Anderson to start out the third, adopted by a basket inside by David Ulph handed Cheshire a 43-37 cushion as they discovered their rhythm early as Sheffield failed to attach on their opening two discipline objective makes an attempt.

However the Sharks hit again because the quarter wound down with a three-point play from Kipper Nichols giving them a 54-48 lead – their largest lead of the quarter.

Like their counterparts, the Phoenix struck again themselves and took a one-point lead into the fourth.

The depth of the sport rose within the closing quarter, setting the stage for an unimaginable ending, becoming for the ultimate recreation of a exceptional day of motion.

After this five-game extravaganza, the basketball world will Know Our Identify. And the motion will proceed on Good Friday (7 April), with three extra video games to get excited for. Catch all of the motion right here or purchase a ticket and catch the red-hot motion right here.