The race for the top four in the BBL Championship is heating up with all of the representatives in this week’s All-Star 5 being participants in that race, including a pair of Caledonia Gladiators after their double-winning weekend.
Patrick Tapé – Caledonia Gladiators
Gladiators are level with Manchester Giants in fifth-place in the table and scored a big road win against their near rivals live on Sky Sports on Friday night, leading to a second All-Star 5 appearance in three weeks for American big Patrick Tapé. He missed just one shot in going 8-9 (88%) from the field for 19 points in under 25 minutes, along with nine rebounds, three blocks and two steals, including nine points and four boards in a 28-11 second stanza as Gladiators overturned a big early deficit, as they went from 18 down to 18 up in the biggest swing in nearly five years.
Larry Austin Jr. – Cheshire Phoenix
Currently holding onto fourth place in the BBL Championship with a fifth straight home win, captain Larry Austin Jr. led Cheshire Phoenix to a victory over Newcastle Eagles that settled the head-to-head between the teams, resulting in his fourth All-Star 5 showing and third in the last six weeks. He finished on 25 points on 8-13 (61%) shooting and a perfect 8-8 at the line, with six assists, five rebounds and three steals, as Nix raced into a big half time lead as Austin scored 10 in the second stanza, followed by a key six points in just a minute and a half late in the game to hold off a fightback from the visitors.
VJ King – Bristol Flyers
VJ King, the Molten BBL Player of the Month for January, continued his form as he moves clear in second for overall appearances with this being his fifth, as Flyers made it a sixth straight league win with victory in the South West derby over Plymouth City Patriots. He poured in another 30 points on 10-13 (76%) shooting and 3-5 (60%) from the three-point line, also dishing out four assists. Flyers never trailed and were up double-figures in the first quarter with King scoring nine points in the opening ten minutes.
Jeremiah Bailey – Caledonia Gladiators
American forward Jeremiah Bailey is two clear of King at the top of the appearances chart with this being his seventh overall after a double-double in the Sky Sports win over Giants, as Gladiators have now won four of their last five games. He scored 18 points and snatched 13 rebounds, also handing out six assists with five steals and two blocks as he characteristically did a bit of everything. With the hosts still within two shots, Bailey was everywhere in a 27-16 fourth quarter that settled the game as he had six points, four boards, three steals and three assists in that spell.
Tajh Green – Manchester Giants
Giants are level with Gladiators in fifth and just one win behind Phoenix, after prevailing through overtime on the road at Surrey Scorchers with last-gasp heroics from Tajh Green leading to a second consecutive All-Star 5 appearance and a third overall for him. Green played 42 minutes and finished with 29 points on 5-10 (50%) three-point shooting, as well as five rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks, including a triple to open the extra period and a game-winning block on the final play of the contest as, up one at 86-85, he rejected Luke Busumbru’s shot.
Off the bench: Rashad Hassan (Plymouth City Patriots), Shakem Johnson (Surrey Scorchers), Tomislav Zubcic (London Lions), Zach Jackson (Leicester Riders), Kyle Johnson (Newcastle Eagles), Rahmon Fletcher (Manchester Giants), Marc Loving (Leicester Riders).
