After a quiet week in the BBL Championship, due to the international break, the latest All-Star 5 is led by a pair of Sheffield Sharks after their dominant offensive performance live on Sky Sports, joined by another pair from Caledonia Gladiators and a representative from Manchester Giants, with those two teams locked in a race for the top four.
Sa’eed Nelson – B. Braun Sheffield Sharks
Sharks scored a first BBL Championship win in four games by beating Surrey Scorchers live on Sky Sports on Friday night, with American guard Sa’eed Nelson eyeing up a triple-double and earning a second All-Star 5 appearance of the season, but first since week three. He finished with 19 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, as well as two steals; including eight points, four assists and three boards among his team’s 31 points in the first quarter and a 20-8 start as the Sharks led from tip-to-buzzer.
Jalon Pipkins – B. Braun Sheffield Sharks
Sheffield added American wing Jalon Pipkins recently and he has wasted no time in getting to grips with the BBL, reaching the All-Star 5 after just his second game following that win over Surrey at Ponds Forge. He hit 4-5 (80%) from the three-point line on his way to a team-high 20 points, adding seven rebounds, three assists and three steals; including eight points, and a pair of triples, in under two minutes that broke an early tie with a 10-4 burst.
David Sloan – Caledonia Gladiators
Caledonia made it five straight wins in all competitions with victory over Surrey at the Emirates Arena on Sunday, leading to a fourth All-Star 5 showing for point guard David Sloan, which is joint-third among all players for the league’s second leading scorer. He hit 22 points on 9-15 (60%) shooting, adding five assists and five rebounds, with nine points and three boards in the decisive 22-5 fourth quarter that separated the teams in an otherwise tight encounter.
Patrick Tapé – Caledonia Gladiators
Another Gladiator who put in a big performance is American-Ivorian centre Patrick Tapé, who was originally scheduled to be on international duty with the Ivory Coast, but instead finds himself making his third All-Star 5 appearance in the last six weeks. He scored 14 points with just one miss, shooting 4-5 (80%) from the field – including nailing a pair of three-pointers, just his fifth and sixth of the season – and a perfect 4-4 at the free-throw line, while snatching seven rebounds, with two blocks and two assists.
Nick Lewis – Manchester Giants
Back-to-back wins mean that Manchester Giants keep pace with Gladiators in the race for the top four, with Nick Lewis coming from the bench to be instrumental in their road win at Plymouth City Patriots on Sunday, leading to his first All-Star 5 showing of the campaign. He poured in 18 points in just 16 minutes, shooting 7-10 (70%) from the field, with four rebounds, a steal and a block; including nine points in under four fourth quarter minutes as Giants overturned a two-shot deficit with an irrepressible 16-4 run.
Off the bench: Elvisi Dusha (Plymouth City Patriots), Kyle Carey (Surrey Scorchers), Rashad Hassan (Plymouth City Patriots), Shakem Johnson (Surrey Scorchers), Dirk Williams (Manchester Giants), Aljami Durham (Caledonia Gladiators), Josh McFolley (Surrey Scorchers).
