A highly anticipated match between first and second certainly did not disappoint as British Basketball League leaders London Lions came back from 14 points down to oust the Cheshire Phoenix.
Last season’s Championship MVP Sam Dekker came up clutch as he hit a game-sealing triple from the corner to highlight a 22-point outing and Matt Morgan rediscovered his form with 28 as the Lions beat the Phoenix 102-95 at the Copper Box on Friday.
It’s devastation for Cheshire though who enjoyed a comfortable lead heading into the fourth quarter only to be ambushed 37-18 by London.
Aaryn Rai went for a game-high 32 points on 10/16 shooting.
Starting Five:
London Lions starting five: Gabe Olaseni, Sam Dekker, Conor Morgan, Tarik Phillip, Matt Morgan
Cheshire Phoenix starting five: Maceo Jack, Aaryn Rai, Skyler White, Ethan Chargois, Laquincy Rideau
First Half
Both teams got off to a strong start, feeling at home from range with the first three attempts dropping.
Cheshire were buoyed by two early three-pointers from Skyler White, giving his confidence a boost after subpar shooting performances in his previous three games.
After a high-scoring first five minutes, where both teams shot over 53% from the field, the points dried up a little in the latter stages.
But London was in control, with a three in the corner from Ciaran Sandy with the seconds ticking, giving the hosts a 23-18 lead.
However, five quick points from Maceo Jack quickly knotted the game up to start the second quarter, and despite pressure from the Lions, Rai stepped up at the midway point of the period.
The Player of the Month for September scored 16 points and helped the Phoenix to a 49-44 lead at the half.
Second Half
Going into the third with the lead, it was a case of whether Cheshire would start strong or would London find their way back to the start of the quarter.
Thankfully for the Phoenix faithful, it was the former as the visitors took advantage of a Lions defence that went into hibernation as back-to-back three-pointers from Jack gave his side a 59-48 cushion.
Out of nowhere, though, a throw down from Josh Sharma on Rai looked to energise the Championship leaders.
That dunk started an 8-0 run from London, which was halted by six quick points from Rai as the game’s speed intensified, and the visitors led 77-65 after three.
Cheshire ended the period with a bang as Laquincy Rideau got the steal and dunking home at the buzzer to put Phoenix at the summit.
However, the higher you are, the faster you fall, and London was certainly not out of this.
A 17-2 run to start the final period gave the hosts an 84-79, and just like that, Cheshire were on the back foot just four minutes into the quarter.
In perhaps his game of the season, Rai responded to tie the game once again before Sam Dekker stepped up with an and-one play as both teams were engaged in a game of tug of war for the lead.
It was closely fought until the last minute, but in the end, Dekker had the last word with a dagger three to bury the Phoenix.
Player of the Game
Sam Dekker has been troubled by injuries this season but he is starting to show us why he has the credentials that he has and his 22 points on 8/11 shooting was proof of that.
Team | Player | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
London Lions | Matt Morgan | 28 | 4 | 4 |
London Lions | Sam Dekker | 22 | 4 | 5 |
Cheshire Phoenix | Aaryn Rai | 32 | 8 | 4 |
Cheshire Phoenix | Maceo Jack | 23 | 2 | 1 |