The Leicester Riders were able to make recent British Basketball League history, overcoming a 23-point deficit and beat the Surrey Scorchers. We delve into how this happened.
In game
week seven of the British Basketball League, fans were able to witness recent
history in the league.
The
Leicester Riders overcame a gargantuan task, beating the Surrey Scorchers after
seeing themselves down by as much as 23 points in the game.
In what
looked like would be a routine win for the Scorchers, we delve deep into how
the Riders were able to pull off this herculean task and overcome the biggest
deficit and win in recent British Basketball League history.
Where the Lead Came From
The Surrey
Scorchers have become one of the most in-form teams in the past few weeks of
the British Basketball League.
Notching
their first win of the season against the Manchester Giants in game week six of
the League, the Scorchers were also able to win their game after the Riders,
beating the Plymouth City Patriots.
The
Scorchers started off incredibly hot in their game with the Leicester Riders,
jumping off to a 28-12 lead by the end of the first quarter.
Surrey’s
shooting from beyond the arc has been the talk of the league. Currently
averaging the most makes and attempts from three, with 10.9 makes and 33.6
attempts per game, their shooting was once again showing to be the difference
maker.
The
16-point lead by the end of the first quarter primarily came from their
shooting, going 5-of-9 from beyond the arc. Their defence was also fully on
display, grabbing five steals and holding the Riders to 5-of-20 shooting.
Their
23-point lead came midway through the second quarter after an absurd Saiquan
Jamison three-pointer, the first in his British Basketball League career, went
through the basket and saw themselves up 43-20.
How They Came Back
With five
minutes to go in the second quarter, it’s remarkable that the Riders were able
to make it a 45-36 game by the end of it.
Their
defence went into lockdown with Miryne Thomas commanding the paint, but also
the likes of Kimbal Mackenzie and Conner Washington locking down the perimeter
while adding crucial baskets themselves.
The veteran
duo on the perimeter seemed to be the catalyst to start this comeback, but even
a nine-point lead is still quite comfortable in basketball terms. It’s what
came in the third quarter that was truly remarkable.
From 2016 when biggest leads were recorded on livestats, that is the biggest comeback to win in @britishbasketm from 23 points down (prev high Worcester were 22 down v Bristol and won by 2 in OT in Oct 2019) https://t.co/DCd3uUDLmp
— Daniel Routledge (@dan_routledge) October 26, 2023
Starting
the second half and third quarter, Thomas and point guard Xavier Pinson knew
what they had to do.
Pinson went into overdrive, constantly attacking the paint, picking up fouls, and scoring consistently. The young guard has been in MVP conversations this season, and this performance will only further those talks.
Thomas
continued his defensive ways as he showed in the second quarter, while also
scoring from everywhere on the court to retrieve the lead.
Taking
their first lead of the game with 6:33 left in the third quarter, Thomas hit
the three that took them into the lead again.
What This Means
By the end
of the third quarter, the Riders were ahead by three points and had destroyed
the dreams of the Scorchers grabbing a win over them and snapping a 12-year
streak without a win.
This win
for the Riders could ultimately push them far this season and could be the
turning point for their season.
After some
questionable games against the likes of the Newcastle Eagles and Manchester
Giants, the Riders looked like legitimate contenders. Their guard rotation is
arguably one of the best in the league, if not the best.
Miryne
Thomas is starting to show he is also one of the best big men in the league.
The rookie has really started to carve out his role in recent games, picking up
multiple Player of the Game awards while scoring 13.3 points and grabbing 6.4
rebounds.
The Leicester Riders could be one of the best teams in the league and one of the most likely teams to knock the London Lions off their perch at the top, but they will need to capitalise on this historic moment to continue.
With the new season here, you can still get your British Basketball fix by following the League on social media or heading to our YouTube channel to relive all of the best moments from the current season.