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<\/p>\nFriday Night Basketball returned to the Copper Box as the London Lions resumed Super Basketball League Championship action for the first time since playing the Surrey 89ers on 7th February. The game saw Intern Head Coach Vytautas Pliauga take charge in his debut, with Head Coach Tautvydas Sabonis away for personal reasons.<\/p>\n
The Leicester Riders arrived on a three-game winning streak, having secured four victories in their last five, and were accompanied by a small contingent of fans making their presence known, but it was not enough as the Lions obliterated the Riders 95-78 with Chaundee Brown Jr leading the way with 18 points and four other Lions in double figures.<\/p>\n
From the opening tip, it was a high-octane offensive affair from both sides, with the Riders immediately taking a lead\u2014a stark contrast to the Cheshire Phoenix\u2019s start in the previous home game. <\/p>\n
The constant, exciting offence kept the crowd engaged, with fans making their demands for \u201cbuckets upon buckets\u201d loud and clear on every possession.<\/p>\n
While the Riders initially struggled from three-point range, their strong interior presence, led by Nate Martin, posed a challenge for the Lions. However, as the best team in the SLB, this proved to be a minor issue, especially with Shavar Reynolds Jr. spearheading their versatile attack.<\/p>\n
Looking for mid-range shots? Reynolds Jr. delivered. Three-pointers? Tarik Phillip was the answer. Inside the paint? The rest of the Lions stepped up, showcasing their domestic cohesion and shooting ability all over the court.<\/p>\n
Every Lion player scored except Matthew Goodwin, who finally got minutes and was actually making plays.<\/p>\n
It certainly prompts the question of whether this form could have translated to the EuroCup.<\/p>\n
The Riders\u2019 poor three-point shooting ultimately hurt them; averaging nearly 40% normally, shooting just 14% was bound to impact their offence, even in an exchange of points.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Lions, in contrast, were able to capitalise, looking like a EuroLeague-calibre team that knew its identity and played cohesive basketball, which elevated the effort of every player.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There was no \u2018hero ball\u2019 in sight.<\/p>\n
That unified energy extended to the crowd, who were in high spirits and enjoying the in-game entertainment and sounds. <\/p>\n
A rendition of \u2018Single Ladies\u2019 heightened the mood during short stoppages, and the atmosphere was further rejuvenated when a fan won the half-court contest with their final shot to win \u00a31,000 during halftime.<\/p>\n
For the Lions, they typically depend on Reynolds Jr. or Phillip, but as mentioned, the scoring was widely distributed. <\/p>\n
This was particularly evident with Karolis Lukosiunas, who exploded in the third quarter with a succession of three-pointers, and with every player contributing to an offensive juggernaut. By the end of the third, a Lions loss seemed highly unlikely. With the lead reaching as much as 28 points, only complacency and taking their foot off the gas could have offered Leicester a chance to rally.<\/p>\n
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This article has primarily focused on the offence, but this is not to say there was no defence. There was, but the Riders\u2019 shot selection was questionable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was difficult to determine if their bad outcomes were caused by the Lions\u2019 deterrence or a deliberate but flawed strategy to push for high-volume shooting. While they had some genuinely good looks that failed to convert, they also took poor shots late in the clock.<\/p>\n
Their struggles from beyond the arc were reminiscent of the Boston Celtics\u2019 downfall in last year\u2019s NBA Playoffs, where an over-reliance on the three-pointer proved to be their Achilles\u2019 heel.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Riders were fortunate that this was not a playoff game.<\/p>\n
Their poor shooting was consistent across the board: below 40% from the field, a dire 15% from three, though a respectable 70% from the free-throw line.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For instance, Aaron Menzies failed to convert an easy layup despite holding a height and physicality advantage over Aaryn Rai and Brown Jr.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nate Martin\u2019s interior presence, which had challenged the Lions early, completely faded, unnoticed due to the Lions\u2019 blistering, shared offensive performance. Martin did have a symbolic highlight in the fourth\u2014a missed dunk\u2014which encapsulated the visitors\u2019 night: nothing could fall for them, only missed shots.<\/p>\n
To London\u2019s credit, they effectively blocked and contested many Leicester shots in the paint, making it incredibly difficult for the away side to generate offence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Past issues, such as rebounding and free-throw shooting, were positives for the home side today. They outrebounded the Riders, with Rai grabbing ten rebounds (nine defensive), and their free-throw shooting was a solid 84%, a plus-ten improvement on their season average.\u00a0<\/p>\n
All these factors contributed to the massive lead they held since what felt like the second quarter.<\/p>\n
Even with a significant turnover disparity (14 for the Lions and 4 for the Riders), the away side could not capitalise on those turnovers to generate a score. A chance to close the gap and inject some excitement into the contest never materialised.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Coming into the game, the Riders\u2019 RaeQuan Battle and Donald Carey were anticipated as the biggest threats.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Instead of causing issues for the Lions, they neutralised themselves. However, an impressive alley-oop from Battle offered a small consolation for the Riders, who now fall to 9-9 and will surely want to quickly forget this game.<\/p>\n
As the best team in the SLB, the Lions are now 13-3 and will aim to continue making statement victories in their pursuit of a treble-winning season.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The players and fans alike enjoyed this dominant performance, with loud cheers seeing them off the court.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Their next fixture is against Manchester Basketball on March 4th at Copper Box, where they will seek to avenge the only home loss they have suffered this season.<\/p>\n
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