The London Lions staged a memorable comeback as they beat the Cheshire Phoenix 87-81 on Wednesday night at the Copper Box.
After trailing for the first 3 quarters the Lions scored an impressive 30 4th quarter points to snatch the win.
Rough Start
The experience and focus of the home team was truly tested as Cheshire jumped out to an early lead. It seemed as if every foul call and loose ball was going against the Lions in the first half.
UEL’s own Flo Larkai gave his thoughts on how the team were able to stage this stunning comeback.
“We never really had control until the very end, but we had a belief. When we looked up at the score board as bad as we were playing we were only down 6 points at the half. I spoke to the guys and they realised that this is a game we can really take control of.”
Inconsistent Play
It was a scrappy game with a lot of first half turnovers for both teams. The Phoenix took advantage early on, having real success running the pick and roll.
Macaulay’s squad allowed too many open looks at the rim, relying on some momentum changing blocks from big man Kervin Bristol to keep the score at single digits.
On offence the wing duo of Ladarius Tabb and Brandon Peel carried the team through a tough start. The pair scored over half the Lions points in the first half combining with 21 of the teams 40 points.
Feeding The Big Man
Peel’s steady game on offence was crucial in keeping the Lions in the game. He played with great patience waiting to find holes in the Cheshire defence, attacking the rim with precision.
His clutch 3 pointer to start the 4th quarter gave the Lions their first lead of the contest.
This completely changed the momentum of the game. When the team needed a bucket most, they went to Peel, and he delivered.
New Boy Impresses
When asked about his teammate Tabb’s performance and his basketball future, Flo Larkai said: “He has the potential. There is nothing stopping him physically. If he watches enough film and gets enough reps in he could make a lot of money with the skills he has.”
The American wowed the crowd at the Copper Box with some spectacular pre-game dunks. He has the kind of scary athleticism that you simply can’t teach. He showed every bit of his physical talent by throwing down put-back dunks in the 2nd and 3rd quarters.
His hustle and energy were infectious and really pumped up the crowd. If he can improve his consistency in his ability to shoot the ball there is no telling how good he could be.
Looking Ahead
It was by no means a perfect game from the capital side, but pulling off a comeback like this took great strength and character.
This performance will give the team great belief heading into to their highly anticipated revenge game against Big Baller Brand USA at the Copper Box on November 3rd.
