Yet again Lions Head Coach Vince Macaulay was the architect of a perfect game plan to dominate their top of the table clash. Macaulay’s defense smothered the Riders from the opening tip, quickly ripping away any hope of a road victory for the travelling Riders fans. The Londoners set a BBL record by scoring 21 unanswered points in the 1st quarter, leading the game by a staggering 24-2 at one point.
The Lions lockdown defense caused multiple turnovers which the they took real advantage of, getting out and scoring in transition every chance they got. Shooting Guard Ed Lucas, who joined the reigning BBL champions back in February, lead his new team by example. After the game Lucas credited his squads work rate for the big win.
“It was just the energy defensively first that’s what we spoke about before the game. The offense is going to come we’ve got weapons at all positions, so we just knew if we communicate on defense and move where we need to be you know, were going to win this game.”
Macaulay Masterclass
In a move that left some fans scratching their heads, Macaulay opted to bench star Power Forward Ovie Soko. Macaulay instead opted to insert the aforementioned Ed Lucas into a small-ball line-up with 6’7 Brandon Peel filling in for Soko. Fortunately for Lions fans Macaulay’s gamble paid off instantly, with his side putting the game out of reach well inside the first half.
What the Londoners gave up in size they more than made up for in speed, running the Riders raged from start to finish. Leicester trudged off the floor at halftime down 17 points and wondering what hit them. Things went from bad to worse after the break as the Riders ended up falling by 24 points to the defending champs. The Lions makeshift PF Brandon Peel scored a game high 23 points and his coach praised his and the team’s performance post game.
“I thought it was great. We knew this game was key on deciding who the league champion was going to be and I think we had the right focus. We came out of the blocks fast and we didn’t give them (Riders) a moment to rest. A 30-point blowout just shows that if our mind is right, we can get it right.”
Riders Dynasty On The Brink?
With Sunday’s crushing loss the Riders now sit third in the BBL League table, six points of the London Lions who now have some breathing room at the top. Fortunately for Leicester they have 3 games in hand of the Lions but will need to come out victorious in all of them if they are to mount a serious challenge. With London now holding the tie breaker over Leicester, the Lions hold their future in the own hands.
This is a sight that will be all too familiar to Leicester fans after seeing their side dethroned by Vince Macaulay’s men last year who snatched the BBL title away from the Riders, preventing a historic 4th successive league triumph. With recent departures and an aging core many are wondering if the Riders championship window is closing fast.
A Familiar Face
In a late attempt to make a title the Riders signed former Lions star Jordan Spencer from Shalke. Spencer made a shock departure from the Lions after leading them to a league and cup double last season. However, after a difficult spell in Germany, Spencer has returned the BBL and could really shake up the title picture.
Vince Macaulay highlighted how the Riders acquisition of Spencer created a new challenge for his side. Not only were the facing an incredibly talented scorer but also a player who knows the Lions organization inside and out.
Spencer’s dramatic return to the Copper Box to mixed reaction from the Lions faithful. With his departure still fresh in the memory of the fans that used to cheer his name, it was clear that many of those inside the Copper Box wanted their Lions to send a message:
“We have a unique situation where you’ve got one of our ex-players on the opposition’s team, so they know what we’re trying to do… He’s (Spencer) someone that we’ve brought up as a kid from a basketball prospective, so he knows our style and how we want to play. Therefore we spent some time putting in some new stuff (to our offense) that they had no idea about and you could see they were caught by surprise and we took advantage.”
Macaulay and his team were able to put emotion aside and secure the win with a real veteran performance. As for new signing Ed Lucas, it was all business out on the floor:
“Once were in those four lines; I don’t care who it is. I don’t see faces or names I just see opponents and we go at their necks.”
Lucas has an old head on young shoulders and with an attitude like this, he will fit right in with what Macaulay is looking to achieve in East London. Now sitting top of the table and with just seven games remaining, it’s looking more and more likely that another league title could be coming back to the Copper Box.
