The Lions returned from their three-week break with a bang, completely dominating the Bristol Flyers with a blowout 84-55 victory at the Copper Box arena.
Starting off strong, the Londoners grabbed a plethora of offensive rebounds early on which resulted in multiple extra chances to score the ball; this effort on the boards seemed to spark the home side who looked refreshed and ready for this game with hard defence from the tip.
Keys to the win
Star forward Cory Dixon led the defensive effort with multiple blocks and deflections in the first half, with his passion on full display – Dixon roared with excitement after every defensive play, hyping up both the crowd and his teammates in the process.
Another key on the defensive end was guard Justin Robinson with his quick hands and good footwork. Robinson proved to be a problem for the Flyers all night, hustling for loose balls and grabbing steals throughout the tie.
In tandem, Robinson and Dixon moved the ball up the court with pace and purpose after defensive plays which led to quick and easy transition buckets, allowing the home squad to pull away early in the game.
‘Pests’
Bajan-born guard Andre Lockhart explained why their defensive strategy was so effective compared to previous games:
“We moved a lot, we communicated a lot and we scrambled a lot,” said the point-guard.
Movement on the court was evident as players rotated quickly, closing out shooters.
Lockhart touched on recent defensive lapses due to players saving their energy, but was happy with the improvement.
“We wanted to get our hands on the ball, I think we did a very good job of being pests today,” he said.
The visitors were clearly unable to match the Lions’ defensive intensity and that relentless effort was visibly demoralising for the club from the South-west, play after play.
Unselfish play
A further key to the emphatic victory was ball movement. The ball was fizzing around the court beautifully with everyone getting a touch, leading to high percentage field goals both in the post and from three.
As one of the more prominent ball handlers, Lockhart felt the ball movement was helpful to their win.
“[The passing] helped enormously. What we wanted to emphasise was ball movement and body movement, not just the ball moving but us moving; things like cutting through the paint,” said the 31-year-old.
Cuts to the paint often led to smooth layups or two shots at the line. The veteran had high praise for the post game displayed by the east London-based outfit.
“Our inside presence was useful for us as it opened up a lot of things.
“Cory had a good game; Flo also had a nice game for us too. I think we just did a good job all together,” he added.
The real deal
Also with a notable performance was ‘The real deal’ Brandon Peel who notched another double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds, seemingly becoming the norm for the big man who has shown to be a crowd favourite in the Olympic Park.
Peel showed his vast array of skills, including his assertive post game, but also a silky shooting touch; the forward hit several fadeaway jumpers, even stepping behind the arc to knock down a three pointer.
The effectiveness within these areas meant that Vince Macaulay’s squad built up a huge early lead that the Flyers could not equal.
Olympic Park
Standing as the first of three upcoming home games, the capital-city side will be poised to make the most of their games in Stratford.
For Lockhart, home court advantage is important. “It helps. We get to sleep in our own beds for longer.
“It’s just our fans, our fans are always behind us; it can be hard going to hostile environments when things aren’t going your way,” he said.
“When the crowd are supporting you, cheering you on, it gives you added motivation because you want to make them happy,” he added.
The Lions will look to carry this momentum forward to Friday for their second home game of the stretch as they face Glasgow Rocks.
