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The London Lions breeze past the Bristol Flyers as they edge closer to retaining their British Basketball League crown.
It was the unstoppable Matt Morgan who led the scoring with 31 points, as the American guard helped to wrap up a 93-101 victory on the road.
After suffering a 94-72 defeat to the Flyers in the British Basketball LeagueTrophy last month, London entered the fixture with the intent of adding yeta nother victory to their impressive league run.
Petar Božić’s in-form side registered back-to-back wins over Sheffield Sharks last week while the seventh-place hosts endured three consecutive league defeats.
The action exploded from the tip-off as Matt Morgan single-handedly propelled the visitors to a ten-point lead by converting an astonishing 17points in six minutes.
The Lions strung together quick passes as they capitalised on their opponents’ turnovers, troubling the chasing Flyers who spent the quarter trailing.
Trejon Jacob trimmed the deficit to five points with a minute from time but a triple from Luke Nelson, followed by plays from Conor Morgan and Kareem Queeley, secured a 30-19 lead as the visitors checked out of the opening quarter.
It was the second period that brought the game to life, as both sides went neck-and-neck with three-pointers converted on both ends of the court.Bristol’s guard Tevin Olison scored 19 of his game-high 31 points on the night in five minutes of action to bridge the gap.
The home crowd were entertained as the Flyers increased their tempo, chipping away at the Lions’ advantage slowly but surely – ultimately levelling the game at 53-53 at the half-time buzzer.
As London emerged back onto the court frustrated yet determined, a close range shot from Queeley’s ignited their momentum.
Matt Morgan, who started the game in scorching-hot form, continued to punish the hosts as he maintained a 100% success rate of two-point field goals for his team. This helped the Lions to retain their 83-73 lead once again.
Drama unfolded as the match progressed into its latter stages, when Josh Sharma’s dunk was followed by numerous offensive threats from the hosts as they aggressively tested the Lions.
Managing 20 points, the narrow scoreline excited a hopeful home crowd. However,Donte Grantham’s efforts from distance launched London to safety, securing another stylish finish to conclude a 93-101 victory.
Despite pushing the hosts to the brink, the defending champions’ superiority prevailed, bringing them closer to yet another league trophy to reward a dominant season.
Next weekend the London Lions will welcome third-place Caledonia, while the Bristol Flyers host the Surrey Scorchers.
Watch the highlights from Bristol Flyers vs London Lions here.
