The quarter-finals of the BBL Play-offs played out in a series of double strikes over the weekend, with the latest All-Star 5 led by star Cheshire goalkeeper Amorie Archibald alongside a pair of Leicester Riders.
Amory Archibald – Cheshire Phoenix
Cheshire avenged their BBL Trophy Final defeat to win both legs against the Caledonia Gladiators, thanks in large part to an offensive blast from Amorie Archibald in the first leg on Friday night, resulting in the rookie making his first-ever All-Star 5 appearance. point in 35 minutes, and shot 5-7 (71%) from the three-point line and 6-7 (85%) from the charity bar in a tie that saw him make 95 free throws over 80 minutes. Archibald added four assists and four rebounds, with three consecutive touchdowns in the third quarter giving the Knicks a double-digit lead followed by playing “and one” and three more on consecutive possessions between 11 points in the fourth quarter.
Zack Jackson – Leicester Raiders
Zach Jackson moves into second place in appearances overall as he reaches seventh of the season with Leicester’s quarter-final second leg victory over B. Brown’s Sheffield Sharks at Morningside Arena live on Sky Sports on Sunday. He led all scorers with 25 points — more than a third of his team’s total — in 11-12 (91%) inside scoring, while grabbing nine rebounds and stealing twice, including six points and four boards as the Riders took a first quarter double-double meaning they They controlled the total tie the whole time.
Darren Nelson Henry – Leicester Raiders
After announcing his imminent retirement from pro basketball on Sky Sports last week, Leicester captain Darren Nelson-Henry delivered the commanding performance to see the defending champions safely through to the semi-finals, earning weekly accolades for the first time this season. . He didn’t miss his way to double 18 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 7-7 from the court and 4-4 from the free throw line, including eight points in the first four minutes to set the tone. Nor were the riders threatened.
Tevin Oleson – Bristol Flyers
A second attacking blast came in the away games from Tevin Olison as the Bristol Flyers recorded a huge road win at the Manchester Giants, which led to his second All-Star 5 appearance of the campaign. He tallied 29 points in just 26 minutes, shooting 7-10 (70%) from outside the arc, with four rebounds and two assists, including a whopping 16 points in a 28-10 third quarter that saw the Flyers overturn a double-digit deficit early, in While he also hit an impressive buzzer-beating hat-trick with the last leg in the first leg where every point counted at that stage.
Josh Sharma – London Lions
The regular-season champions, the London Lions, dominated the first leg of their play-off quarter-final at Newcastle Eagles on Friday night, captained by Josh Sharma from the bench in his fourth All-Star 5 appearance this season. In 18 minutes, he scored 18 points with only one miss as he shot 8-9 (88%) from the field and made both of his free throws, along with six rebounds and two blocks, including six points within four minutes of checking. During the first period, they put out a 14-2 blowout that took the gap from one shot to double digits, where it remained.
Off the bench: Alame Durham (Caledonia Gladiators), Ben Mockford (Newcastle Eagles), Anthony Roberson (Manchester Giants), Jeremiah Bailey (Caledonia Gladiators), Justin Gordon (Newcastle Eagles), Maceo Jacques (Cheshire Phoenix), Thomas Bell (Bristol ) Flyers).