Championship and cup winners London Lions begin their play-off campaign on Friday against Newcastle Eagles with the aim of continuing their impressive history in the post-season.
Over the 35 years of the league’s existence, the Eagles have won 27 major trophies, including seven playoff titles. The most recent success was against the Lions in 2021.
However, this success turned out to be the last time Darius Defoe and Newcastle won a title, as the team finished last season outside the top eight and dropped out of the cup and trophy competition in the early stages.
This season, under Great Britain coach Mark Stotell, the Eagles qualified for the play-offs the hard way, but have always displayed a fighting spirit typical of the league’s most successful club.
They captured the eighth and final spot with a 90-68 win over the Plymouth City Patriots on the final day of the regular season, jumping out of the bottom two spots for the first time in the process.
Newcastle will undoubtedly go into their two-match series against London with confidence, having won three of their last four matches. However, their current form against the league champions this season makes Reading disappointing, as they went 0-4.
Mockford and French Connection
The playoffs offer a different view, and while you look at players like league leading scorer Javon Hamlett (20.1 ppg), Justin Gordon (14.4 ppg, 7.2 cpm) and Kyle Johnson (15.1 ppg, 5.8 cps), there are other weapons he has. Eagles at their disposal.
Hasahn French has established himself as an imposing figure under the basket, averaging 9.1 rebounds a game (3.2 offensive, 6.0 defensive) and 1.4 stopping a game due to his quick footwork and high basketball IQ on the defensive end.
Besides threatening the Frenchman, who is set to be confirmed in the postseason after suffering an injury in the last game of the regular season, veteran guard Ben Mockford has enjoyed a resurgence after a lengthy injury layoff, and along with being a solid leader. He stepped up and led the Eagles in the final weeks of the season.
His ability to create space for himself around the perimeter and his solid defense on the ball lifted Newcastle in the latter part of the campaign with outstanding performances in the home game against Caledonia and victory at Plymouth Road in April.
Triple Black Dreams
The Eagles’ rivals, the London Lions, have enjoyed a title-winning double already this season with a hat-trick on their priority list.
There were questions about injuries and player fatigue from the Lions’ participation in the Seven Days European Cup, where they reached the knockout stage, eventually falling to Joventut Badalona, but they answered these questions emphatically with a cup and championship victory.
And despite an injury-plagued season, Sam Dekker was the catalyst in their success.
The Washington Wizards and Houston Rockets player averaged 17.1 points this season, including a clutch performance in the 88-85 win over the Eagles on March 17 when he scored three straight times in the final two minutes to add an 82-80 deficit to an 86-82 lead.
From there, London was not late again.
Alongside Dekker’s brilliance comes a slew of talent in the form of Great Britain guard Luke Nelson, whose playmaking and three-point shooting abilities have been pivotal to success, averaging 11.4 points, 4.2 assists while shooting 39.7% from three-point range , with less than five game attempts.
London has also relied on Canadian international Aaron Best, who has established himself as one of the best three-point corner shooters in the BBL, scoring 43.9% from the outside and the inside finesse of Josh Sharma, who ranks second in the BBL. Game blocks (1.9) and the fourth in the proportion of two points (61.1%).
One to watch
Darius Defoe, Newcastle Eagles
position Small/strong forward
to rise 6’9′
age 38
mpg 21.6
PPG 8.9
RPG 3.1
APG 1.5
For the Eagles, they have the firepower that can get the job done, but the experienced leadership of Darius Defoe will be crucial if Newcastle are to succeed against the powerhouse of the Lions.
No player in this series has more BBL experience than Defoe, having joined the Eagles in 2004, winning 27 titles. At 37, he still puts up figures averaging 8.9 points a game on 45.6% from the field, but more importantly, his leadership and composure will be vital to guiding Newcastle.
Tomislav Zubsic
position forward force
to rise 7’0
age 33
mpg 20.9
PPG 12.3
RPG 4.2
APG 2.2
Only Leicester have a better three-point ratio this season than the Lions and the beauty about threatening London from the outside is that they have more options than any other squad in the league, and they can all create their own shot. Tomislav Zubcic is an expert at his craft and will certainly be a must-have for the London play-offs.
what are they saying
“The whole season comes down to this point.” said Luke Nelson, international security guard for the London Lions.
“Whether you had a good year or not if you’re in the playoffs, you’re only a few games away from getting to the final and potentially winning. I don’t think our record and our success makes a difference – it’s come and gone – and another team won’t look at us differently because of our success, so Everything is new for everyone.”
“The legacy of the Eagles is that we are all about winning.” Former Eagles playoff winner Justin Gordon said:
“We are the most successful team in the history of the league and we want to get back to this level and keep pushing ourselves to live up to expectations [that come with being a part of this club]. “
The two teams meet at Vertu Motors Arena on Friday night with both teams heading to the capital on Bank Holiday Monday. Catch all BBL Playoffs Here on YouTube.