The SLB Play-Offs began on Friday night and concluded on Bank Holiday Monday as the Semi-Final lineup was confirmed.

Championship winners London Lions overcome Surrey 89ers to progress

Newly minted SLB Championship winners London Lions made hard work of their Quarter-Final series with Surrey 89ers, but eventually saw off their adversaries to advance.

The Lions edged the first leg 81-76, but that did give Surrey hope going into the second encounter. The Niners fought back from a 21-point deficit, shrinking it to a two-possession game heading back to Guildford.

Alen Hadzibegovic led the Lions with 20 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, and Michael Brisker added 17.

London started strongly, holding Surrey to just four field goals in the first ten minutes. The hosts shot an impressive 71% from the floor, racing out to a 29-10 lead.

The 89ers were not executing in the first half. With the tie seemingly beyond their reach, even in its infancy – down by 21 points – something needed to change.

Mervin James stepped forward to give Surrey that spark, scoring inside regularly and as the game progressed, the visitors chipped away at the Lions advantage.

James would end with 20 points, along with Jalen Ray, who missed his first 11 shots, but had a strong fourth quarter, scoring 10 points in that period, including a three with 3.4 seconds left to shrink the gap to five going into the second leg.

However, the hope and belief was quickly dashed once the ball went up in Guildford on Bank Holiday Monday.

It was a case of déjà vu as the Lions came out strong to lead 23-15 after one. Only this time, London maintained their intensity, their focus, forcing the Niners into difficult shots, and precarious situations that they couldn’t get out of.

The Lions led from start to finish, securing a comfortable 86-69 second-leg win and 167-145 on aggregate.

Once again, Hadzibegovic was the star, scoring 19 points and collecting 14 rebounds in the win. Dame Adelekun led Surrey with 18.

Newcastle Eagles edge Manchester Basketball over two legs

Newcastle Eagles sent Manchester Basketball packing in a cracking two-legged affair that could have gone either way.

The Eagles came from behind to beat Manchester 78-71 in an entertaining first leg at the Vertu Motors Arena, with Mike Okauru the standout come the final buzzer.

Okauru shot 60% from the floor for 19 points, supported by 17 from Trey Pulliam.

However, the tie was left firmly in the balance heading to Manchester, with either team’s biggest lead being just 10 points. Manchester took the early initiative, building a cushion in the latter stages of the first period.

That cushion was made more comfortable for Manchester three minutes into the second, when a triple from Makai Ashton-Langford gave them a 31-21 lead.

However, it spurred the Eagles into life as they reduced the gap to four at the break. As the game wore on, you sensed that whoever went on the more significant run would decide the first leg.

A three from Christian James handed Newcastle the lead late into the third, which the hosts maintained in the fourth to secure the first battle.

Ashton-Langford enjoyed a game-high 26 points for Manchester.

Manchester played brightly in the second leg at a sold-out National Basketball Performance Centre, reducing the aggregate deficit to just two points at several intervals.

Then, a bucket from Zak Irvin not only handed Manchester a 50-43 lead on the night, but they finally knotted the game overall with more than 90 seconds left in the second quarter.

It was the closest that the hosts would get as the Eagles regrouped and kept their aggregate advantage intact.

Manchester’s sole consolation was an 87-84 win in the second leg with DJ Mitchell leading with 26 points, but Newcastle claimed a 162-158 victory on aggregate.

Seneca Knight top scored for the Eagles with 22 points.

B. Braun Sheffield Sharks come from behind to blitz Cheshire Phoenix

B. Braun Sheffield Sharks emphatically responded from their double-digit first leg deficit to beat Cheshire Phoenix and seal their Semi-Final ticket.

Phoenix overcame the Sharks in the first leg, winning 89-79, thanks to 28 points from TJ Atwood on a near-perfect 11/15 shooting. He would lead five Cheshire players in double figures, but despite a solid first-leg lead, Sheffield would still fancy their chances.

Ahead at the break 49-37, the hosts looked comfortable, but the Sharks fought back in the second half, slowly but surely eating their way through the Phoenix’s lead.

Prentiss Nixon paced Sheffield with 22 points and six rebounds.

The Sharks reduced the deficit to as little as six points with just more than two minutes left, Cheshire held firm to restore a double-digit lead heading to Yorkshire.

However, the Sharks fancied their chances and they took nearly nine minutes into the first quarter of the second leg to tie the score on aggregate through Drake Jeffries, who followed that up by extending the lead to 27-15 in the next possession.

Cheshire would reclaim the overall advantage in the early stages of the second quarter, but Sheffield held onto the lead in the second leg and with more than a minute left in the half, restored their double-digit cushion for good, ending up with a 99-82 win on the afternoon and 178-171 overall.

Rickey McGill exploded for 31 points, eight rebounds and five assists for the Sharks. TJ Atwood had 24 for the Phoenix.

Leicester Riders ease into Semi-Finals with win over Bristol

Leicester Riders had little trouble progressing to the last four in the SLB Playoffs as they beat Bristol Flyers 164-135 on aggregate.

It was a routine first leg victory for the Riders in the South-West, as a second half blitz lifted the visitors to a 78-55 win.

All tied up at 30-30 at the half in a physically demanding contest, Leicester broke the game open for good in the third, holding the Flyers to eight points, while scoring 25 points themselves for a 55-38 lead.

Bristol never recovered in a woeful third and fourth quarter as Zach Jackson amassed 18 points for the first leg victors. Keddy Johnson and Kendall Lewis both had 11 for the home side.

And it was more of the same in the second leg at the Mattoli Arena, as Leicester never trailed, leading by as many as 19 points before taking their foot off the gas in the final minutes to secure an 86-80 win at home.

Spencer Johnson had 18 points and five rebounds to lead the Riders. Johnson led all scorers for Bristol with 21.

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