Leicester Riders produced a huge fourth-quarter fightback in the capital, but ultimately fell just short as London Lions took a 71-66 win.
The Riders trailed by as many as 19 points in the second half, but refused to go away. Big shots from Trent Johnson, TJ Hurley, Julian Mackey and Bernard Pelote dragged Leicester back into the contest and gave them a chance late before London held on. Pasted text
Lions Take Early Control
London opened the scoring through Ethan Price, but Deante Johnson responded quickly for the Riders to tie the game.
Johnson was Leicester’s main threat early, scoring inside and getting to the free-throw line, while JJ helped create opportunities for his teammates.
The Riders stayed close through the opening stages. Bernard Pelote finished at the rim to make it 10-8 before Deante Johnson threw down a dunk to level the game at 10-10. Pasted text
From there, London finished the quarter strongly.
Joshua O’Garro, Tarik Phillip and Thomas Kennedy helped the Lions build separation, with Kennedy scoring late to send London into the first break leading 20-10. Pasted text
Riders Battle Through the Second
Leicester looked for a response early in the second period.
Tomide Akinsiku scored on a tip-in before Victor Ndoukou knocked down a three, assisted by TJ Hurley, to bring the Riders back within 10.
Deante Johnson then finished a dunk following a Julian Mackey assist, while Pelote continued to work inside and on the offensive glass. Pasted text
London continued to answer, however.
Devante Jones connected from deep, while Ethan Price caused problems around the basket as the Lions gradually stretched their advantage.
Pelote scored again and JJ knocked down a late three, but London went into half-time with a 43-27 lead. Pasted text
Leicester Keep Fighting After Half-Time
The Riders came out looking to increase the tempo in the third quarter.
Deante Johnson scored a tip-in before TJ Hurley connected from three, assisted by JJ, to give Leicester some momentum. Pasted text
Johnson then hit from beyond the arc himself, while Pelote added points at the free-throw line.
London were able to keep the Riders at arm’s length through Morayo Soluade, O’Garro and Price, with the Lions extending their lead to 20 at one stage.
Taryn Todd attacked the basket late in the period and Trent Johnson knocked down a three in the closing seconds, but Leicester still faced a 57-43 deficit heading into the fourth. Pasted text
Riders Launch Huge Fourth-Quarter Comeback
London pushed their advantage out to 19 points at 62-43 early in the fourth after a three from Soluade.
But the Riders were far from finished. Pasted text
Julian Mackey hit from three before Trent Johnson followed with another from deep.
Ndoukou added a free throw and Mackey struck again from behind the arc as Leicester began to chip away at the deficit. Pasted text
Mackey then finished at the basket before Pelote took over for a spell.
Pelote converted a layup and followed it with a three-pointer to bring the Riders within six points at 66-60 with just over two minutes remaining. Pasted text
The pressure continued.
TJ Hurley knocked down a huge three, assisted by JJ, to make it 68-63 with 1:34 remaining and suddenly Leicester had a real chance. Pasted text
London responded through O’Garro, but the Riders kept fighting until the final possession.
Trent Johnson grabbed a defensive rebound before knocking down another three with 14 seconds remaining, cutting the gap to five.
There wasn’t enough time left for Leicester to complete the comeback, however, as London closed out a 71-66 victory. Pasted text
Plenty to Take From the Fightback
The result leaves the Riders disappointed, but their response in the fourth quarter showed plenty of character.
After entering the final period down 57-43, Leicester outscored London 23-14 over the final 10 minutes and kept fighting until the closing seconds.
Big fourth-quarter contributions from Trent Johnson, TJ Hurley, Julian Mackey and Bernard Pelote turned what looked like a comfortable London win into a contest that went down to the final moments.
Quarter Scores:
Q1: London 20-10 Riders
Q2: London 43-27 Riders
Q3: London 57-43 Riders
Final: London Lions 71-66 Leicester Riders
NEXT UP: OUR HOME OPENER
The Riders return to the Mattioli Arena on Friday 9 October for our first regular-season home game of 2026/27 against Bristol Flyers at 7:30pm.
Come down, get behind the team and help us make the Arena loud for the first home game of our 60th anniversary season.
