Leicester Riders look to build off an encouraging opening night in the Super League Basketball Trophy in their second group game against London Lions.
It’s Leicester’s first road game of the season, as they head to the capital to face the new look Lions in their first outing in the Copper Box this season.
Here’s how the game is shaping up…
Riders on a high
Head Coach Rob Paternostro would have been hard pressed to expect a better season opener than the one his side produced against Bristol.
A 12-0 start saw the Riders lead the game convincingly from start to finish, with only a couple of instances of the Flyers coming back into contention.
Leicester’s newly formed roster showed cohesion and chemistry rarely seen in a team that has been together barely a month. On both ends, the Riders played with togetherness and communication leading to 22 assists and a points tally of under 70 for their opponents.
“From the first week our emphasis has been on sharing the ball, but we haven’t had to preach that at all,” said Zach Jackson after the game. “We have a lot of guys with high IQs so it came pretty naturally.”
While Jackson stole the headlines, his 22 points earning a place on the Team of the Week, Charles Thompson proved the defensive glue, dominating the paint defensively, and the boards on both ends.
He finished with 12 rebounds, and 5 on the offensive end, on his way to a +/- of 30, bested only by Jackson with 33.
“I really like the way we played defence. Rebounding was going to be vital, Bristol always offensive rebounds really well,” said Paternostro.
“The pick and roll defence was really good, and a lot of that is thanks to Charles in the 5 position with his quickness which is vital to stopping their guards. The communication was really good, and while obviously there’s still a long way to go, this is a good foundation.”
Losing start for London
After a richly successful run of seasons for the Lions franchise, last week marked the first game day in which both men’s and women’s teams lost since March 2020.
The men suffered their eighth ever loss at Surrey Sports Park, falling 87-85 to the newly formed Surrey 89ers making the franchise’s competitive debut.
Without their full roster, but with star tandem of Aaryn Rai and Ovie Soko in the lineup, London were down as much as 22 points in the fourth quarter, but a spirited comeback led by Rai and returning captain Jordan Taylor meant Taylor had a chance to tie it with a three late.
They couldn’t complete the comeback, however, despite 23 from Jaiden Delaire.
It’s been an offseason of uncertainty for the Lions, and while some of the big names from the past two seasons are gone, some exciting new additions have been welcomed to the capital.
Rai, one of the stories of last season, swapped his Cheshire Phoenix colours for Lions black in one of the headline signings of the offseason, joined by experienced pro Soko and former G-Leaguer Delaire.
The emphasis has been on signing British talent, highlighted by the addition of Matthew Goodwin from Manchester and the retention of the likes of Ciaran Sandy. Taylor’s return was met with approval from the Lions faithful, and despite the opening night loss, the Riders will see a plethora of talent lining up against them at the Copper Box.
Where to watch
Sunday’s game will be shown LIVE on DAZN!
Tip-off is at 4 pm. Watch live here!
