London Lions ended their EuroCup game with Panionios with a second consecutive late collapse.
Big Ethan Price was back from injury and straight into the starting five to provide some much-needed size. Joining him were Shavar Reynolds Jr., Tarik Phillip, Chaundee Brown Jr. and Deane Williams. The Lions started well and held a seven-point lead by the end of the first quarter. London seemed in control for most of the game, but Panionios kept hanging around.
The backcourt of Phillip and Reynolds Jr. again played well, combining for 32 points and nine assists. They also combined for six turnovers, indicative of a night where the Lions managed more turnovers than assists. Price (showing little rust after his layoff) and Williams held it down inside, combining for 15 rebounds and two blocks.
Also returning from injury was Mo Soluade. The GB international and two-time Lion looked good in his return, playing stout defence and knocking down a couple of jumpers.
Tellingly, despite having been out for a couple of months, coach Sabonis gave his former teammate 15 minutes of run as opposed to just four minutes for Ciaran Sandy and two minutes for Amin Adamu.
Back to the action itself…
Brown Jr. again proved a handful, barrelling his way to 16 points on just eight shots. Alas, he was also a handful for the referees, earning himself a second technical foul for his reaction to a foul call and getting ejected from the game. A silly mistake that would prove costly.
The starting five were putting points on the board, but the subs didn’t pull their weight, scoring just 12 points. Aaryn Rai again struggled at this level with a stat line of 2/3/1 in 16 minutes of play. Adamu seems to have lost the trust of the coaching staff, at least in EuroCup, his wayward turnovers deemed to be unacceptable against top competition.
Nigel Hawkins again failed to find his groove, seemingly unsure of where he fits in the pecking order and reluctant to impose his will on the game.
Panionios Pandemonium
Holding a seven-point lead with three minutes left, the Lions seemed to have the Greeks on the ropes.
Brandon Taylor had other ideas. The 5″10 point guard put the team on his back. No Lion could stay in front of him as he hit several clutch shots to bring his team back.
Still, the Lions had a one-point lead and the ball with just 10.7 seconds left. Surely they would avenge last week’s defeat. They just needed to get the ball in safely from the sideline, knowing Panionios had to foul.
For reasons that remain unclear, the Lions’ smallest player (Reynolds Jr.) was designated to inbound the ball. London scrambled for space, but the Greeks were swarming them. With no one open, Reynolds Jr. was unable to make a pass, and London committed a five-second violation.
Panionios possession! Lions would need to hold the fort one last time. The Greek side inbounded to Taylor, who rushed up the floor, drawing two defenders. He left his feet with no great options until he spotted a cutting Matt Lewis under the basket. Taylor hit Lewis with a great pass.
Lewis went up strong, challenged by Reynolds Jr. He missed the shot but got his own board and went up again and was fouled by Price. Despite mind games from the Lions’ sideline, Lewis calmly knocked down both shots to secure an improbable comeback victory for the home team.
The 159 fans in attendance went berserk (minus the Lions Roar, of course), celebrating only their third victory of the EuroCup campaign. For a team at the bottom of the table in both EuroCup and their domestic league, this was an especially sweet victory.
In closing…
- For a coach so clearly focused on detail and discipline, the failure to finish the job the last couple of games must lie at the feet of Sabonis and his staff. His passion is undeniable, and he’s been missing several of his best players for a prolonged period, but to get so close and not close out shows his Lions still have a way to go to contend in Europe on a consistent basis.
- I don’t know why Reynolds Jr. was on the floor for the final defensive possession. He fights like there’s no tomorrow, but his lack of size makes him a liability down low. If there was ever a time to roll out Adamu for one possession, it was then.
- Whilst I think Joel Scott was looking to be our best player by some distance this season, the player we missed the most tonight was Kam McGusty. Tarik Phillip has gone above and beyond recently, but a true one-on-one scorer like McGusty would be invaluable when the offence bogs down.
- Aaryn Rai, a deserved SLB MVP last year, doesn’t look capable at this level. His lack of lateral quickness makes him a target defensively, and he doesn’t have the size to score down low.
- A shout-out to the Lions Roar, who could be heard loud and proud on the TV. A real fanbase is building here.
- Next up in Europe, the battle of the Bourg…
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