London Lions won their second trophy of the season with an 83-74 victory over a Manchester side that absolutely put a scare into the boys from the capital.

A slugfest from start to finish, this burgeoning rivalry lived up to the hype, with the heavily favoured London Lions needing to empty the clip to squeeze past a game Manchester Basketball squad.

Manchester comes out swinging

The first half was one to forget for London. They scored only 11 first-quarter points, struggling to do anything against a feisty pro-Manchester crowd at the AO arena.

To make things worse, the Lions had no answer for Jordan Johnson. The 6″1 Memphis native cooked any and everyone on the Lions defense. His combination of shifty moves to get to the bucket and deep stepback threes had London on the ropes early. Down 19-11 at the end of the first quarter, the Lions were looking for answers.

The second quarter was a little better, but that was the lowest of bars to clear. At one point during the first half, London went a full 10 minutes without a field goal, and Manchester smelled blood. London couldn’t have stopped Johnson with a two-by-four, and he ended the first half with 19 points.

The game grew more physical as the first half wore on, and the physicality proved to be a turning point. Quiet until this point, Joel Scott got fouled hard, and he made it clear he wasn’t happy about it.

The physical play ignited something in not just Scott, but the Lions as a whole. Scott got busy on the boards, Kameron McGusty started heating up, and the Lions stars combined for 13 points in the last five minutes of the second quarter. 40-32 Manchester at half, and all to play for.

London fight back

The Lions came out like a different team in the second half; the lid was removed from the basket, and London began to assert themselves. A 26-point third quarter turned the tide, and London began to look comfortable.

Still, Manchester fought back. Max Jones finally joined the party for Manchester. He hit back-to-back buckets and gave Johnson some offensive support and the home crowd a lift. 58-57 London at the end of the third, and things were getting tense.

Sensing the moment, Coach Sabonis tightened his rotation for the fourth quarter. Bar a couple of minutes, Sabonis chose the five he trusted and told them to bring the cup home. Rolling out a closing five of Tarik Phillip, McGusty, Chaundee Brown Jr, Scott, and Deane Williams, the Lions went to work.

They gang rebounded, with this quintet, none of whom are taller than 6″7, combining for 36 rebounds against their bigger opponents. Special mention goes to Scott, rounding into form at exactly the right time. He had 15 points and 12 boards, and it felt like more.

Jordan Johnson was still scorching hot, ending with 30 points in one of the best offensive performances you’ll see this season. Enter Deane Williams. The GB international took on the challenge of trying to slow down the flamethrower, and whilst Johnson still got some points, Williams’ length and sense of timing allowed him to block Johnson twice in the fourth quarter and finally slow him down.

Who’s got the minerals?

All London needed now was someone to bring them home. That person was Kam McGusty. Hitting big shot after big shot down the stretch, the gunslinger from Texas was a cut above. His poise and shotmaking in key moments showed why he was considered an NBA-calibre talent coming out of the University of Miami. Finishing with a stat line of 21, six, and seven, he was a worthy MVP. I’ve not always been a fan of his ball-stopping ways, but talent is talent, and the man showed up when it mattered most.

The scuffle at the end was unfortunate and unnecessary, but London showed mettle to come back against an excellent Manchester side and proved to be worthy champions.

For London, it’s been a tumultuous season. Coach Sabonis has been under scrutiny for a disappointing EuroCup campaign and several late-game collapses.

But silverware speaks loudest.

And as of right now, it’s two trophies down, two to go. The Lions were challenged, but they’re still the king of the jungle.