Lions fall brief away to Buducnost regardless of Dekker heroics

7DAYS EuroCup
Buducnost VOLI Podgorica 78 – 68 London Lions (13-7, 24-19, 17-18, 24-24)
(Buducnost – Inexperienced 16, Bell-Haynes 14, Reynolds 11; Lions – Dekker 27, Soko 11, Hruban 8)

London Lions have been confronted with a fast turnaround following their BBL Cup triumph over the weekend, as they needed to journey to Montenegro to face Buducnost VOLI Podgorica in spherical 13 of the 7DAYS EuroCup.

Sam Dekker’s heroics with 27 factors and eight assists nonetheless, weren’t sufficient to safe Lions the victory, falling brief 78-68.

Erick Inexperienced led Buducnost with 16 factors, intently adopted by Trae Bell-Haynes with 14.

The sport began with every group’s defence firmly on high, however in what can solely be described as a defensive masterclass.

Either side have been pressured into very powerful photographs and couldn’t appear to transform, with the rating simply 10-3 after six-and-a-half minutes performed.

The remainder of the primary quarter continued at this tempo, however Edin Atic sparked the gang when he missed his second free throw however managed to seize his offensive rebound and rating the putback to shut out the primary 10 minutes of play 13-7.

Every group averages round 79 factors per sport, which reveals how the primary interval might be thought of an anomaly.

Within the second quarter issues modified, with Buducnost popping out of the gates flying and scoring on their first possession, when Alpha Kaba discovered a chopping Atic who laid the ball in for a simple two.

The Lions have been additionally a lot better offensively initially of the second, with Kosta Koufos capping off a 6-0 run with a finger roll and bringing his group to inside two factors (15-13).

That’s when the momentum swung in favour of the house aspect as soon as extra, with Buducnost occurring an 8-2 run, after Erick Inexperienced intercepted the move from Luke Nelson and handed forward to Cameron Reynolds, who completed in transition (23-15).

The Montenegrin aspect acquired their first double digit lead of the sport when Inexperienced managed to attain a tricky floater with the defender hanging off him, making it a 10-point sport (29-19).

The American guard introduced his group’s result in its highest margin when he transformed 2/3 free throws with 10 seconds left till the half (37-23).

With the 2 groups not managing to attain from downtown and London trying like they have been going to go to the locker rooms down by 14, up stepped Sam Dekker.

He drained a long-range triple on the buzzer, closing the hole to 11 (37-26) on the finish of the primary half.

The previous NBAer was the sport’s high scorer within the first 20 minutes – scoring 14 out of his group’s 26 factors.

London got here out within the second half all weapons blazing, with clear directions to up their depth and attempt to shut the hole.

That began with Aaron Finest, who introduced the hole all the way down to single digits following a eurostep (41-32).

London’s Josh Sharma supplied the highest two highlights of the sport, with two consecutive monster dunks. 

The second specifically was a lovely play – with Finest stealing, Jordan Taylor working the ground, earlier than dishing it behind his again for a trailing Sharma, who dunked it with authority to lower the deficit to 5 (43-38), forcing Podgorica‘s Coach Jovanovic right into a time-out.

Jordan then transformed 1/2 free throws and introduced the Lions’ run to 7-0 – concurrently bringing the distinction down to only 4 factors – which was the smallest distinction for the reason that first quarter.

Simply when it appeared just like the British aspect was going to finish the comeback, up stepped Marko Jagodic-Kuridza, scoring his group’s first triple – after 27 minutes of play – to extend their result in seven (46-39).

Sharma saved the vitality up on each ends of the ground, blocking Kenan Kamenjas, earlier than Vojtech Hruban rushed down the courtroom and scored a tricky and-one (46-42).

A troublesome fadeaway three on the finish of the 24-second shot clock by Buducnost’s Bell-Haynes, coupled by a second from Jagodic-Kuridza, undid all of London’s laborious work and made it right into a double-digit sport as soon as once more (54-44).

The boys’s BBL leaders knew that they needed to carry out at their greatest in the event that they have been to show it round within the ultimate 10 minutes and so they gave the impression to be off to an excellent begin when Dekker crossed his defender after which put him on a poster (54-46).

A tricky and-one by Inexperienced, nonetheless, rapidly gave Buducnost a commanding 13-point lead (59-46), with the Lions struggling to actually deliver it down sufficient to trigger the house aspect severe points.

A steal by Ovie Soko with simply over three minutes left to play, led to a three-pointer by Finest on the transition and introduced the distinction all the way down to seven (69-62), giving London some hope that they may possibly come away with a win. 

Any hope of that was dashed when sharpshooter Inexperienced scored from downtown with 90 seconds left (74-63).

With this consequence the London Lions transfer to a document of 5-8 and are nonetheless inside the playoff spots, whereas Buducnost are three wins forward of them on 8-5.

The Lions will look to return to profitable methods in Europe subsequent Wednesday (February 8) once they welcome the Hamburg Towers to the Copper Field.

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