MATCH REPORT

The London Lions dedication to the BBL Championship is to be admired.

After a successful 7 Days EuroCup game mid-week in Poland, the team travelled to Manchester to beat the Giants on Friday. And before continuing their European campaign next week, they drove south to take on the Plymouth City Patriots.

While the home fans hoped the extended travel might have given the Patriots a chance, the Lions were focused on the task in hand. Sam Dekker proved this on his opening basket, throwing down an alley-oop of a Miye Oni lead pass to get the game going.

Outside of an early 4-2 scoreline, which saw Plymouth newcomer Ralph Bissainthe get his first points for the side, London never trailed and built a commanding lead by the second quarter. It was a balanced attack, with six Lions reaching double figures, and nobody needing to play 26 minutes. Plymouth’s Rashad Hassan battled all game, but the Patriots struggled against London’s size.

It’s not often you see a dunk create fireworks. Shout out to mascot Pat The Dog for this jam.

The home team’s mascot Pat The Dog gave the Plymouth faithful something to cheer for between the third and fourth quarter with a big trampoline dunk. But the cool head of Jordan Taylor didn’t let the visitor become distracted by the theatrics, as London doubled Plymouth’s final score.