BBL 2017/18 Season - Weekend Five (27th/28th/29th October)

(Justin Robinson driving for the basket during London Lions BBL Cup Quarter Final victory at Leicester Riders, thanks to BBL Official for the photo)

Here is my latest blog on the BBL action from the weekend, here are the results:- 

Friday 27th October 

BBL Championship 

Leeds Force 88-111 Bristol Flyers 

Sheffield Sharks 83-73 London Lions 

Worcester Wolves 91-78 Cheshire Phoenix

Saturday 28th October

BBL Cup Quarter Final

Leicester Riders 59-67 London Lions

Sunday 29th October

BBL Championship

Glasgow Rocks 97-78 Surrey Scorchers

Manchester Giants 79-97 Plymouth Raiders

Latest Standings

1. Newcastle Eagles Played 5 Won 5 Pts 10 

2. Sheffield Sharks Played 6 Won 5 Pts 10 

3. Glasgow Rocks Played 6 Won 4 Pts 8 

4. Leicester Riders Played 4 Won 3 Pts 6 

5. London Lions Played 6 Won 3 Pts 6 

6. Surrey Scorchers Played 6 Won 3 Pts 6 

7. Bristol Flyers Played 4 Won 2 Pts 4 

8. Cheshire Phoenix Played 4 Won 2 Pts 4 

9. Plymouth Raiders Played 5 Won 2 Pts 4 

10. Worcester Wolves Played 4 Won 1 Pts 2 

11. Manchester Giants Played 5 Won 0 Pts 0 

12. Leeds Force Played 5 Won 0 Pts 0

It was mixed weekend for the London Lions who fell to their third straight loss on the road in the Championship, this time to Sheffield Sharks, on Friday night however on Saturday they reached the Semi Finals of the BBL Cup with victory at Leicester Riders.  Sharks win over the Lions was their fifth in a row as they moved into second spot in the championship, whilst Glasgow Rocks moved into third with another win when defeating an in form Surrey Scorchers in Glasgow. Bristol Flyers grabbed only their second win by downing Leeds Force on the road whilst Worcester Wolves picked up a first win in the Championship by defeating Cheshire Phoenix at home.  And Plymouth Raiders won on the road at Manchester Giants to pick up their second win of the campaign, leaving Giants with no points from five games and joint bottom with Force who have the same record.

Here are next weekend's fixtures:-

Friday 3rd November

BBL Championship

Leeds Force vs Manchester Giants

Leicester Riders vs Plymouth Raiders

London Lions vs Glasgow Rocks

BBL Cup Quarter Finals

Newcastle Eagles vs Cheshire Phoenix

Sheffield Sharks vs Surrey Scorchers

Sunday 5th November

BBL Championship

Surrey Scorchers vs Bristol Flyers

Plymouth Raiders vs London Lions

Cheshire Phoenix vs Manchester Giants

BBL Cup Quarter Finals

Glasgow Rocks vs Worcester Wolves

The bottom two meet on Friday Night meaning one of them will win their first match of the season, whilst London Lions host Glasgow Rocks in what should be a decent match up at the Copperbox Arena.  And the remaining BBL Cup Quarter Finals take place over the weekend too with Eagles, Sharks and Rocks favourites to join Lions in the Last Four.

That's it for this weeks blog, I'll return in a weeks time.

BBL 2017/18 Season - Weekend Four (20th/22nd October)

Action between Surrey Scorchers and Plymouth Raiders in Sunday's BBL Cup First Round tie, thanks to Surrey Scorchers for the photo

Here is the latest weekend of BBL action which took place on Friday and Sunday:-
Friday 20th October
BBL Championship
Leicester Riders 82-84 Glasgow Rocks
Newcastle Eagles 101-96 Worcester Wolves
Sheffield Sharks 86-70 Bristol Flyers

Sunday 22nd October
BBL Championship
Cheshire Phoenix 78-71 London Lions
Glasgow Rocks 118-62 Manchester Giants

BBL Cup Round One
Surrey Scorchers 74-71 Plymouth Raiders

Latest Standings
1. Newcastle Eagles Played 5 Won 5 Pts 10
2. Sheffield Sharks Played 5 Won 4 Pts 8
3. Leicester Riders Played 4 Won 3 Pts 6
4. London Lions Played 5 Won 3 Pts 6
5. Glasgow Rocks Played 5 Won 3 Pts 6
6. Surrey Scorchers Played 5 Won 3 Pts 6
7. Cheshire Phoenix Played 3 Won 2 Pts 4
8. Bristol Flyers Played 3 Won 1 Pts 2
9. Plymouth Raiders Played 4 Won 1 Pts 2
10. Worcester Wolves Played 3 Won 0 Pts 0
11. Leeds Force Played 4 Won 0 Pts 0
12. Manchester Giants Played 4 Won 0 Pts 0

Newcastle Eagles are now the only 100% team after the latest weekend of fixtures after they won a thriller at Sport Central against Worcester Wolves for whom this was their third straight defeat as they remain with no points.  Leicester Riders lost their 100% start after suffering a surprise home loss to Glasgow Rocks who had a marvellous weekend, following that win up with an absolute mauling of Manchester Giants on Sunday to go fifth in the table and see the Giants fall to the bottom of the division having lost all four games so far.  Sheffield Sharks made it four straight wins after victory over Bristol Flyers whilst at the Cheshire Oaks Arena hosts Cheshire Phoenix produced a remarkable comeback to defeat London Lions, this after the visitors led by twenty points early in the third quarter.  Finally Surrey Scorchers made it through the Quarters of the BBL Cup after a three point win over Plymouth Raiders at Surrey Sports Park.

Here are next weekend's fixtures:-
Friday 27th October
BBL Championship
Leeds Force Vs Bristol Flyers
Sheffield Sharks Vs London Lions
Worcester Wolves Vs Cheshire Phoenix

Saturday 28th October
BBL Cup Quarter Final
Leicester Riders Vs London Lions

Sunday 29th October
BBL Championship
Glasgow Rocks Vs Surrey Scorchers
Manchester Giants Vs Plymouth Raiders

Biggest game of the weekend is probably at English Institute Of Sport, Sheffield, on Friday as second placed Sheffield Sharks, who have won four straight, hosts fourth placed London Lions who have lost two straight in the Championship.  Lions also have a tough Quarter Final the following evening when they take on Leicester Riders at Leicester Arena on Saturday.  And Glasgow Rocks will look to build on their impressive double this weekend with another victory at home to an in form Surrey Scorchers at Emirates Arena on Sunday.

BBL 2017/18 Season - Weekend Three (13th/15th October)

(Action between Newcastle Eagles and London Lion at Sport Central on Friday evening, thanks to Newcastlhe Eagles for photo)

Right here are the results from the BBL this weekend:-
Friday 13th October
BBL Championship
Leeds Force 79-86 Surrey Scorchers
Newcastle Eagles 85-79 London Lions
Sheffield Sharks 83-78 Plymouth Raiders

BBL Cup First Round
Bristol Flyers 79-82 Cheshire Phoenix
Worcester Wolves 101-80 Manchester Giants

Sunday 15th October
BBL Championship
Cheshire Phoenix 80-86 Glasgow Rocks
Plymouth Raiders 72-93 Leicester Riders
Surrey Scorchers 84-80 Worcester Wolves

BBL Cup First Round
London Lions 103-54 Leeds Force

Latest BBL Championship standings:-
1. Newcastle Eagles 4-4-0-454-313-8pts
2. Leicester Riders 3-3-0-258-201-6pts
3. Sheffield Sharks 4-3-1-345-306-6pts
4. London Lions 4-3-1-375-309-6pts
5. Surrey Scorchers 5-3-2-409-412-6pts
6. Bristol Flyers 2-1-1-146-154-2pts
7. Cheshire Phoenix 2-1-1-162-166-2pts
8. Glasgow Rocks 3-1-2-266-285-2pts
9. Plymouth Raiders 4-1-3-323-341-2pts
10. Worcester Wolves 2-0-2-152-172-0pts
11. Manchester Giants 3-0-3-214-303-0pts
12. Leeds Force 4-0-4-288-430-0pts

Well the Friday night showdown in the Northeast went the way of the Eagles after they overcame a 66-55 deficit after three quarters to defeat the Lions to make it four from four on the season.  Leicester Riders are now the only other unbeaten side left after their victory at Plymouth Raiders saw them to three from three.  Sheffield Sharks are into third after they defeated Plymouth Raiders on Friday evening to improve to three wins from four and the Surrey Scorchers grabbed two victories this weekend with wins against Leeds Force and Worcester Wolves, seeing them into fifth with three wins from five games.  Glasgow Rocks grabbed their first win of the season, handing Cheshire Phoenix their first defeat in the process, whilst in the BBL Cup, Cheshire Phoenix, Worcester Wolves and London Lions booked their places in the Quarter Finals after victories against Bristol Flyers, Manchester Giants and Leeds Force respectively.  The Worcester Wolves, Manchester Giants and Leeds Force are now the only remaining sides left with no points in the Championship after the latest weekend so Wolves victory in the Cup will give them some heart no doubt.

Here are next weekends matchups:-
Friday 20th October
BBL Championship
Leicester Riders vs Glasgow Rocks
Newcastle Eagles vs Worcester Wolves
Sheffield Sharks vs Bristol Flyers

Sunday 22nd October
BBL Championship
Glasgow Rocks vs Manchester Giants
Cheshire Phoenix vs London Lions

BBL Cup First Round
Surrey Scorchers vs Plymouth Raiders

So the top three all have winnable games on Friday night, you would expect Newcastle Eagles and Leicester Riders to earn wins against Glasgow Rocks and Worcester Wolves respectively whilst Sheffield Sharks host Bristol Flyers confident of a fourth league win in five.  On Sunday the Glasgow Rocks host struggling Manchester Giants looking for their second straight win whilst London Lions travel to Cheshire Phoenix looking to keep tabs on the top three although no doubt Cheshire will have their own agenda.  Promises to be another action packed BBL weekend!

BBL 2017/18 Season - Weekend Two (6th/8th October)

Let's look back at the weekend's BBL results from the weekend:-
Friday 6th October
Leicester Riders 79-59 Bristol Flyers
London Lions 115-74 Manchester Giants
Newcastle Eagles 119-104 Glasgow Rocks
Sheffield Sharks 98-71 Leeds Force

Sunday 8th October
Cheshire Phoenix 82-80 Surrey Scorchers
Manchester Giants 70-102 Newcastle Eagles
Plymouth Raiders 98-78 Leeds Force

Four teams remain unbeaten after the latest round of BBL Championship action.  The Newcastle Eagles take over at the top on points difference from the London Lions after they recorded two victories over the weekend against Glasgow Rocks and Manchester Giants, netting another 231 points in those games as they look good in the first couple of weeks.  Another team that are looking good are the London Lions, who are also three from three after they mauled the Manchester Giants at the Copperbox Arena on Friday night whilst the third unbeaten side, Leicester Riders, had a home win over the Bristol Flyers on Friday night and sit in third spot.  Sheffield Sharks are in fourth place after they smashed a struggling Leeds Force on Friday evening whilst the Cheshire Phoenix, the fourth unbeaten side after one game, got their campaign underway on Sunday afternoon with a two point win over the Surrey Scorchers in what looked like an exciting contest.  And four teams have zero percent records so far too.  Leeds Force and Manchester Giants have lost all three of their games so far, both having given up over 300 points in those two games, whilst Glasgow Rocks also have lost their opening two encounters although they were both fairly tight contests and they actually scored 104 points at the Newcastle Eagles although conceded 119 to lose by fifteen.   Worcester Wolves also have a zero percent record but that is from one game against the London Lions, the Wolves did not play this weekend.

Action from The Copperbox |Arena on Friday night as the London Lions thrashed the Manchester Giants 115-74

Here are the latest standings:-
1. Newcastle Eagles 3-3-0-369-234-6
2. London Lions 3-3-0-296-224-6
3. Leicester Riders 2-2-0-165-129-4
4. Sheffield Sharks 3-2-1-262-228-4
5. Cheshire Phoenix 1-1-0-82-80-2
6. Plymouth Raiders 2-1-1-173-165-2
7. Bristol Flyers 2-1-1-146-154-2
8. Surrey Scorchers 3-1-2-239-253-2
9. Worcester Wolves 1-0-1-72-88-0
10. Glasgow Rocks 2-0-2-180-205-0
11. Manchester Giants 3-0-3-214-303-0
12. Leeds Force 3-0-3-209-344-0

Here are this weekend's BBL Championship fixtures:-
Friday 13th October
Leeds Force Vs Surrey Scorchers
Newcastle Eagles Vs London Lions
Sheffield Sharks Vs Plymouth Raiders

Sunday 15th October
Surrey Scorchers Vs Worcester Wolves
Plymouth Raiders Vs Leicester Riders
Cheshire Phoenix Vs Glasgow Rocks

Stand out fixture of the weekend comes from the North East at Sports Central on Friday night as the top two, Newcastle Eagles and London Lions, come head to head in what will be an early marker laid down for whoever comes out on top in that one.  Both sides have scored over 650 points between them in their three games so far so expect a cracker there.  Leicester Riders will look to make it three from three themselves when they travel to Pavilions in the South West to take on Plymouth Raiders, who have a 1-1 record after two games, whilst fourth placed Sheffield Sharks host Plymouth Raiders on Friday night looking to improve to a 3-1 record.  Unbeaten Cheshire Phoenix take on zero percenters Glasgow Rocks at Cheshire Oaks Arena on Sunday afternoon whilst the 0-3 Leeds Force host Surrey Scorchers at Carnegie Sports Centre on Friday evening, looking to grab their first win of the campaign.

There are also some BBL Cup games at the weekend and these are as follows:-
Friday 13th October
Bristol Flyers Vs Cheshire Phoenix
Worcester Wolves Vs Manchester Giants

Sunday 15th October
London Lions Vs Leeds Force

Bristol Flyers host Cheshire Phoenix on Friday night and on early season showing's proves to be a tight one at the WISE Basketball Arena.  At Worcester University the Worcester Wolves, who lost their opening game to the London Lions, take on a struggling Manchester Giants and will feel confident of grabbing a win their, whilst on Sunday Leeds Force make the daunting trip to Copperbox Arena to face the mighty London Lions in what will probably be a comfortable home win, but this is sport so who knows!!!

Anyway that concludes my latest blog, I'll be back with another same time next week.

BBL 2017/18 Season - Weekend One (29th/30th September/1st October)

This weekend saw the opening matches of the new British Basketball League season take place and here are those results:-

Friday 29th September
Leeds Force 60-148 Newcastle Eagles
Manchester Giants 70-86 Leicester Riders
Sheffield Sharks 78-81 Surrey Scorchers
Worcester Wolves 72-88 London Lions

Saturday 30th September
Bristol Flyers 87-75 Plymouth Raiders

Sunday 1st October
Glasgow Rocks 76-86 Sheffield Sharks
London Lions 93-78 Surrey Scorchers

Standings
1. London Lions 2-2-0-181-150-4pts
2. Newcastle Eagles 1-1-0-148-60-2pts
3. Leicester Riders 1-1-0-86-70-2pts
4. Bristol Flyers 1-1-0-87-75-2pts
5. Sheffield Sharks 2-1-1-164-157-2pts
6. Surrey Scorchers 2-1-1-159-171-2pts
7. Cheshire Phoenix 0-0-0-0-0-0pts
8. Glasgow Rocks 1-0-1-76-86-0pts
9. Plymouth Raiders 1-0-1-75-87-0pts
10. Manchester Giants 1-0-1-70-86-0pts
11. Worcester Wolves 1-0-1-72-88-0pts
12. Leeds Force 1-0-1-60-148-0pts

London Lions top the table after the first weekend of fixtures after winning back to back games.  Newcastle Eagles won by an eye watering 88pts at Leeds Force after an incredible 148-60 win, which unsurprisingly left Force bottom of the table. Sharks bounced back from a home loss on Friday to win on the road Sunday whilst Flyers won the west country derby against Raiders on Saturday night.

Some photos I took at the Copperbox Arena on Sunday as the Lions comfortably beat the Scorchers 93-78

Here are next weekends match ups:-
Friday 6th October
Leicester Riders Vs Bristol Flyers
London Lions Vs Manchester Giants
Newcastle Eagles Vs Glasgow Rocks
Sheffield Sharks Vs Leeds Force

Sunday 8th October
Plymouth Raiders Vs Leeds Force
Manchester Giants Vs Newcastle Eagles
Cheshire Phoenix Vs Surrey Scorchers

Force, Giants and Eagles all have two games this weekend, Force no doubt trying to put that painful opening weekend loss aside to try and improve this weekend.  Giants travel to the two from two Lions before facing the rampant Eagles at home, who themselves host Rocks on Friday evening.  And Phoenix get their season underway when they host the Scorchers on Sunday.  It promises to be another hot weekend of Basketball action in the BBL.