Bristol Flyers tamed British Basketball League (BBL) leaders London Lions in a top of the table clash, as Andreas Kapoulas' team rebounded emphatically from back-to-back defeats with two impressive home wins.
Having avenged a disappointing double-digit defeat to Caledonia Gladiators the previous weekend with a bounceback 89-79 win over the Scottish team on Friday night, the Flyers welcomed in a Lions side - led by former NBA forward Sam Dekker - who had only lost one BBL game going into Sunday's match-up.
In front of a raucous sell-out crowd at the SGS College Arena, Bristol produced a tough, resilient performance to fend off a team playing in European competition this season, and hold on for a memorable 75-71 victory.
The Flyers players looked hungry for this one from the tip, and they got out of the gate early with a scintillating start on the offensive end, draining five three-pointers in the opening quarter.
With point guard Michael Miller back in the line-up after missing time in concussion protocol, the ball was humming around the floor as the team rapidly moved the rock around. The team’s total of 18 assists helped create good looks for sharpshooters VJ King and Brandon Mahan - who was five of eight from beyond the arc against the Gladiators.
The Flyers typically fronted up on the physical side of the game, driving into the paint with purpose and drawing fouls, before, crucially, nailing their free throws at the line.
It was clear that the crowd was up for this one as when King made a tough corner three to push the Flyers lead out to double digits - prompting a Lions timeout - the cheers nearly lifted the roof off the gym, and an exuberant Bristol bench - including head coach Kapoulas - bounded onto the floor to dab up their teammates.
After the hot start, Bristol were up by 12, but as the game progressed it turned into a real battle. The Lions - who looked a little rattled, indeed agitated at times by the electric atmosphere generated by the crowd - grew into the game, eating into the Flyers lead as they went on to edge the scoring in the remaining three frames - although ultimately not by enough.
Former Houston Rockets, LA Clippers and Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dekker in particular showed his class. While the Flyers were able to initially slow him down during the first half, when he only clocked up nine points, he finished up with a game high 28 points, and sprinkled in nine rebounds and three assists.
Both teams provided ferocious, active defence, which was epitomised on the Flyers side from guards Corey Samuels and Jelani Watson-Gayle and big Leslee Smith who all came up with some huge rebounds and steals at key times.
Every time the Lions came within touching distance it seemed somebody in the Flyers rotation was able to step up and keep their opponents at arms’ length, with Tevin Olison, Mahan and Watson-Gayle all coming up with big shots.
A dramatic last five minutes saw rookie Watson-Gayle, who had become a key piece for the Flyers, nail back-to-back threes, but the Lions hit back with triples of their own, from Tomislav Zubcic and Aaron Best.
Then the Lions’ frustration boiled over, as when King was sent sprawling by Zubcic as he drove in the paint, London’s head coach Ryan Schmidt was penalised with a technical foul for his remonstration at the call.
Watson-Gayle kicked out a pass to Miller who hit another three but once again the Lions hit back with one of their own, this time from Kareem Queely.
Dekker drained a clutch three to bring the Lions within two points with 45 seconds left on the game clock, before Watson-Gayle grabbed a big offensive board down the other end, got clobbered in the act of shooting and then nailed both free throws.
King then got to the line but split the freebies, meaning the Flyers were up five with six seconds to go. There was still time for more drama though. Dekker pump faked before burying another clutch three - leaving it poised 73-71 with 2.6 seconds left to play.
As deafening chants of "Let’s go Flyers" echoed around the gym the ball was inbounded to King who was fouled and went to the line. An exasperated Dekker spoke at length with King and the referee as the Flyers forward stood waiting at the line.
Mahan told BristolLive after the game: “[Dekker] basically said that VJ travelled because he didn’t put the ball on the ground, but he definitely got fouled.”
Despite what coach Kapoulas described jokingly afterwards as the “friendly advice” from Dekker, King made both free-throws to ice the game for the Flyers, with the crowd erupting at the buzzer.
Kapoulas said: “I’m incredibly proud of our players’ effort, a real team performance and a fantastic result. We said in the changing rooms, it’s not about the next time, it’s about taking the opportunity that is in front of us.
“One of the things we said last week was, [during the Caledonia Gladiators defeat the previous weekend] we saw some people leaving early in the fourth quarter, we felt we didn’t have a particularly good performance. This week it was all about putting things right. Getting two big wins and paying the way we did, I think the crowd was appreciative of our efforts.
“I cannot speak higher about the character of our players, because a lot of teams could come back from those back to back losses last week and not really put the amount of effort, concentration and commitment to what was required, but our guys did. It shows a lot about them and how they approach things.”
Coach K added that his players had been “hungry” to face the Lions and compete against a former NBA player in Dekker.
“Obviously when you have players of that calibre everyone is excited to play against him, so London Lions are going to be getting every team’s best shot, and they know that. Our guys were hungry about it. That’s the type of games we want to be playing, we want to be playing against players like Sam Dekker, that’s what it’s about.”
A measured Samuels stressed that while it felt like there were “higher stakes” for the Lions game, the team were not “fooling ourselves” into thinking they had won a championship, despite the impressive dub.
“We just knew that after the way that we lost those games last week that, regardless of who was healthy and who wasn’t, that it wasn't really acceptable. So we knew we didn’t really have a choice but to come away with two wins this weekend. We’ve just been working towards that, figuring out different problems and maximising our strengths in the week.”
Bristolian Samuels, who has made his way up through the club’s junior squad and into the first team, sent “much love” to the fans for the “boost” they gave the players as they tired on the court.
“I was supporting this team for pretty much my whole childhood, so to actually be able to wear the jersey now, it comes with a lot of honour and a lot of pride. Especially in these games when you have the crowd behind you and everyone’s into it, I really feel that sense of pride, and that we’re doing this for Bristol and for the Flyers and the fanbase.”
With the back-to-back wins the Flyers have improved to 7-3 record on the season and have drawn level with London Lions on 14 points in the league table. The Lions, who are 7-2, stay top of the pile by virtue of the fact they have one less defeat, though they have played fewer games than Bristol.
The Flyers now have a chance to recuperate, with an international break over the next couple of weeks for FIBA World Cup Qualifying.
Kapoulas revealed he had hoped injured starter Thomas Bell III might have been able to play some minutes against the Lions, but a game-time decision was made to sit the forward, who is out with a bruised hip bone.
“It's just day-by-day. We feel the soreness and the pain will go down and we’re hoping he will be back. We have the national team window coming up now so we don’t have a game for a couple of weeks. Hopefully during this time he will heal, and he will be in a situation where he will be able to play, as of the next game.”
