NBLC Playoffs Recap: April 9th & 10th
All eight teams continue to give their all on the NBL Canada courts, making for some exciting showings as the playoffs roll on.
The KW Titans took a 2-0 series lead over the London Lightning, despite trailing the home team by eleven points early on. With 24 points from Flenard Whitfield and 22 points and 10 rebounds from Akeem Ellis - as well as the better show on offence and doing well to force turnovers - the Titans ran out winners 101-97 and put the Lightning on brink of elimination.
Meanwhile, the Moncton Magic became the first team to advance to the next round after an overtime victory over the Saint John Riptide, who led for much of the first half, only to lose it and trail by seven down the stretch. Led by Frank Bartley (32 points) and TJ Maston (21 points), the Riptide forced overtime, but the Magic hit early and often to seal the win, 107-104. Trey Kell had 31 points for Moncton in the win.
It wasn't the only overtime game on Wednesday - there was nothing to separate the Halifax Hurricanes and the Cape Breton Highlanders in a back-and-forth game in Sydney. Halifax had a double-digit lead in the first half and Billy White finished with an outstanding 28-point/13-rebound performance.
The Highlanders fought back behind great work on offence from the trio of Devin Sweetney, Jamal Reynolds and Bruce Massey, who finished as the game's scoring leader with 37 points, two of which forced the extra period. In which, the Highlanders dominated with fifteen unanswered points, finishing ahead 105-94 and tying the series at two games a piece.
The first NBL Canada playoff game held in Sudbury saw the Sudbury Five trailing by eleven early on against the St. John's Edge, who saw 52 bench points and 27 points and 11 rebounds from Glen Davis. It didn't take long for Sudbury to fight back, though, and they surged into the lead after seventeen unanswered points in the second quarter.
Sudbury's firepower - particularly from Cory Dixon with 25 points off the bench and new MVP Braylon Rayson who led all scorers with 31 - ensured they would hold on to the lead, and they forced a game four after a 124-112 defeat of St. John's.
