The British guard neared a triple-double and registered a season-high PIR of 32
Tarik Phillip's all-around performance leads London past Lietkabelis
Informes de partidos
3 Min lectura
Regular Season
Round 9 of 18
Regular Season
group b
Lietkabelis PanevezysLIE
6174
London LionsLDN
group b
Overview
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Tautvydas Sabonis could not have been more satisfied in the post-game press conference after his team, the London Lions, earned a 61-74 road victory at Lietkabelis Panevezys. It was the team's second road win and fourth victory of the season, having dominated the game with authority in the last 30 minutes.
“I’m very happy for my guys. We left a good team, a very well-coached team, to 61 points tonight, that shows the character of our defensive-minded team”, he celebrated. “In a few moments that [Jamel] Morris gave them a spark, we contained them, putting Dean Williams on him; he had a f****ing great game today.”
The run led by Morris and Lietkabelis, which helped keep the game tied in the second quarter (27-27), was the last one to have a real impact for the home team. From that point on, Lietkabelis gradually fell apart due to multiple turnovers and its opponent’s accuracy from beyond the arc.
A 0-15 run bridging the second and third quarters boosted London early after halftime, allowing the visitors to build a lead of nearly 20 points midway through the third quarter, which Lietkabelis was never able to threaten in a serious way.
During that transition between the first and second halves, and throughout the remainder of the game, the man who took charge was Tarik Phillip. The British guard scored two fast-break baskets at the start of the third quarter, establishing the first double-digit advantage for London and fueling his teammates' confidence.
“I just came out to give energy, man. This is the energy game coming off the break,” Phillip said at the end of the game. “We've been working for the past week or so because we didn't have many guys in the window, so we came out and played with a lot of energy. That's it.”
Phillip scored 7 points in the third quarter and continued providing for this team on both sides of the court. He finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists for a season-high PIR of 32 - only 1 less than his personal record in the competition. And he was the player Sabonis turned to when Lietkabelis made its last attempt in the fourth quarter. With Phillip back on court, things calmed down again and Lietkabelis never got closer than 9 points till the end of the game.
“He's the guy who's gonna give me a heart attack, but he's a competitor,” Sabonis joked. “He fights, he bleeds, he sweats London, and that is the symbol that we need. And today, he put on a great performance, but taking away that, I think the whole team did a very good job and understood the game.”
This win puts London Lions in a much better position in Group B, entering the playoff zone and escaping from Lietkabelis, who could have tied London with a win.
“These games are really tricky and important at the same time”, acknowledged Phillip. “You [play] on the road, bottom teams. You don't really know what you're gonna get. It's coming off the break, so it's just kind of coming here, playing with a lot of energy and coming out with a win.”
