In just his second BKT EuroCup game, Reynolds gave the Lions a key boost down the stretch
Shavar Reynolds's positivity lifts London to critical win over Besiktas
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Regular Season
Round 11 of 18
Regular Season
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London LionsLDN
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Besiktas GAIN IstanbulBJK
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Basketball fans in the British capital were treated to one of the best games in the BKT EuroCup this season on Wednesday as the London Lions needed overtime to edge Besiktas GAIN Istanbul 98-96.
Besiktas entered the game on a four-game winning streak and was ahead most of way but the Lions found ways to return to the game and eventually win it.
Added to the fact that he hit the go-ahead free throws with 1.8 seconds left, Shavar Reynolds played a critical role throughout the game, having an impact that went beyond the numbers. He encouraged teammates, got the fans involved with his gestures and body language, even discussed controversial plays with the referees and showed the positivity and character required to lead a team at this level. All this in just his second EuroCup game.
After four years with Seton Hall University alongside Myles Cale of FC Barcelona (and one with current Hapoel Midtown Jerusalem star Khadeem Carrington) and an extra one at Monmouth University, Reynolds played for Zeeuw and Zeeuw Feyenoord of the Netherlands, Keravnos Strovotou of Cyprus and PAOK Thessaloniki of Greece before joining London in July. He scored 4 points in the Lions' EuroCup opener against Buducnost VOLI Podgorica, but then missed nine games through injury and did not return until this week.
Reynolds returned on Sunday in the British League and made the difference already against Besiktas, finishing the game with a game-high 20 points on 10-of-10 free-throw shooting with 8 fouls drawn for a PIR of 21. He had 8 points in the final 4minutes and made 4 of those foul shots in the final 19 seconds to ensure that the Lions won in overtime.
Three-point defense was critical down the stretch, too. After making 9 of 19 three-pointers (47.4% 3FG) in the opening three quarters, Besiktas shot 1 of 4 (25% 3FG) the rest of the way. That resulted in the visitors being held to just 11 fourth-quarter points as London forced overtime and gave Reynolds the chance to make the difference in the final minutes.
After the game, Reynolds continued showcasing his positivity in a hilarious and exciting post-game interview.
"Shout out to my family, my mother and father, my sisters, I love you guys! Honestly, I put the work in. I am dedicated at work and trust my work. I put a lot of work on in the summer and during the injury, I had to put a lot of work in. That's all it comes down to!" Reynolds said. "This is huge. I think Besiktas is 11-0 in the Turkish League and 8-2 before this. They only lost twice in almost three months, that's a great team. Great composure, great vets. They made us earn it! So shout out of them."
Reynolds used this opportunity against one of the best teams in the competition to show London fans what he is capable of. London is 5-6 in Group B and deep in the fight for a ticket to the playoffs. Its last game of 2025 will be against Dolomiti Energia Trento on the road on December 30, with a chance for a regular-season sweep of that team and get a significant tie-break advantage against an opponent in the playoff race.
