Leicester triumph over Newcastle in the SLB Playoff Final
The Leicester Riders triumphed 105-74 over the Newcastle Eagles in the SLB Playoff Final at the O2 Arena in London on Sunday afternoon.
The victory meant that the Riders tied the Eagles in SLB Playoff titles with seven, after claiming their first title since 2022.
After a stellar performance, Jaylin Hunter earned Final MVP honours ending the game with 23 points, and four assists while shooting 70% from the field.
“Coming into a final like that, and win by 30 points shows the competitiveness that we have”, said Rob Paternostro, Leicester Riders Head Coach.
“You could feel that from the start, the fans were ready as well. When we came out there was such a great atmosphere then the guys came out and did the job.
“After the first five minutes, I thought to myself that we are ready and we’re going to win this game.”
Zach Jackson led the Riders as he tallied 23 points, eight boards and four assists. Meanwhile, Charles Thompson put in a dominant performance with a 12-point, 15 rebounds double-double adding three blocks to his tally.
Trey Pulliam led the Eagles with a team-high 20 points and four assists while Cole Long and Christian James added 12 points in the loss.
The Riders built their victory on a strong start behind Charles Thompson who scored eight of his 10 points in the opening quarter. Rob Paternostro’s side then took a double digit lead, heading to the halftime break firmly in control of the game.
The second half of the game was a one-sided affair completely dominated by Leicester. Thanks to their smooth offence and solid defence, they increased their lead to 34 points inside the fourth quarter cruising to victory after a dominant display.
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