GIANT win for Manchester sees them thrash Raiders in Playoff Push

 

 

 

MANCHESTER GIANTS     99 - 80   PLYMOUTH RAIDERS

 

Manchester took a 'Giant' step towards claiming one of the two Playoff  berths up for grabs with a thrashing of the Plymouth Raiders 99-80 at home at the Wright Robinson Sports College on Sunday evening and sees them  a victory short of qualifying for the playoffs in only their second year back in the big time. 

Manchester found themselves behind early on in the game with the Raiders making their baskets count with the Giants not being able to contain them on either defence or offence, with them struggling to grab any rebounds that were loose and also saw them unable to get any baskets either with the Raiders in control at first.

The home side were trailing by five points in this potentially deciding game as to whom would have a greater chance of claiming a playoff spot. Manchester head-coach Jeff Jones then called a timeout to try and settle his men down in this important ball game and after that the home side pulled to within two points of the visitors thanks to a Yorick Williams three-pointer that saw the Giants back in the game.

Plymouth came right back at the home side through Former Giants man Nick George and Donald Robinson as the Raiders pair was scoring with ease at times with them putting the visitors back ahead by seven points, midway through the first quarter.

Manchester was really struggling with their rebounding on both ends of the court still and saw Plymouth being much quicker to getting to the loose ball. Manchester came back once more with David Watts leading the charge as Watts grabbed a defensive rebound and saw him the range to hit a three and saw the Giants beginning to find their shooting boots, with Williams and Watts finding a couple of three-pointers for the home side to see them claw their way back. Stefan Gill then stole the ball from Nick George at mid court to see Rob Marsden finish the play off with a basket to tie the game all up at 21 all.

Gill then grabbed a defensive rebound before finding the basket himself seconds later, to put the home side up by two points and with the quarter coming to an end, the Giants led at the first quarter 26-21.

Plymouth then fought back once more in the Seconnd period as they took a one point lead through Gabe Haskins three pointer, to see them lead 29-28 towards the midway mark of the quarter and saw the sides trade the lead a couple of times until James Jones nailed a three point basket and from that point onwards, Manchester never looked in trouble.

James Jones finds the basket in 99-80 win:    Picture: JackHindsPhotography

With the half time hooter fast approaching, the Giants built up a five point to take into the Half time break at 45-40 with the home side upping the work rate now on both ends of the court to see the Raiders side struggling to keep up with Manchester side now. 

The start of the Second half saw the Plymouth Raiders claw the five points back, with Nick George hitting a three point basket to level the game up at 45 a piece. From then on it was the Giants for the rest of the game with Callum Jones scoring both free throws and with Rob Marsden adding a basket for the hosts too, Yorick Williams netted yet another three point basket as it saw Manchester in the ascendency and pulling away from their rivals in the hunt for a playoff spot.

With Manchester controlling and bossing the game from now, it saw them running up a lead of eleven points after Stefan Gill drained a three pointer to see the home crowd on their feet as they witnessing their team, beginning to dismantle a very handy Plymouth side in front of their very eyes.

Gill himself then made two free throws to put the Giants up by thirteen as he increased the lead shortly after to fifthteen points , with David Watts grabbing a defensive rebound and then hitting a long range basket to see them running away with the game as the lead ballooned to eighteen points at 75-57, with just under a minute of play in the Third quarter.

Manchester started the Final quarter off, boasting a massive lead of twenty points and saw the Plymouth side on the verge of being embarrassed by their hosts.

James Jones sank another three points to put the home side enjoying a lead of twenty-five points with the Raiders finding the Giants too hot to handle and all but out of the contest now, but they did managed to reduce the gap as best they could, which saw them trailing 84-67 with just over five minutes of play to go in the match.

Manchester continued to pile on the points on the scoreboard and saw Anthony Purcell another home grown player from the Manchester area, send his three point effort sailing into the basket and had the Giants bench up on their feet to celebrate the basket and shown the togetherness within the squad and saw them have one foot tentatively in the Playoffs, knowing one more win either over the Sheffield Sharks or the London Lions, will all but guarantee their place in the post season playoffs.

BBL Championship 2013-14

 

TEAM	P	W	L	PTS
ESH GROUP EAGLES NEWCASTLE	33	28	5	56
WORCESTER WOLVES	30	25	5	50
ONE HEALTH SHARKS SHEFFIELD	30	24	6	48
LEICESTER RIDERS	33	23	10	46
CHESHIRE PHOENIX	32	18	14	36
LONDON LIONS	31	16	15	32
PLYMOUTH UNIVERSITY RAIDERS	31	13	18	26
MANCHESTER GIANTS	31	13	18	26
DURHAM WILDCATS	31	12	19	24
GLASGOW ROCKS	31	12	19	24
SURREY UNITED	31	4	27	8
BIRMINGHAM KNIGHTS	32	0	32	0