Rested Lightning enter busy stretch; New additions coming?

Around the Perimeter: London returns to action on 9-game win streak; After 8 days off, Lightning to play 4 in 8 days, starting with KW rematch Sunday; How will Sudbury respond in London this week? Read the latest Lightning news & notes …

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

* * *

STARTING FIVE

1. Top of the table. Riding a nine-game winning streak, the London Lightning return to action Sunday (after an eight-day layoff) atop the National Basketball League of Canada (NBLC) standings with a 13-2 record – two games ahead of the 11-4 Sudbury Five (that lead is 2.5 games in conference play, with London 9-2 and Sudbury 6-4).

The Lighting haven’t lost since Feb. 1 when they dropped a 105-104 contest against the Windsor Express at home. Their only other loss thus far in 2023 came on opening night, also at Bud Gardens, when Sudbury dealt them an 86-83 loss. Since then, London has beaten the Five in three straight head-to-head matchups, most recently March 2 in Sudbury.

While the Five lost their star, Jaylen Bland, to an overseas opportunity (he’s expected to return later this season, including for the playoffs), they recently added a familiar name: Braylon Rayson, a former league MVP. Not a bad addition to an already strong team looking to close the gap with London. It certainly seems like these two teams are destined to meet in the Finals – but, of course, there’s a long way to go before then.

For their part, the Lightning are also looking to add to their roster for the second half of the season, and they’re in talks to add a couple of key pieces to help bolster their lineup as they seek to defend their 2022 NLBC title from last spring.

Until the Five prove otherwise, London continues to be the team to beat, and they recently showed that head-to-head with Sudbury – on the Five’s home court …

2. Making a statement. The Lighting made the six-hour bus trip to Sudbury March 2 with just nine players. And in a notoriously difficult place to play, they dominated.

London came out firing on all cylinders. Interestingly, 10 of their first 12 buckets were three-pointers. They led by nine after the first quarter and, impressively, extended that lead to 22 in the second quarter. But it wasn’t entirely smooth sailing. Sudbury went on a 14-2 run and closed the gap to eight by halftime.

They got as close as seven in the third quarter, but the Lightning took over the game again. They outscored the Five 36-21 in the third frame to put the game away. The fourth quarter was just an afterthought (London hit the 100-point mark with 8:15 left and just cruised from there).

“I told the guys at halftime, we’ve yet to have statement win. You guys need to lock in and execute the gameplan, and if you do, you’ll win,’” Lightning head coach Doug Plumb told Gameday London. “I was proud of the guys, they battled. To come up on a bus ride, that was a bigtime win for us for sure.”

The biggest win of the year?

“For sure, no question,” Plumb said. “Given all the variables, 100 percent.”

London shot 50.6% from the field overall, with a 38.1% mark from beyond the arc (16-for-42). They outrebounded Sudbury 45-31, and their bench outscored their opponents’ reserves 33-17.

Terry Thomas, who seemingly had his way all night, finished with a team-high 31 points and 10 rebounds. Five players scored in double figures, including Cameron Lard (14 with 7 rebounds), Marcus Ottey (16 with 6 rebounds), Jordan Burns (13 with 7 assists), and Mareik Isom (12), who played just 18 minutes in his return from injury.

The statement win for London did not sit well with Sudbury head coach Logan Stutz, who lambasted his team in the press following the game. Now with Rayson in tow, will the Five rebound and put forth a better showing against the Lightning next time around? We’ll find out this week, as the Lightning will host Sudbury on Wednesday (March 15) in the team’s first game back at Bud Gardens (due to the Brier curling event) in three weeks.

Terry Thomas was named NBLC Player of the Week for the week ending March 5. In a pair of wins, he averaged 27 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists. (Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

* * *

3. A win’s a win. And following that big win against Sudbury? The Lightning played an ugly game in Kitchener two days later — a 97-89 win — in their first matchup against the Titans since they hoisted the NBLC championship trophy last spring at The Auditorium.

The Titans, who entered the season late, had lost their first three games of the season. But they were coming off a win the night before, a convincing 103-72 victory in Windsor on Friday, March 3. Back on home court on Saturday, they played London close – far too close for the Lightning’s liking.

In addition to poor shooting (a woeful 35% for the game), London wasn’t happy with the officiating. In fact, that led to Plumb receiving a pair of technical fouls and being ejected from the game.

Despite the fact London led the entire way – save for a tied score, 44-44, early in the third quarter, the Titans remained in the game for the duration, replying to Lightning runs with runs of their own. London’s largest lead was 11 points, but KW had the game within two points, 89-87, with 1:00 left in the game. That was the result of a 13-5 run that prompted London to call a timeout.

“I said in our last timeout, at the end of the day, it seems like it so often comes down to just toughness and who plays harder. I think our guys were tough down the stretch, and ultimately that’s what it came down to,” Lightning assistant coach Mike Provenzano said after the game. “It wasn’t pretty down the stretch, but a win’s a win. And it’s not easy to win on the road, no matter where you are.”

In that final minute, the Lightning won the possession battles. Jordan Burns hit a jumper to extend the lead to four, and then he made four free throws as KW was forced to foul late. Burns finished with a 16-point, 10-assist double-double. Mareik Isom was the team’s top scorer, stepping up with 28 points to go with 7 rebounds. Terry Thomas had 23 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists, while Mike Nuga posted 11 points and 8 rebounds and Cameron Lard had a game-high 16 boards.

The Lightning, it should be noted, were playing even more shorthanded last Saturday, with just eight players, as Justin Jackson also sat out due to a minor injury in addition to the absences of Elijah Lufile (personal matter) and Jeremiah Mordi (away competing for the Nigerian national team).

4. Whose turn is it? One of the advantages the Lightning have is that they don’t rely on one or two players to do all the scoring. For most of the season, the offense has been a balanced effort, with numerous players producing. Heck, in one win this year, they had eight different players score in double figures.

Last Saturday, with the team shorthanded and Burns and Thomas struggling with their shot, it was Mareik Isom’s turn to step up and lead the scoring effort. He did exactly that – and he did so remarkably efficiently, knocking down eight of his 11 shots (including 5-of-6 three-pointers). That efficiency is the most impressive part. Despite knowing he needed to step up, Isom didn’t force his shot – even with the game close throughout.

“I didn’t want to do anything different. It’s not about forcing it once you know you have the hot hand,” Isom said after the game. “You stay within what we do. I really try to do that, because we have a lot of good players. We have six, seven, eight guys who could score 20 points on any given night.

“I’ve always done my best to try to play the game the right way,” he added. “You don’t know going into these games that it’s going to be your night, you just want to make sure that you’re doing your job. Also, I’m being passed the ball, so I’m relying on other players making good plays and passing me the ball to get open shots.”

Isom knocked down those open shots last Saturday, and he’s a player who could be crucial for London down the stretch. He’s battled injuries during his Lightning career, but he’s shown flashes of being a game-changer offensively – including hitting key buckets during last year’s championship run.

The 6-foot-9 forward is shooting an impressive 51% this year, including 42.2% from three-point range. That latter mark is second in the league behind Sudbury’s AJ Mosby Jr. (his 85.5% free-throw shooting is tops in the NBLC). When he’s healthy and on his game, Isom provides the Lightning with a valuable weapon – someone who can hit outside shots at a high rate.

Mareik Isom was instrumental in London’s 97-89 victory over KW last weekend, leading the team with 28 points to extend the Lightning’s win streak to nine games. (Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

* * *

5. Groundhog Day. The Lightning are coming off games against the KW Titans and Sudbury Five. This week they’ll play … the KW Titans and Sudbury Five. And then they’ll play … the KW Titans and Sudbury Five. More specifically, it’s the Titans in Kitchener on Sunday (2pm) and then Sudbury at home this Wednesday (7pm), and then it’s KW at home Thursday (7pm) and then Sudbury on the road next Sunday (2pm).

In other words, after an eight-day layoff, the Lightning will now play four games in eight days – and against familiar opponents. The Titans (1-6) are coming off a pair of losses to the Windsor Express, most recently on Friday night. Jalen Hayes exploded for 38 points (18-for-28 shooting) in that one, while the team’s go-to scorer so far this season, Sam Akano, had a forgettable 1-for-15 performance, notching just two points in 30 minutes.

Sudbury, meanwhile, regrouped after their loss to London to blow out the Flint United, 130-104, this past Thursday. The newly-signed Rayson scored 22 in his first game back with the Five, while Curtis Hollis put up 29 points off the bench. Mosby Jr. tallied 20 points in the win. The Five play Flint again Saturday night.

Once the Lightning is done with their KW-Sudbury stretch, they’ll get a glimpse of their own TBL opponents, as the Kokomo Bobkats (March 23) and Jamestown Jackals (March 25) will travel to London for games later this month. London will set out for Syracuse March 31.