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Round 1 of the playoffs is complete and the conference finals are upon us. Here is a rundown of what happened in round 1.

EBBL
Arsenal 98 continued their strong season with a 98-85 win over Roaring Lions. Guard duo PG Kim Bujalska and SG Alexis Gaganiaras combining for 46 points. The Lions were led by 21 points from C Ad Cassell. Lions’ other NT star PG Simon Redding struggled, shooting 5-17 for 14 points.

Last seasons champions Tide of Fire beat 3rd seed Optic Fibres 101-84 behind an outstanding 36 points from SF Cai Nam Quoc. Nam Quoc shot an efficient 8-14 from 3 on his way to 36 points. He was well supported by SG Victor Cullen who added 23 points on 9-12 shooting (5-5 3FG). Fibres PF Elias Bailon top scored with 21, with SF Ian Needham adding 20.

Arsenal 98 will now face Tide of Fire at Highbury looking to end Vecx’s quest for a 3-peat and domestic double. Tide of Fire were the only team to Beat Arsenal during the regular season and will be hoping for the same result this time.

Over in the Great 8, Hope Springs started off their quest for a 3rd straight finals appearance with a 78-58 win over Stinkilemons. SG Przemyslaw Gasecki led the way with a game high 24 points with support from SF Gergely Szatvari with 16 and off the bench from PF Yiorgos Kakoulakis who had 18. Bennie Torrato led the way for Stinkilemons with 22 point but no other player scored in double figures.

The 2v3 matchup saw Team Nook come out on top against London Whales 116-103. Nook’s perimeter dominated the game, combining for 88 points, PG Walther Werdt leading the way with 33 points along with 9 assists. Whales had more of a balanced attack with 6 players scoring in double figures.

Team Nook now stand in Hope Springs’ way to the final. The season series was tied 1-1, with Hope winning the most recent matchup 92-79.

Leeds City Ballers scored 142 points in the first relegation matchup against Cambois Donkeys. They were led by NT star SG Magdaleno Banuelos who had a monster 57 points on 18-27FG, 7-8 3FG and 14-14FT shooting. Donkeys NT player PF Bart Leavy-McCarthy had an impressive 40 points on 15-26FG (6-8 3FG) but the Donkeys’ defensive effort let them down.

In the other 5v7 matchup, MexicanTaxiDriver beat St Purple & Greens 104-92. MexicanTaxiDriver had 7 players score between 10 and 18 points in a complete team effort. The Purple & Greens NT player PF Clint Franks fouled out after only 21 minutes which may have been costly in the result.

Game 2 for both series sees the home teams needing to win to survive.

In the 6v6 seed relegation we saw a 50-0 forfeit as long time EBBL team LIDLTallfellas became inactive after 50 consecutive seasons in the top flight. It looks like BC Zalgiris will survive.

Division II.1
League leaders, Galaxy Walkers, picked up a 103-87 win over new jersey2 behind 42 points from PF Alekis Spakovskis. New Jersey2’s guard tandem of PG Unalaska Mukherjee (39 points) and SG Junior Gonzales (25 points) performed well but it wasn’t enough.

Los Mikitos used a 26-12 4th quarter to complete the win against Rythern Reapers 92-76. Los Mikitos were carried by a 26 point, 17 rebound effort by PF Randulf Rewitz. English guard Iain Gameson had 32 points for the Reapers but it wasn’t enough.

The big 8 conference finals sees Galaxy Walkers face Los Mikitos. Walkers won both games between the sides this season and will hope to make it 3.

Detroit Pistons I defeated cup semi-finalists Hurstead Hustlers 113-100. The Pistons front court scored 68 points, led by a 12-16 shooting night from PF Aart-Jan Zeegers. The Hustlers hit 12 3 pointers in the game but came up short.

The final division II.1 playoff game saw the first away victory as 3rd seed Reds BC beat Scunthorpe Devils 123-81. Reds BC had 8 players score in double digits, led by 28 points from SF Richard Fullerton.

The Detroit Pistons did beat Reds BC in both regular season games this season, and a third win would see them reach the finals.

Division II.2
Bromley-By-Bow lived up to the top seed with a dominant 126-47 win over AJDM Arena. English forward Jon Catty outscored AJDM by himself with an incredible 69 points (lol) on 31-54 shooting. AJDM shot on 20% FG and struggled the whole game.

In the big 8 2v3 tie T20 Crickters came out on top in a battle between T20’s front court trio and Borac Basket’s wing duo as all 5 players scored 20+ points. The T20 trio combined for 74 points while the Borac duo combined for 58.

T20 Cricketers face a tough tie in the conference finals against the impressive Bromley-By- Bow. Bromley are looking to make a return to the EBBL at the first time of asking.

Over in the great 8, we saw the biggest shock as 4th seed (and cup finalist) Lancaster City defeated the 20-2 Bethnal Green Erks 84-77. SF Norvic Sorilla top scored with 34 points in the win. Bethnal saw a monster 20 point, 33 rebound effort from C Mark Voytenko but it wasn’t good enough.

In one of the most intriguing ties, Gophers came out on top against Porzigod 98-87. Gophers were led by PG Dante McShane with 31 and SF Jiao Lianjie with 30 points and a combined 23-36FG. Porzigod had a 21 points, 12 rebound double-double from PF Sertac Goksever but fell short.

The season series between Lancaster Ciry and Gophers was tied 1-1 with Lancaster winning the latest matchup 108-87. Lancaster may be proving to be a 1 game specialist after their cup run.

Division II.3
PONTIOPOYLA overcame Coventry Phoenix 121-109 in their first round matchup behind 104 points from 4 of their starters. The PONTIOPOYLA bigs combined for 59 points on 26-45 shooting which proved too much for Coventry. Coventry were led by star PG Ling To Wai with 29 points, but their defence wasn’t good enough to slow PONTIOPOYLA down.

In another high scoring affair, BC Snaiperiai beat M Dogs 121-114. SG Hamza Kutsal impressed with 42 points for M Dogs but the balanced attack of BC Snaiperiai was too much. BC Snaiperiai had 5 players score 18 points or more in the win.

PONTIOPOYLA will be looking to go one step further than last season by reaching the finals against BC Snaiperiai, a team they’ve beaten twice already this season.

In the great 8, Bournemouth Drunkers matched expectations as they defeated Midnight Stallions 118-86. The Drunkers shot an efficient 53% FG to cruise to a comfortable victory.

The other 20-2 team in division II.3, MILF Hunters also cruised to a first round victory as they beat Kauno Zalgiris 7 BC 97-75. MILF Hunters saw backup PG Vico Lachswehr top score with 20 points, but it was the defensive effort that made the game comfortable.

The two best records in division II.3 face off in the conference finals as Bournemouth Drunkers face MILF Hunters. The season series was tied 1-1 but MILF did win the most recent game by 19 points so may feel they have a good chance of an away win.

Division II.4
The 22-0 Camden Kings continued their unbeaten league campaign with a 107-92 win over Club Deportivo San Andres. SG Jevgenijs Vuls top scored with an efficient 24 points on 12 shots for Camden. PF Ling Swee Heng did have a 20/10 double-double for Club Deportivo but they shot only 25% from downtown which may have cost them.

In the 2v3 battle, Whetstone Wizards came out on top with a 115-91 victory over BC Newmarketas. The Wizards shot 50% FG on their way to 115 points, led by 12-20 shooting from C Voicu Parvu who had 26 points and 14 rebounds. 5 of the 7 Newmarketas players scored in double figures but it wasn’t enough to win.

Whetstone Wizards will be hoping to hand Camden their first defeat of the season in the conference finals.

Gauson rolled passed Pleven North End 99-78 behind 37 points on 16-23 shooting from PF Kelvin Kilgore. Pleven North End didn’t help themselves as they had 18 turnovers in the game and shot a poor 1-11 from behind the arc. C Gianantonio Costantini had a solid 30 point night but the rest of the team struggled.

Another former EBBL team CWA Fury dominated the 3rd seed Expatriots 108-68. PF Marcus McClendon had 21 points and 18 rebounds for the away team but CWA were far too strong. 6 Fury players had double figures, led by backup SF Paulo Malta with 27 points in 27 minutes.

Two former EBBL teams battle out in the great 8 conference finals as Gauson and CWA Fury will face off. The season series was tied 1-1. Gauson will be hoping their home crowd can push them to the finals.

The finals are here! But first, here is how the conference finals went down.

EBBL
Bergkamp was able to lead his Arsenal 98 squad passed the reigning EBBL champions Tide of Fire in a hard fought 84-72 victory. In a game which saw very poor 3-point shooting (combined 2-27 3FG), PF had a big 25 point, 19 rebound (10 offensive) performance for Arsenal. SG Alexis Gaganiaras also had a strong game as he ended with 22 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Tide of Fire were led by dynamic forward duo Cai Nam Quoc and Muoi Le who had 28 and 24 points respectively.

Over in the great 8, top seed Hope Springs had strong 2nd and 3rd quarters to beat Team Nook 116-102. Despite both teams being two of the better defensive teams in the league, this game was all about high scoring with both teams shooting high percentages from the field. Hope Springs were carried by a monster 47 point performance from SG Przemyslaw Gasecki as he shot 21-34 from the field (5-7 3FG), the Nook defence couldn’t stop him! Team Nook’s SG Carlos Rodriguez shot 6-7 from downtown on his way to 30 points.

Hope Springs reach their 3rd consecutive finals, having lost the previous two to Tide of Fire. They will be looking to go one step further this time. However, Arsenal 98 have continued their strong regular season and are looking carry on their form in to the finals. Neither team has ever won the EBBL title so we will see a new champion crowned this season.

Cambois Donkeys overturned a 28 point loss in game 1 of their relegation series to win game 2 106-101 over Leeds City Ballers. The Donkeys SF Josef Cerny shot 8-12 FG as he top scored with 23 points. Leeds guard Magdaleno Banuelos was on his way to another monster game with 21 points in 23 minutes but left the game with an injury just before half time. It looks like he’ll be ready to go for game 3 though. Game 3 happens Tuesday in Leeds.

St Purple & Greens also bounced back from a game 1 loss and beat MexicanTaxiDriver 101-87. SF Ioannis Nikoloyiannis had a game high 26 points while PF Clint Franks added 18 points and 18 rebounds. Both games between these two have ended in double digit wins for the home team. Game 3 should be a tight affair as both teams fight for survival.

BC Zalgiris rolled to a 136-23 win over LIDLTallfellas behind 49 points from SF Ian Leigh. Zalgiris have secured their position in the EBBL for another season.

Division II.1
Galaxy Walkers ended Los Mikitos’ quest to return to the EBBL for the season with a convincing 92-71 win. SF Tomas Norkus had a big game with 33 points (13-17 FG) and 10 rebounds, as well as holding his opposing SF to 3-23 shooting.

PG Daniel Urenda hit a mid range shot to win the game 117-114 for the top seed Detroit Pistons I. The Pistons’ perimeter combined for 82 points in the victory. Reds BC PG Nurullah Ilican had a big 46 point game but missed the final go ahead shot at the end of the game.

Detroit Pistons I have been in division II.1 for 26 seasons, never making it to the top level. They are now 2 wins away from getting there. However, they face Galaxy Walkers who are looking to return to the EBBL after relegation in season 53.

Division II.2
Bromley-By-Bow beat T20 Cricketers 86-71 in their quest to get back to the EBBL. SG Jon Catty led the way again for Bromley as he ended with 21 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. 5 T20 players scored in double figures but it wasn’t enough.

Lancaster City once again pulled off an upset as they beat Gophers 95-91. PG Norvic Sorilla top scored again for Lancaster, this time with 41 points. SF Dai Kunzheng added 30 points. Gophers SF Jiao Lianjie had 28 points but they could contain the Lancaster duo enough.

Bromley will go in to the finals as strong favourites given their 21-1 record and dominant playoff results, but Lancaster have shown this season they shouldn’t be underestimated.

Division II.3
PONTIOPOYLA reached the division II.3 finals for the first time as they beat BC Snaiperiai 99-84 behind 30 points from C Pierpaolo Bocchia. BC Snaiperiai C Perry Stanley also had 30 points but his supporting cast couldn’t keep up with the PONTIOPOYLA squad.

In the great 8 battle between the two 20-2 teams, Bournemouth Drunkers came out on top 98-88. The Drunkers’ guards Andrea Vandini and Jan Decken combined for 56 points and outplayed the Hunters big duo who combined for 46 points. The Hunters dominated the glass 62-33 but couldn’t overcome the Drunkers 15 3-pointers on the scoreboard to win.

Bournemouth Drunkers won the sole matchup between them and PONTIOPOYLA and have home court advantage in these finals. They are looking to go back to the EBBL at the first time of asking.

Division II,4
Camden Kings continued their unbeaten season with a 98-79 over Whetstone Wizards. 24 assists on 35 made baskets showed the strong team performance by the Kings as well as 12 3-pointers were too much for the Wizards to overcome.

Gauson were able to outscore CWA Fury in a 4th quarter shoot-out to win and head to the finals. A 49-40 4th quarter went Gauson’s way to give them a 123-114 victory. A game that saw 7 players score 20+ points, 23 combined 3-pointers and 116 rebounds as both teams battled hard to win.

Camden can go in to the finals with the comfort of guaranteed promotion due to their 22-0 record. However they will be wanting to maintain their perfect season with a finals victory. Gauson on the other hand know 2 wins gets them back to the top flight.

Game 1 of the finals is done!

EBBL
Arsenal 98 dominated the 2nd half in a 108-85 win in game 1 of the EBBL finals. A 57-34 second half from Arsenal means they go 1-0 up in the series, and maintain home court advantage should we have a game 3. 71 points from the Arsenal perimeter, led by 29 points from SG Placido Rubio Lopez. The EBBL MVP, Przemyslaw Gasecki, struggled in the game shooting on 2-12 FG and only 4 points. Hope Springs did win the battle on the boards, and were able to grab 22 offensive rebounds, but it wasn’t good enough to overcome the 17 3-pointers from Arsenal 98. Game 2 on Saturday could see Bergkamp win his first EBBL title, but Hope Springs will be looking for their home crowd to motive them to reach a game 3.

Leeds City Ballers started each half on fire with 38 points in the first quarter and 37 in the third as they comfortably beat Cambois Donkeys 114-98 to secure their EBBL status for next season. Leeds had 6 players score in double figures and had a total of 26 assists in a real team effort. SF Daryl Tracy shot 9-11 FG on his way to 23 points to lead the way for Leeds. PF Bart Leavy-McCarthy had a game high 32 points for the Donkeys who will find themselves in division 2 next season after two seasons in the EBBL.

In the other win or go down game, St Purple & Greens was able to overcome the home court advantage and win 112-100 thanks to a 38-24 final period. SF Ioannis Nikoloyiannis had a monster 41 points for the Purple & Greens. C Ernest Lichtarski also had a big game as he finished with 17 points, 16 rebounds and 6 blocks. MexicanTaxiDriver SG Roxer Palleres had an impressive 35 point, 8 assist game but too many fouls from MexicanTaxiDriver gave the Purple & Greens too many free throws for them to overcome in the end. St Purple & Greens survive for a second EBBL season whereas MexicanTaxiDriver will relegate back to division two after 1 season in the top flight.

Division II.1
A 40-21 first quarter was enough for Galaxy Walkers to go on to win game 1 of their series against Detroit Pistons I. PF Aleksis Spakovskis looked unstoppable as he scored 61 points for the Walkers. SF Tomas Norkus also added 26 points on an efficient 11-15 shooting. Detroit’s guard duo combined for 60 points but Spakovskis’ massive game was too much to contend with. The Pistons will be looking to win game 2 at home to tie the series.

Division II.2
Lancaster City rested their star players for game 1 of the finals as Bromley-By-Bow cruised to a 100-45 win. PF Gale Driver almost had a triple double as he finished with 20 points, 24 rebounds and 8 assists. However it was C Marti Guim who top scored with 21 points. SF Jon Catty, who finished 3rd in MVP voting, had a quiet night as he only took 5 shots but he was still able to finish with 13 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Bromley looked comfortable in game 1 and will be looking to finish the series on Saturday and return to the EBBL at the first attempt.

Division II.3
Bournemouth Drunkers locked in defensively as they held PONTIOPOYLA to only 65 points in a comfortable win in game 1. PONTIOPOYLA were held to only 31% shooting in the game by the Drunkers strong defence. The Drunkers were better than their opponents in almost every stat in the game and will be looking to get this series wrapped up in 2 games and returning to the EBBL.

Division II.4
Camden Kings had their unbeaten season ended in game 1 as Gauson were able to win game 1 on the road 110-98. All 7 of Gauson’s players scored in double figures, led by SG Joedson Borges Lima with 25. Camden shot only 38% in the game as their offence struggled. Gauson will be hoping to win the title on their home court and win promotion back to the EBBL. Camden have already secured promotion due to their 22-0 regular season record, but they will be desperate to finish the season with the title and will need a big performance in game 2.

Game 2 of the finals is complete, and we only have 1 series going to game 3!

EBBL
Arsenal 98 overcame a 11-0 start by Hope Springs to win 93-87 and clinch their first EBBL title in franchise history! SG Alexis Gaganiaras top scored for Arsenal 98 with 31 points, shooting 5-7 from 3 and 10-10 from the line. MVP Przemyslaw Gaseecki had a game high 39 points for Hope Springs. Hope Springs may have a few complaints about to officiating as Arsenal was sent to the line twice as many times than Hope Springs which may have been the difference in the game as Hope Springs actually scored more baskets and dominated the glass.

Congratulations to Bergkamp and Arsenal 98 on winning the EBBL title after an impressive 21-1 regular season.

Division II.1
Division II.1 will see the only game 3 in the top 5 leagues in England as Detroit Pistons I were able to win 105-91 over Galaxy Walkers to keep their season alive. PG Daniel Urenda and SG Wu Fubing combined to hit 12 3-pointers and 63 points in the win PF Aart-Jan Zeegers also had a solid all-round game with 10 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists. Galaxy Walkers PF Aleksis Spakovskis followed up his monster 61 point game 1 performance with another big 47 point game, but it wasn't enough this time. The Pistons will need to find a way to slow him down in game 3.

Division II.2
Bromley-By-Bow completed the two game sweep of cup finalist Lancaster City with a 96-90 win. Bromley were led by 30 points from PG Urbonas Jurgelionis who also had 5 steals. Lancaster perimeter trio combined for 84 of their 90 points but Bromley's team effort was enough to win on the road.

Congratulations to SalimSasa and Bromley-By-Bow on promotion back to the EBBL.

Division II.3
The Bournemouth Drunkers made 14 3-pointers on 52% 3FG on their way to a 100-86 win on the road against PONTIOPOYLA to win the division II.3 title. SG Andrea Vandini hit 5 of those 3s on his way to a game high 27 points for the Drunkers. PONTIOPOYLA struggled shooting again, making only 36% of their shots. They were led by PF Todd Dunn who had 19 points and 14 rebounds on 8-24 shooting.

Congratulations to Mr JJ and the Bournemouth Drunkers on promotion to the EBBL after 1 season away.

Division II.4
Gauson upset the 22-0 Camden Kings by winning the finals 2-0 with a high scoring 126-104 win in game 2 at home. Gauson had 7 players score in double figures in an offensive showcase which saw them shoot 57% FG and 55% 3FG along with 26 assists. it was PG Claudio Pedrosa that led the way with a game high 24 points for Gauson. Camden shot an impressive 15-29 from downtown but poor inside shooting (19-60 2FG) slowed their attack down.

Congratulations to hono and Gauson for winning the division II.4 title and promotion back to EBBL.

A second congratulations goes out to Adam408 and Camden Kings as they also achieve promotion due to having the best regular season record in division 2 after going 22-0.