London
Lions could have won their first BBL Championship title over the weekend if
reigning champions Leicester had slipped up, but convincing wins at home to
Worcester and on the road at Manchester mean the Riders can still win if Lions
slip up in their final three games.
That
is no surprise to Lions coach Vince Razaq. “I think Leicester have done well to
get to where they‘ve got to,” he said.
“Because
we had such a head start we just looked at it as how many games were left for
us to get to the required number of wins. But they battled on as you expect
three-time champions to do.”
A
defeat against Cheshire today throws Lions into a difficult last two games –
away to third-placed Newcastle on Friday and home to the Riders on Sunday.
London need just one win – Leicester need to win both of their last two.
“No-one
other than these two teams have won the league for the past seven years so you
have to respect them for that,” said Razaq.
“We
just want to win it - whichever way we win it is a result of all the work we’ve
put in for the all other games - not the last one or the first one. I think
we’ve been very professional in that last month or so.”
BBL/Mansoor AhmedCopyright: BBL/Mansoor Ahmed
Preview: London Lions v Cheshire Phoenix
Tip-off: 16:00 BST
London Lions welcome Cheshire Phoenix to the Copper Box Arena on Easter Monday. A victory for London Lions would see them claim the BBL Championship title. Cheshire Phoenix sit eighth in the table with this being one of their three remaining matches.
Consecutive wins for second-place Leicester Riders this weekend means the Lions' fate is in their own hands.
A Cheshire win would help cement the last play-off place they currently occupy and Phoenix can still chase down the Sharks/Raiders who sit above them having played two more games.
London Lions have been victorious in the previous two meetings between the teams in the BBL this season.
BBLCopyright: BBL
How can I watch London Lions v Cheshire Phoenix?
You can watch London Lions v Cheshire Phoenix in the BBL live on the BBC Sport website, app, connected TV and iPlayer on Monday, 22 April from 15:50-18:00.
The game will also be available to watch in full on BBC iPlayer for 30 days.
Get Inspired: how to get into basketball
Get Inspired
#GetInspired
Is basketball for me?
Basketball can be played by people of any age, size or ability and with thousands of outdoor courts across the country - where you can play for free - there's plenty of places to practice if you don't fancy competing with a team.
Live Reporting
All times stated are UK
BBL/Mansoor AhmedCopyright: BBL/Mansoor Ahmed 
BBLCopyright: BBL 
Latest Post“We just want to win it – we don’t care how”
London Lions could have won their first BBL Championship title over the weekend if reigning champions Leicester had slipped up, but convincing wins at home to Worcester and on the road at Manchester mean the Riders can still win if Lions slip up in their final three games.
That is no surprise to Lions coach Vince Razaq. “I think Leicester have done well to get to where they‘ve got to,” he said.
“Because we had such a head start we just looked at it as how many games were left for us to get to the required number of wins. But they battled on as you expect three-time champions to do.”
A defeat against Cheshire today throws Lions into a difficult last two games – away to third-placed Newcastle on Friday and home to the Riders on Sunday. London need just one win – Leicester need to win both of their last two.
“No-one other than these two teams have won the league for the past seven years so you have to respect them for that,” said Razaq.
“We just want to win it - whichever way we win it is a result of all the work we’ve put in for the all other games - not the last one or the first one. I think we’ve been very professional in that last month or so.”
Preview: London Lions v Cheshire Phoenix
Tip-off: 16:00 BST
London Lions welcome Cheshire Phoenix to the Copper Box Arena on Easter Monday. A victory for London Lions would see them claim the BBL Championship title. Cheshire Phoenix sit eighth in the table with this being one of their three remaining matches.
Consecutive wins for second-place Leicester Riders this weekend means the Lions' fate is in their own hands.
A Cheshire win would help cement the last play-off place they currently occupy and Phoenix can still chase down the Sharks/Raiders who sit above them having played two more games.
London Lions have been victorious in the previous two meetings between the teams in the BBL this season.
How can I watch London Lions v Cheshire Phoenix?
You can watch London Lions v Cheshire Phoenix in the BBL live on the BBC Sport website, app, connected TV and iPlayer on Monday, 22 April from 15:50-18:00.
The game will also be available to watch in full on BBC iPlayer for 30 days.
Get Inspired: how to get into basketball
Get Inspired
#GetInspired
Is basketball for me?
Basketball can be played by people of any age, size or ability and with thousands of outdoor courts across the country - where you can play for free - there's plenty of places to practice if you don't fancy competing with a team.
How do I start playing basketball?
Find your local club by visiting England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Basketball Association websites.