Super Eagles repel Raiders
SOMETIMES sport is about making a statement as much as winning the game.
When forward Zarko Jukic dunked the ball three times in 70 first-half seconds, the Newcastle Eagles showed they still have an attack capable of exploding at any moment.
After obliterating Leeds Force 114-73 last time out, Fab Flournoy’s team produced another comprehensive victory against the Plymouth Raiders.
Those two wins have put to bed any concerns over the club’s home form.
Transitional season or not, the Eagles are still a threat to put up big numbers when the feeling takes them.
Questions over the team’s defence remain but the hosts made sure the 820-mile round-trip was an unpleasant one for Gavin Love’s team.
Even with skipper Darius Defoe missing out through injury, the Eagles never looked like losing against a side third-bottom in the BBL.
The early stages reflected the good, the bad and the ugly of the Eagles’ season as they moved into an 8-6 lead.
Sharp shooting from three-point range was offset by wayward passing, giving Plymouth points off steals.
However, inspired by Kai Williams and assisted by the visitors’ sloppiness, the Eagles started to pull away on the scoreboard.
Plymouth were unable to cope with the hosts’ speed, both in transition and on the scoreboard, reeling off a 14-3 run to give themselves a commanding lead.
It did not take long for the Eagles to crack out a few party tricks.
Jukic turned two turnovers in dunking opportunity, giving the Eagles a 32-16 lead at the end of the first quarter – and on Newcastle’s first possession of the second quarter he rose above the rim to slam down Jaysean Paige’s pass.
Danish international Jukic and Croatian Jure Gunjina both showed flashes of their considerable talent while Paige – who started on the bench – chipped in with his customary burst of points.
The Eagles looked rampant and reached 50 points with almost five minutes left in the second quarter.
However, as has been the case on a number of occasions this season, Flournoy’s men showed their defensive vulnerabilities a little too readily.
The second half started in sloppy fashion but soon enough both teams were back into the rhythm of trading points, the ball flashing from one end to the other like a game of tennis.
Having built his teams on his defensive solidity, Flournoy cut a frustrated figure on the court when simple mistakes – like AJ Basi throwing a clumsy pass straight into the hands of a defender – were punished.
Against higher-quality opposition, such play could prove costly but Plymouth were unable to slow down the Eagles’ offence, Paige quietly adding to his impressive stats for the season.
The hosts were always in control, scoring methodically, but it felt like they could have gone up another gear if needed as they took an 81-62 lead into the final 10 minutes.
Jukic and Paige added a little gloss late on, the former dunking once more, while Jamal Williams also impressed as the Eagles ran out easy winners.