London, Saturday 24 October 2026 — London Lions maintained their unbeaten start to the SLB Championship season on Saturday night, holding off a late Bristol Flyers comeback to secure an 82-76 victory at the Copper Box Arena during the club’s Space Jam-themed game night.
The Lions controlled much of the contest, building a 16-point lead in the third quarter before Bristol threatened to turn the game around in the closing stages.
London responded with key baskets and defensive stops down the stretch to preserve the win and improve to 7-0 in league play.
Deane Williams led the Lions with 17 points, while Maxwell Lewis added 15 and Ethan Price finished with 10 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. London also found valuable contributions across the roster, with Joel Scott and Devante Jones scoring nine points apiece.
London set the tone from the opening quarter, with O’Garro finishing off a ball screen before Devante Jones rejected the screen for a basket of his own.
The Lions’ defensive pressure limited Bristol’s early opportunities, while Price connected from beyond the arc and Aaryn Rai added a corner three to help the hosts open up a 14-3 lead.
London carried a 17-8 advantage into the second quarter.
The Lions continued to find scoring opportunities in the second, with Williams finishing inside before adding a three-pointer and a dunk off a pass from Morayo Soluade.
Lewis also connected from deep, and a pocket pass from Lewis set up Thomas Kennedy for a slam as London maintained control.
Bristol began to find its range from three-point territory late in the half, with Case knocking down consecutive shots from beyond the arc to cut into the deficit.
Tarik Phillip answered with an and-one step-back three-pointer, but another Bristol triple at the buzzer left London leading 37-28 at half-time.
London responded strongly after the break. Joel Scott finished off a pick-and-roll before Zae Horton added a floater, and Price delivered a dunk at the other end after a strong defensive possession.
Price then rejected a Bristol attempt at the rim, leading to a Williams slam in transition that forced a Flyers timeout with London ahead 53-37.
The Lions continued to move the ball effectively, with Williams finishing another dunk off a well-worked possession before Price added a basket inside. A full-court pass from Price found Phillip for a finish before the buzzer, giving London a 61-45 advantage entering the final quarter.
However, Bristol refused to go away. Bailey hit consecutive three-pointers early in the fourth to reduce the gap, and despite Price answering with a three of his own, the visitors continued to build momentum.
A series of baskets, including an and-one from Bailey, brought Bristol within striking distance before another three-pointer made it a three-point game.
With the pressure mounting, Scott finished inside to settle London before Williams connected from beyond the arc to restore some breathing room. Horton added a timely shot late in the shot clock, but Bristol continued to threaten, with Bailey hitting another difficult three to make it a six-point game.
With 21.6 seconds remaining, London led 80-76. Williams was fouled in the closing seconds and converted one of two free throws, before the Lions regained possession after Bristol knocked the ball out of bounds while attempting to secure the rebound. London held on to complete the 82-76 win.
Head coach Tautvydas Sabonis praised the team's start and third-quarter performance but stressed the need to maintain focus for the full 40 minutes.
“We dominated the game for three quarters, setting the tone early. We did a good job in the third, but then we relaxed and thought the game was done. We’ve got to understand that we need to go 40 minutes, possession after possession, and finish out games,” said Sabonis.
“In the SLB we can survive that, but in EuroCup we might not. We’ve got to learn from this and keep getting better. As a coach, I obviously want more, but at least the fans got a little something extra,” he added.
Lions captain Deane Williams echoed the importance of continuing to build on the performance.
“Good energy, there were good things in there, but we have to keep getting better,” said Williams.
The result keeps London unbeaten at 7-0 in the SLB Championship, with the Lions now turning their attention back to European competition. They return to the Copper Box Arena on Wednesday to face Türk Telekom in the EuroCup.
