Match Report: Nottingham Hoods Vs London Cavaliers 64-78 Loss
After a long journey to the capital the Hoods produced a strong first half performance against the London Cavaliers. Unfortunately, they couldn’t maintain that level after the half time break, starting the 3rd quarter slowly and struggling to secure defensive rebounds, which gave London too many second chance opportunities. Their 5-point halftime lead didn’t last and Nottingham eventually fell 64 - 78.
To start the game both teams traded baskets with neither side able to break away. Nottingham showed real energy on the offensive glass, grabbing multiple rebounds and turning them into 8 second chance points. A genuine team effort saw scoring spread evenly amongst the roster, which was facilitated by players moving the ball well and attacking the basket with intent. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, found success inside through M. Collins, who finished the quarter with 8 points. The quarter ended level at 17-17.
The Hoods came out the 1st quarter break firing. Early 3s from T. Williams and S. Akano, followed by a huge and-1 dunk from B. Johnson, pushed Nottingham out to an early 7-point lead. However, strong 3-point shooting from AJ Roberts and a good offensive rebounding effort kept the London side close. Nottingham continued scoring inside, drawing fouls which put foul-trouble pressure on a short-handed Cavaliers squad. This assertiveness helped the Hoods take a 5-point lead into halftime.
The 3rd quarter swung the game. The Cavaliers came out with urgency and 8 quick points from D. Braster diminished the Hoods’ lead. Nottingham committed 8 turnovers in this quarter making it difficult to regain any rhythm. Despite this, scoring from B. Johnson and T. Williams kept the Hoods in the game. London ended the quarter with a 4-point lead and strong momentum going into the final quarter.
The 4th quarter started scrappily, with both teams turning the ball over on consecutive possessions. The Hoods looked ready to respond to their poor 3rd quarter by getting back to scoring inside. However, back-to-back 3 pointers from J. Manning, combined with undisciplined defence from Nottingham, allowed the London team to pull ahead. From there the Cavaliers closed out the game comfortably, despite what should have been a closely contested 4th quarter.
Despite a disappointing result, the Hoods can take positives from their first-half ball movement and the quality of scoring opportunities they created as a team. Those strengths give them a solid foundation to build on heading into next week’s fixture against a Reading Rockets team who are in good form.
