Newcastle Eagles v Manchester Giants live stream: Watch British Basketball League action online
Friday evening (7:30pm UK) in Newcastle, the Eagles look to shake off the effects of a disastrous 2021-22 season, while the Manchester Giants are hoping to build upon the most successful season in the team’s history.
How to live stream London Lions v Leicester Riders online:
Bet365* stream a selection of BBL games live for account holders. Those interested in streaming London Lions v Leicester Riders live can take advantage of this service by following the simple steps below. After following the link below, you’ll notice the landing page advertises FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifying is on Bet365’s schedule, too.
- Click on this link.
- Click ‘join now’ and enter details.
- Log in and fund your account.
- Navigate to the ‘In-Play’ link at the top of the homepage and select your desired event.
*Geo restrictions apply, 18+ only, must have a funded account or placed a bet in the last 24 hours, GambleAware. All odds and offers within this article are accurate at the time of writing (13:50, 29/09/22).
Newcastle Eagles Team News
Seven BBL Championships, seven BBL playoff titles, seven BBL Trophies, six BBL Cups, an English National Cup…
No matter how you slice it, the Newcastle Eagles are the most successful team in the history of British basketball. That they did all of that in under two decades (starting in 2004-05) qualifies them as a bona fide dynasty. In the 16 seasons between 2004-05 (recall the cancelled COVID season in ’19-’20) and 2020-21, not once did Newcastle fail to win at least 60% of the regular season games, and posted a winning percentage of at least 75% in nine of those seasons.
It’s worth noting however, that since their last truly world beating season (2014-15, when they posted the league’s best regular season record, and won the playoff championship, the BBL Trophy and the BBL Cup, under the guidance of club legend Fab Flournoy), though the silverware has kept trickling in (BBL Cups in 2016, 2017 and 2021, a BBL Trophy in 2020, and the playoff title in 2021), the Eagles haven’t quite felt like a dynastic team. It’s a tough standard to be sure, but that’s the price of monstrous success.
By any standard, though, ’21-’22 was an unmitigated disaster on Tyneside. Newcastle ended last season with losses in nine of their last eleven, which landed them ninth in the 10-team BBL, ahead only of the completely hapless Surrey Scorchers, and out of the playoffs. Life was no better in the cups, as the Eagles were eliminated in the first round of the BBL Trophy and were the one side from the five-team North Group that failed to qualified for the knockout stages of the BBL Cup.
Adding to the Eagles’ difficulty in trying to recapture that past greatness is that the team’s former captain (and two-time BBL MVP and four-time first team All-BBO performer), point guard Rahmon Fletcher – who was the team’s third-leading scorer last year at 15.3 points per game, and handed out an awesome 10.4 assists per game – is no longer with the team after a spectacular eight-year stint. That he’ll be suiting up for the Eagles’ opening night opponents will certainly add salt to the wound.
On the bright side, however, 2021-22 leading scorer Justin Gordon (18.6 points, on 54.4% shooting, and 45.8% on 3-pointers, with 7.2 rebounds per game) is back, as are Wesley Person Jr., son of the former longtime NBA player of the same name, who averaged 15.8 points and made 43.4% of his 3-pointers, point Corey Johnson (14 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists) and big man Duke Shelton (14 points, 61.6% shooting, and 10.5 rebounds per game).
The loss of Fletcher is certain to sting, but there is still ample talent on hand here. This will almost certainly not be England’s worst serious top flight team by season’s end. However, given the void they’re trying to fill at point guard, combined with the fact that this team hasn’t played a competitive game since their season-ending defeat on April 24 against Plymouth City, it will likely take a moment to fully get into gear.
Manchester Giants Team News
In contrast to Newcastle, the Manchester Giants, a team that was formed just 11 years ago, are on the heels of the most successful season in team history, and will be looking to parlay that success into consistent contention.
In 2021-22, the team’s first season first full season under head coach Lloyd Gardner, the Giants set or equaled team records for: regular season wins and points (14 and 28, respectively, matching the marks of 2013-14 and 2018-19), league finish (fifth; they’d previously never been better than seventh), postseason finish (the second final appearance in team history), and BBL Cup finish (they reached the final, where they fell to the powerhouse Leicester Riders). Even in the BBL Trophy, where they couldn’t quite match the best finish in team history (the 2018-19 semifinal), their run to the quarterfinals did match the team’s second-best-ever finish in the competition.
Unlike their hosts on Friday, the Giants have not only kicked off the new campaign, but already have two regular season games under their belts.
Leading the way thus far for the side has been the dynamic duo of shooting guard Dirk Williams, who’s scored 48 points through two games), ultra-efficient power forward William Lee, who’s averaged 22 points (on 54.5 % shooting, and 85.7% on free throws), 13 rebounds and 3.5 blocked shots, and, of course, their new star point guard, the aforementioned Rahmon Fletcher, who’s posted averages of 11 points, 5 rebounds and 8.5 assists. Also contributing has been young (24 years-old) power forward Tajh Green, who’s averaging 14 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in these early goings.
Manchester have split their opening two contests, falling in the opener by a single point to the Bristol Flyers, before rebounding for a three-point home win against the Sheffield Sharks. Friday night’s contest in Newcastle will certainly offer a test for the ascendant Giants. However, given the fact that one of the Eagles most instrumental players now plays for the already-loaded Giants – to say nothing of the fact that a Newcastle team that hasn’t played in months is likely to be rusty without its star point guard – it’s clear with the visitors are favored in the this contest (-3.5) – and a solid bet to deliver.