British League Finals weekend, semifinals: May 3, 2008
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The Guildford Heat advanced to the title game of the British Basketball League playoffs for the first time, but the real surprise of the semifinals at Birmingham’s National Indoor Arena came when regular-season champion Newcastle Eagles were stunned by the Marshall MK Lions 63-72. The Lions led for much of the night and had an answer for every Newcastle charge. The Eagles stormed back from a double-digit fourth-quarter lead to get within 63-65. But that would be all she wrote, as Newcastle stars Fab Flournoy and Olu Babalola both fouled out in the closing minutes and the Lions sank their free throws to ice the game. Terrell Brown paced the Lions with 17 points and Yorick Williams added 13 for the winners. Steve Levan scored 19 for the Eagles in defeat. Meanwhile the Heat bested Kularoos Plymouth Raiders 81-66 to book a spot in the title game. The defending league champs took an early double-digit lead on the hot shooting of James Jones, but the Raiders fought back through Andrew Lasker and James Noel. However when Daniel Wardrope and EJ Harrison started sinking threes, Guildford led 42-30 by halftime. The lead grew even further in the third as Jones and Danny Gilbert took the reins and ensured the win. Harrison paced the Heat with 21 points, Tony Dorsey added 13 and Mike Martin had 12. Gaylon Moore led all scorers with 25 points for Plymouth.
| Finals Weekend, Semifinals, single game |
| Record | Team | Game 1 | | 0 | Newcastle Eagles (1) | 63 | | 1 | Marshall MK Lions (4) | 72 | | 1 | Guildford Heat (2) | 81 | | 0 | Kularoos Plymouth Raiders (3) | 66 |
| Finals Weekend games in Birmingham’s National Indoor Arena | | Game 1 | Newcastle vs. MK Lions - Semifinal | 63-72 | May 3 | | Game 1 | Guildford Heat vs. Plymouth - Semifinal | 81-66 | May 3 | | Game 2 | Newcastle vs. Plymouth - 3rd place game | - | May 4 | | Game 2 | MK Lions vs. Guildford Heat Final | - | May 4 |
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