‘Road warriors’ look to open BSL playoffs with victory: Sudbury Five visit London on Saturday

Article content

In a season of highs and lows for the Sudbury Five, a constant has been the presence and performance of AJ Mosby Jr.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.

‘Road warriors’ look to open BSL playoffs with victory: Sudbury Five visit London on Saturday Back to video

Sudbury’s starting point guard provided both again this past weekend, but the skilled native of Cartersville, Ga., pointed to a full team effort as the key in road wins over the KW Titans and Windsor Express that locked up a Basketball Super League playoff spot.

Having long sought both the intensity and consistency that carried them from fifth to third place in less than 48 hours, Mosby hopes the Five can carry that momentum into Game 1 of their BSL semifinal against the London Lightning on Saturday.

Tipoff time at Budweiser Gardens in London is scheduled for 7 p.m. 

“Honestly speaking, it was an up-and-down season — a lot of adjustments, a lot of roster changes and things like that,” he said. “But at the end of the day, the last two games, for it to all come together and for everybody to buy into the game plan, to understand the situation we’re in and what it takes to win on the road against two tough teams in two tough environments, it says a lot about this team’s character and energy and where we are right now.”

Sudbury and London will alternate venues for their best-of-five series, with the Five serving as hosts for Game 2 on Monday at 7:05 p.m.

“We know what it takes to get the job done and these last two games proved it,” said Mosby, who was third in the BSL during the regular season in both points per game, with 24.4, and three-point percentage, with 45.5.

“When our backs are against the wall, when everybody buys in and everybody stays together, with good energy and things like that, heading to the playoffs is where you want to be.”

With a record of 19-13, the Five finished just behind the second-place Lightning, at 20-12. London took a 3-2 edge in the season series, but the teams have not met since March 5 — prior to Sudbury’s acquisitions of Paul Harrison, Jelani Simmons, Deontae Hawkins and Daniel Sackey and the return of JD Miller toward the end of the month.

London has undergone some changes, too, as head coach Doug Plumb has looked to shore up his team’s chances of capturing a BSL championship following back-to-back titles to close out National Basketball League of Canada era.

“We’re going to try to pick up where we left off,” said Logan Stutz, Sudbury’s head coach and general manager, who has not missed a post-season during his tenure with the Nickel City squad. “That’s the situation you want, to have to win games to get into playoffs and go in on the upswing and continue that into the playoffs. We’re expecting to go down and to continue being road warriors.

“We have had multiple games this year in which we haven’t quite turned the corner, but we have kind of turned the corner here towards the end of the regular season. It lets you be battle-tested, because you have been in those situations where you could be eliminated.”

Past encounters between Sudbury and London have tended to be emotional affairs, with red-hot crowds adding to the atmosphere, but Stutz hopes players and staff alike will harness those emotions in positive ways while keeping their focus on the end goal.

“Discipline is huge,” he said. “You have to keep your emotions in line and you’ll be rewarded for it. I’m expecting a very close, tight series. We haven’t seen London in quite some time and we have made some changes, they have made some changes, so it should be a good first game, figuring each other out.”

While he noted that Mosby played “great basketball” while posting respective totals of 24 and 30 points against the Titans and Express, Stutz said his teammates’ buy-in helped to give the 6-foot-3 Alcorn State Alumnus a chance to shine.

Stutz credited Duane Notice in particular for making the most of his minutes as a ball-handler and playmaker, while still scoring in double digits himself, and hopes to see more of the same from the Toronto product come Saturday.

“I just have to stay positive, make sure everybody is involved and trust everybody,” Mosby added. “This past weekend, Duane Notice had the ball a lot in his hands and everybody was just making plays and hitting shots at the right time.”

Game 3 is back at Budweiser Gardens in London on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Game 4, if necessary, will be at Sudbury Community Arena two nights later, Friday at 7:05 p.m.

Should a fifth game be required, London will host the following Sunday, May 12 at 2 p.m.

“I’m expecting a lot of physicality,” Mosby said. “I’m expecting a lot of discipline and just a lot of hard playoff basketball.”

bleeson@postmedia.com

twitter.com/ben_leeson