Men
WOMen
May 3, 2026
Game Report: Bristol Flyers 85-90 MCR
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Manchester Basketball are through to the Super League Basketball Playoff Semi-Finals after beating the Bristol Flyers 188-180 over two legs.
Manchester took a three-point aggregate advantage to the South West, and won the second leg 90-85 to secure their spot in the second round.
Max Jones’ 24 points and 4 assists led Manchester to the road victory. He hit five threes on the game on his way to 9-18 shooting from the field to get his team over the line.
Meanwhile, Jordan Johnson, stepping into the starting lineup, had 19 points and 7 assists, hitting four triples, and Pjay Smith had 16 off the bench, acting as a spark plug from the backcourt.
Manchester took control of this tie early, jumping out to a 14-point aggregate lead after one quarter thanks to a hot start from Jones. He scored 8 points in the opening period.
But Bristol went on a 19-2 run in the second quarter to not only get right back in contention, but take the lead in the tie. By halftime, Manchester led by only two points on aggregate. And a back-and-forth third meant that it was a tie game with just 10 minutes to play.
That’s where Manchester leaned on their wealth of experience in big games this season to get over the line. The European finalists first stemmed the tide after a hot Bristol start to the fourth, as Jones scored three straight buckets midway through to snatch the lead back.
Duke Shelton got to work inside for two straight points, and as he has done all season long, Johnson made a series of clutch plays to take control of the tie. He was fouled on a three, making all his foul shots, then hit a triple next time down to take a six-point aggregate lead.
Jones followed with a finish at the rim, and the game was then placed in Smith’s hands at the foul line. He sank both to put the game to bed and send Manchester through to the Semi-Final.
Manchester will face local rivals Cheshire Phoenix in the next round over two legs. The home leg at the National Basketball Performance Centre will be played on Friday, May 8 at 7:30 pm.
You can get your tickets here!
The return leg takes place at the Cheshire Oaks Arena on Sunday, May 10, at 5:30 pm.
Manchester Basketball are through to the Super League Basketball Playoff Semi-Finals after beating the Bristol Flyers 188-180 over two legs.
Manchester took a three-point aggregate advantage to the South West, and won the second leg 90-85 to secure their spot in the second round.
Max Jones’ 24 points and 4 assists led Manchester to the road victory. He hit five threes on the game on his way to 9-18 shooting from the field to get his team over the line.
Meanwhile, Jordan Johnson, stepping into the starting lineup, had 19 points and 7 assists, hitting four triples, and Pjay Smith had 16 off the bench, acting as a spark plug from the backcourt.
Manchester took control of this tie early, jumping out to a 14-point aggregate lead after one quarter thanks to a hot start from Jones. He scored 8 points in the opening period.
But Bristol went on a 19-2 run in the second quarter to not only get right back in contention, but take the lead in the tie. By halftime, Manchester led by only two points on aggregate. And a back-and-forth third meant that it was a tie game with just 10 minutes to play.
That’s where Manchester leaned on their wealth of experience in big games this season to get over the line. The European finalists first stemmed the tide after a hot Bristol start to the fourth, as Jones scored three straight buckets midway through to snatch the lead back.
Duke Shelton got to work inside for two straight points, and as he has done all season long, Johnson made a series of clutch plays to take control of the tie. He was fouled on a three, making all his foul shots, then hit a triple next time down to take a six-point aggregate lead.
Jones followed with a finish at the rim, and the game was then placed in Smith’s hands at the foul line. He sank both to put the game to bed and send Manchester through to the Semi-Final.
Manchester will face local rivals Cheshire Phoenix in the next round over two legs. The home leg at the National Basketball Performance Centre will be played on Friday, May 8 at 7:30 pm.
You can get your tickets here!
The return leg takes place at the Cheshire Oaks Arena on Sunday, May 10, at 5:30 pm.
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