Manchester Basketball take a two-point lead back to Zagreb after winning the first leg of the European North Basketball League Quarter-Final at home.

Manchester beat Dinamo Zagreb 86-84 at the National Basketball Performance Centre to give them a narrow advantage going into the second leg.

Max Jones led the hosts with an impressive 23 points and 4 assists, backed by Pjay Smith, who also stuffed the stat sheet. The American guard had 18 points and 6 rebounds on the night, and drained four threes.

Jordan Johnson, off the back of a 30-point game in the Super League Basketball Cup Final, carried his hot hand into European action. He had 17 points and 7 assists off the bench to lead the second unit.

A fourth-quarter surge saw Manchester take the win in the First Leg, in a fixture that swung back and forth throughout. They entered the final period down four, before two quick buckets from Johnson snatched the lead back.

There was little to separate the sides late in the game, and it was clear that the result of this Quarter-Final would be decided in Croatia. Manchester’s biggest lead in the fourth was six points, as Zagreb found a response to every attempt to stretch the scoreline.

Manchester did break away in the second quarter, holding an 11-point lead at the half. And  Tim Adetukasi’s free throw early in the third gave Manchetser their biggest lead of the game, 15.

But a Zagreb run to end the quarter flipped the game on its head, forcing Manchester’s response in the fourth.

The second leg will take place in Zagreb on Wednesday, April 1, with Manchester needing a one-point loss or better to progress to the Semi-Final.

But first, they play the Newcastle Eagles on the road in the SLB Championship on Friday, March 27, and return home on Sunday, March 29, to play the Leicester Riders.

That game starts at 3 pm at the NPBC. You can get your tickets here!

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