BlackJacks face Shooting Stars in potential Play-In preview

The Ottawa BlackJacks look to solidify playoff positioning as they host the Scarborough Shooting Stars at The Arena at TD Place on Thursday night.

Live coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. ET and fans can catch all the action on TSN, NLSE, CEBL+ powered by BetVictor, TSN+, Courtside 1891 and on the CEBL mobile app available for iOS and Android devices.

As the final stretch of CEBL regular season games get underway, many matchups have the potential to be previews for what fans can expect come the postseason. And Thursday’s contest between Eastern Conference rivals Ottawa and Scarborough is no different. The Ontario squads will face off for a third and final regular season contest, and as things stand, they’re set to battle in the East Play-In once the playoffs get underway.

With a win against the BlackJacks, the Shooting Stars would clinch a postseason berth, the No. 2 spot in the conference and the right to host the East Play-In game.

Luckily for the defending champs, they’re riding a hot streak, winning two consecutive games while coming off a dominant victory against the Montréal Alliance. The Shooting Stars picked up a 91-71 victory over this year’s Championship Weekend host, led by an all-around effort.

On offence, Scarborough shot 52 per cent from the field and 36 per cent from distance while creating an abundance of open looks via 23 assists (plus-13). Five players scored in double figures, three of which came off the bench for the Shooting Stars – led by Jaden Campbell’s 16 points on 55/57/66 per cent shooting splits.

On defence, the Shooting Stars held the Alliance to 39 per cent shooting from the field and a lowly 12 per cent (3-of-24) shooting from beyond the arc while forcing 15 turnovers for 21 points (plus-nine).

Meanwhile, Ottawa also enters the matchup riding high as they too have won two games in a row. The strong play has vaulted the BlackJacks back into the East playoff picture and their most-recent victory, also against the Alliance, confirms their ability to compete with the conference.

Deng Adel made his return to the BlackJacks lineup, playing in just his third regular season contest of 2024, and made his impact felt immediately. The forward racked up 29 points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block through 32 minutes of play.

It also helped that Ottawa drilled 13 triples (plus-nine) on a 40 per cent clip. A stark improvement over their usual rate of 32.6 per cent that ranks second last in the league.

2024 season series

If this year’s matchups are any indication, a potential playoff contest ought to be tightly contested. The season series is split thus far, both squads picking up convincing victories.

Scarborough struck first, grabbing a 105-91 win that was propelled by a lights out shooting display from distance. The Shooting Stars nailed 20 threes on a 44 per cent clip, many of which came of one of their 31 assists on the night.

Ottawa got its payback however by way of a 102-80 win that came courtesy of a three-headed attack by Tyrell Tate, Keevan Veinot and Isaih Moore. The trio scored 21 points apiece, accounting for over 60 per cent of the BlackJacks offence as the team shot over 50 per cent from the field and distance.

Milestone watch

Kalif Young (SSS):

-      23 points for 500 points all-time (regular season only)

Kadre Gray (SSS):

-      Three three-pointers for 100 made all-time (regular season + playoffs)

Lloyd Pandi (OTT):

-      Seven steals to break CEBL single-season record (43)

-      15 points for 500 points all-time (regular season + playoffs)

Tyrell Tate (OTT):

-      Three three-pointers for 100 made all-time (regular season + playoffs)

– CEBL –

About the CEBL

A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 75% of its rosters being Canadian and a record 10 players with NBA experience in 2024. Players also bring experience from the NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, NCAA programs, as well as U SPORTS and CCAA. Fourteen players have signed NBA contracts following a CEBL season, and numerous CEBL players attend NBA G League training camps every year. The CEBL season runs from May through August with games broadcast live on CEBL+ powered by BetVictor, TSN, TSN+, RDS, Game+, Next Level Sports & Entertainment and Courtside1891. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.