BlackJacks trying to keep playoff hopes alive as they visit the Alliance

The Ottawa BlackJacks (5-9) will try to keep their playoff hopes alive when they visit the Montreal Alliance (4-11) for a Sunday matinee encounter.

The game tips off at 4:00 p.m. ET from Verdun Auditorium, with live coverage available on CEBL+ powered by BetVictor, TSN+, RDS.ca, the RDS app and on the CEBL mobile app available for iOS and Android devices. The game will also be televised on RDS.

Coming off a crucial 94-79 victory over the Brampton Honey Badgers on Wednesday, every game counts for the BlackJacks as they attempt to take Brampton’s No. 3 spot in the Eastern Conference standings.

“We definitely had a sense of urgency,” Ottawa head coach James Derouin said after Wednesday’s win. “If we lost, we were really in a tough spot.”

As things stand right now, Ottawa and Brampton are tied head-to-head, but the Honey Badgers hold a miniscule plus-2 point differential between the two sides. Additionally, both teams are scheduled to close out their respective regular seasons against one another, meaning each side is going to need to pick up some steam with the end in sight.

Hence, Sunday’s matchup with the Alliance could be just what the doctor ordered for Ottawa. The BlackJacks sport a 2-1 record against Montreal, including a 92-91 win a couple of weeks ago.

The familiarity that the BlackJacks have with the Alliance at this point should help with gameplanning and, most prevalently, is the fact that Montreal simply can’t be as desperate as Ottawa is at this stage of the season.

While the BlackJacks are fighting for their playoff lives every game from here on out, the Alliance, despite sporting the worst record in the CEBL, don’t really have much to worry about as Championship Weekend hosts this year.

Yes, it would be better for the hosts to be playing better entering the championship tournament, but that’s been the case all season long, and at some point you are what your record says you are.

In the case of Montreal, that would be a team that isn’t particularly good.

In a single-elimination tournament that can all change, of course, but those are the facts as things stand right now.

Against Ottawa, also a team that’s proven to not be that great, either, Montreal could certainly begin to turn things around, and have a new wrinkle that the BlackJacks won’t be ready for with the signing of Canadian guard Devonte Bandoo on Saturday.

However, in the grand scheme of things, Sunday’s contest is all about Ottawa. If the BlackJacks end up falling to the Alliance the Eastern Conference-leading Niagara River Lions will be guaranteed a home playoff game, and potentially spell the beginning of the end for Ottawa’s season.

Milestone watch

·      Ottawa’s Lloyd Pandi, of Ottawa, Ont., needs 17 points to reach 500 for his career, regular season and playoffs.

·      Montreal’s Alain Louis, of Montreal, Que., needs 17 points to reach 500 for his career, regular season and playoffs.

·      Ottawa’s Lloyd Pandi, of Ottawa, Ont., needs six rebounds to reach 250 for his career, regular season and playoffs.

·      Montreal’s Devonte Bandoo, of Mississauga, Ont., needs 13 assists to reach 100 for his career, regular season and playoffs.

·      Montreal’s Guillaume Boucard, of Montreal, Que., needs eight blocked shots to reach 50 for his career, regular season and playoffs and regular season only.

·      Montreal’s Ahmed Hill needs two three-pointers made to reach 200 for his career, regular season and playoffs.

·      Ottawa’s Tyrrel Tate needs four three-pointers made to reach 100 for his career, regular season and playoffs.

2024 season series

This is the fourth and final meeting between Ottawa and Montreal. As mentioned before, the BlackJacks hold a 2-1 advantage through three encounters so far, including an Ottawa win in Montreal early on in the season. A lot has changed for both sides since that contest, of course, but it’s reasonable to say that the BlackJacks are probably a better team now than they were then with a better roster, whereas the Alliance have mostly stayed the same with their core players having remained largely static through the season.

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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 73% of its 2023 rosters being Canadian. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. 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. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.