The London Lightning edged the K-W Titans 110-108 to mark a happy return after almost two full years away from the court.
The National Basketball League of Canada shut down operations on March 12, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The league did not play a 2020-21 schedule and then had to move the start date of this year more than once.
Despite the wait, the Lightning and the Titans were ready to go on Sunday afternoon at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium. No one was hotter than London forward Cameron Forte, who recorded a double-double with 26 points, which included 17 rebounds.
Forte hit a shot with nine seconds remaining to put the Lightning ahead 106-104 and Jaylen Tate hit all four free throws he attempted to help London hang on from there.
Tate and Chris Jones had large offensive days for the Lightning. Tate went 5-for-8 from three-point range and ended with 23 points. Jones scored 24 on 10-of-15 shooting and was 3-for-5 from behind the arc.
In all, London shot 45.1 per cent for the afternoon.
The Titans jumped out to a 38-27 lead after the first quarter but the Lightning locked things down in the second quarter and limited K-W to only 19 points.
Joel Kindred and Eric Ferguson led the way on the Titans’ side. Kindred ended the game with 24 points. Ferguson had 23.
The Lightning visit the Windsor Express on Saturday, Feb. 26.
London will play their home opener on Saturday, Mar. 6, against the Express at Budweiser Gardens.
NBL of Canada teams will play 24 games in a regular season that will last until the middle of May.
With no Atlantic teams operating this year and only the Express, Titans and the Sudbury Five playing in Ontario London will face four teams from The Basketball League, which has teams exclusively in the United States.
The Lightning will have a total of six matchups with TBL clubs.