Halifax Hurricanes crowned NBL Canada champions
Posted Jun 14, 2016 07:44:26 AM.
Last Updated Jun 14, 2016 08:24:58 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Halifax Hurricanes are celebrating after fighting off the London Lightning in Game 7 last night to win their first title in franchise history with a 125-117 win.
It was a back-and-forth struggle with London outscoring in the first quarter, Halifax up by the half leading 55-44, London came back by the end of the third quarter, but in the end it was Halifax earning the championship outscoring the Lightning by 13 points in the final quarter.
Guard Justin Johnson was on fire all night long, effortlessly hitting three-pointers and making London pay from the foul line.
With 41 points in the game, he was named MVP of the finals.
The ‘Canes become the second team in league history to win a championship in their inaugural season, an especially meaningful feat one year after the Halifax Rainmen were made to forfeit in the finals last season before going bankrupt.
NBL Canada commissioner David Magley pointed to the rebounding after the game.
“You guys put together a team early, Andre [Levingston] found a lot of great talent, Coach Hugo [Lopez] got a lot of guys to buy in and play a lot of roles,” he said. “A bunch of owners stepped up to make this a wonderful franchise, and tonight you call came in to cheer them all on.”
The game at the Scotiabank Centre attracted a crowd of 2,399 fans.
The win was particularly emotional for 31-year-old Cliff Clinkscales, the only member of the Rainmen to carry over to the Hurricanes.
“Me and [GM Andre Levingston] we had our ups and downs last year, but that was over,” he told sportsandmoore.com. “He’s the guy who gave me a chance when I was at home on the couch with no job and I told him I was going to win him a championship.”
The Halifax Hurricanes are the first Atlantic Division team to win the title.
