Halifax Hurricanes top London Lightning to force Game 7 in NBLC finals

The National Basketball League of Canada's 2018 champion will be crowned on Friday after the Halifax Hurricanes held off the London Lightning 112-101 on Thursday to force a seventh and deciding game.

The Hurricanes' top Canadian, Hamilton Ont. native Tyrone Watson, seemed ready to start Game 7 as soon as he left the court following Game 6.

"It's just one game, 48 minutes, you gotta leave it all out there," Watson told CBC following his 15-point, eight-rebound, five-assist performance on Thursday.

"We know it's going to be a tough game, it's going to be a battle and the best team's going to win the game."

Home cooking

Antoine Mason led six Halifax players in double figures as the NBLC finals stayed true to form with the home team winning for the sixth time in six finals games. Watson said home cooking has been good for his side.

"The fans, they rally us, right?" said Watson. "They're our sixth man, we need them. I'm expecting a big crowd (Friday) and I want Halifax to come out and show some hometown spirit and let's get this championship."

Halifax built a nine-point second-quarter lead in Game 6, capped by a Rhamel Brown dunk, but the Lightning charged back to pull to within two, 55-53, at halftime.

Another tight quarter followed in the third before Halifax broke things open with a decisive 9-2 run at the midway mark of the fourth quarter.

London could draw no closer, and their players stormed off the court at the final buzzer following several tight calls by the officials that Lightning players had protested loudly throughout the game.

Lightning coach laments 'tough loss'

However, Lightning head coach Keith Vassell refused to blame the officials for what he called a "tough loss" and instead pointed to Halifax's 59-36 rebounding advantage.

"We didn't do a good job on the defensive end," said Vassell, a first-year coach who is a former star player from Toronto.

Though he was visibly disappointed, the London coach also acknowledged the intensity of a championship series that has thrilled fans in both cities for the past two weeks.

"Both teams are fighters," said Vassell. "Both teams are committed to winning so (Friday) it'll be a situation that both teams will go out there do what we can and we'll see what happens."

London, which had won three straight home games prior to Thursday's road loss, are one victory away from their fourth NBLC title in the league's seven-year existence.

Halifax is looking for its second league title after topping the Lightning for the championship in 2016.

The two teams have faced each other in each of the last three NBLC finals.