Cheshire Phoenix are one win from the SLB Finals.
The Phoenix beat Manchester Basketball 123-117 on May 10 at Cheshire Oaks Arena, taking a 3-0 lead in their best-of-seven semi-final series. It was not a runaway. Manchester scored 33 in the fourth quarter and kept pressure on late, but Cheshire’s early offensive control and superior turnover margin shaped the night.
Cheshire opened with 33 points in the first quarter and followed with 32 more in the second, building a 65-55 halftime lead. Manchester never went away, winning the third quarter 29-27 and the fourth 33-31, but the visitors spent the entire second half chasing a game that Cheshire had tilted through pace, spacing and possession security.
Cheshire’s offensive indicators carried into Game 3
The result matched the pre-game profile. Over the previous 10-game sample, Cheshire entered with a 119.5 offensive rating, 72.4 true shooting percentage and 70.7 effective field goal percentage. Those numbers pointed to a team built to punish defensive lapses, and the Phoenix did exactly that in the first half.
Cheshire’s balance also mattered. The Phoenix recorded 24 assists and committed only nine turnovers, staying close to the high-assist, low-mistake profile that had defined their recent form. Their 83.4 assist rate entering the game was already an indicator of how often the ball finds the right option. In Game 3, that structure helped them survive Manchester’s late shot-making.
The Phoenix also won key pressure categories. They finished with 11 steals to Manchester’s five and forced 14 turnovers while giving it away only nine times. In a six-point playoff game, that five-turnover gap was one of the cleanest separators.
Manchester’s offense found answers, but the margins were too thin
Manchester entered with warning signs despite a strong road split. The club had an 80 percent away win rate and averaged 94.2 points away from home, but its recent advanced profile showed a 104.9 offensive rating, 112.4 defensive rating and minus-7.5 net rating across the last 10 games. Against Cheshire’s top-ranked CPI profile, that defensive gap was always going to be the central question.
Manchester generated enough offense to compete. The visitors posted quarter totals of 28, 27, 29 and 33, showing real resilience after Cheshire’s early burst. Their 26 assists reflected quality ball movement, and their fourth-quarter 33-point push turned the closing stretch into a test of composure.
But the defensive issues remained. Cheshire had already entered with a 19.7 net rating over its last 10-game sample and a league-best CPI of 100.00. Manchester, ranked third in CPI at 48.31 with a negative trend, needed to disrupt the Phoenix’s rhythm more consistently than it did. The early 65-point first half left too much work to do.
No injury excuses, no mystery in the result
Neither team entered with significant injuries reported, so this was less about availability and more about execution. Both sides were on one day of rest and listed in a back-to-back spot, though Cheshire had played two games in the last seven days compared with Manchester’s one. Even with that workload, the Phoenix had the sharper possession game.
The absence of recent head-to-head history made the matchup less predictable on paper, but the underlying indicators leaned Cheshire. The Phoenix had the better season record at 20-12, stronger recent form at WWWLW, the higher scoring average at 95.8 points per game and a major CPI differential of 51.7.
Game 3 followed that blueprint. Cheshire’s strengths — efficient offense, rebounding stability and defensive activity — showed up often enough. Manchester’s strengths — road production and high-level playmaking — kept the game close but did not erase the deficit created by turnovers and early defensive slippage.
Series outlook
Cheshire now leads the semi-final series 3-0. Game 3 was not an elimination game, but it moved Manchester to the brink.
For the Phoenix, the takeaway is direct: their offense travels through multiple pressure points and remains difficult to contain even when the opponent scores efficiently. For Manchester, the path back requires more than shot-making. The defense has to lower Cheshire’s comfort level earlier, and the turnover battle has to move closer to even.
At 3-0, the series is firmly in Cheshire’s control. The numbers suggested the Phoenix had the cleaner two-way profile before tip. On the floor, they proved it again.