BCB WEEK 23: READING CONTROL THE TITLE RACE FOLLOWING A PAIR OF BIG WINS

It was a pivotal week in the race for the BCB league title on a stacked weekend of action.

The major winners this weekend were the Aldermore Reading Rockets, who defeated the Newcastle Knights and City of Birmingham Rockets to take control of top spot. But need to keep the momentum going as Birmingham holds the pivotal head-to-head over both the Knights and Reading, should they finish on the same number of points.

After Week 23’s games, Yorkshire Dragons and Nottingham Hoods have joined Reading, Newcastle, Birmingham and Milton Keynes in the BCB playoffs.

Key Storylines

• Reading beat Newcastle and Birmingham to take back control of title race
• Yorkshire win at Milton Keynes to clinch playoff birth
• Nottingham's revival sees them playoff-bound after a pair of wins over Worthing 

Recap

A brilliant second half propelled the Aldermore Reading Rockets to a 91-83 victory over the City of Birmingham Rockets in the Midlands.

Malik Bryant amassed 21 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for Reading, going 8-for-12 from the floor as the Berkshire outfit outscored Birmingham 62-42 in the second half. Lucas McGregor led the hosts with 17.

Nearly 24 hours before, Reading caught fire, which never went out, as they dismissed the previous league leaders, Newcastle Knights 112-71 in a blistering display that had to be seen to be believed.

The Rockets ambushed Newcastle from the opening tip, racing to an incredible 37-16 lead and growing it to an insurmountable 30-point advantage at the break. From there, the hosts started bringing the juniors on towards the end of the third quarter as they celebrated a big win that crucially sealed the head-to-head series.

Jax Bouknight led six Reading players in double figures with 22 points on 5-for-8 three-point shooting, with the Rockets shooting an eye-watering 60 percent from the field. Ja’Ron Thames led the Knights with a game-high 28 points, six rebounds and four steals.

Birmingham’s weekend started well though, with a 95-73 win away to the Essex Rebels as Ronald Blain’s good form continued, going for 22 points to lead the way.

Yorkshire Dragons inflicted a third consecutive loss on the Milton Keynes Breakers as Jordan Jefferson inspired a 92-79 victory. Jefferson bagged 22 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists for the Dragons, who have now won six of their last seven games. DaShawn Jackson led Milton Keynes with 22 points.

Nottingham Hoods’ continued resurgence in 2026 continues as they bounced back from last week’s loss to Reading to seal a pair of big wins over the Worthing Thunder.

Tyrone Williams had 27 points, with Bryce Johnson posting a triple-double of 21 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a convincing 119-86 win on Saturday. Justin Hopkins took nearly half of Worthing’s field goal attempts and scored 53 points, but no other Thunder player was able to support.

The Hoods followed that up with a 101-89 win in the reverse fixture the following day, with Johnson again dominating with 26 points and 14 rebounds. Hopkins again led Worthing with 28.

Hemel Storm collected their second win in a row with a big 101-83 success over the London Cavaliers at Uxbridge College. Matt Norman had 26 points, with Darien Nelson-Henry pouring in 25 points and 15 boards.

Derby Trailblazers kept up their playoff aspirations with a 92-77 win over the Bristol Flyers II. Mo Walker led the way as he went 9-for-13 from the floor for 23 points. Lanre Aylinla led all scorers with 26 for the Flyers.

Loughborough Riders dismissed the Bristol Hurricanes 112-79 as Jalen Cook enjoyed a 33-point haul on 55 percent shooting to guide the Riders to glory.