Luke Nelson Battles Cramp to Come Up Huge Down the Stretch vs Essex!

By Sam Neter on April 29, 2013

Recently named Division 1 Play of the Year, Luke Nelson, added to the legend this weekend with a couple of impressive performances at the Final Four (where Reading would never have been if it wasn’t for his buzzer beating three against Leicester) – none more so than on Saturday against Essex in the semi-final.

With the game going into the last six minutes and Reading trailing, Essex were firmly in control; not to mention they had done a great job of shutting the 1995 born junior England international out of the game.

The Leopards had held Nelson to just 6 points through three and a half quarters, but he was far from done. Essex lead by nine, 57-48, with 5:45 left in the game. Enter Luke. First he hit a tough hanging floater off the glass in the lane, before getting a steal and a lay-up on the next possession, making it a five point game with 5 minutes left.

However, he felt cramp coming on. Checking out of the game he went over behind the bleachers to re-hydrate and re-focus – before coming back in with 3 and a half minutes to play and Rockets still trailing by 5.

He hit back to back threes (the second one, with under a minute to play, was ridiculous)to bring Reading within 1, hit the go ahead free throw in OT, as well as a key assist on a Robbie Parker three pointer and then two free throws to seal the game. Nelson finished with 13 points over the last 6 and a half minutes of regulation and overtime, adding 4 rebounds, an assist, and most importantly, the win!

His final game totals were 19 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 steal.

Do you like our work?

We have a tiny favour to ask. In 2018 we set out to make Hoopsfix sustainable by building our relationship directly with our readers. Up until now, Hoopsfix has been creating editorials, videos and podcasts to provide sorely missing coverage of the British game and its distinct culture and community.

We have funded Hoopsfix with our freelance work creating basketball media, but sadly that means not only does it fall behind our client’s priorities, but some of those clients are the same organisations we need to report objectively on putting us in a conflicted position.

We want to devote more time to our mission of helping British basketball reach its potential, and produce even more content for the basketball community by making Hoopsfix a sustainable 100% independent business funded directly by our readers through Patreon.

If everyone who enjoys our content chose to support us, our future would be much more secure. For as little as $3 per month, you can support Hoopsfix – and it only takes a minute.

We are tremendously honoured and humbled to have a community of people who value what we do, and we look forward to being at the forefront of the British game as it continues to evolve.

Support Hoopsfix