BBL Preview: Riders at Phoenix – more than just your average game?

Tonight’s match-up at the Northgate Arena could in fact prove where the title ends up as Leicester Riders visit Cheshire Phoenix on the back of a strong performance on Saturday against Manchester Giants.

Cheshire Phoenix upset the odds and produced the biggest upset so far this season on Friday night. They went to Newcastle Eagles and claimed a 94-92 victory, against the reigning league champions, who were 1/100 against Cheshire’s 11/1 chances.

It gave opening to Riders last night to take control of matters at the top of the BBL Championship, and they did so with a sterling performance at John Sandford Sports Centre.

Tonight’s result could heap more pressure on Eagles – or it could give that extra boost to Cheshire’s own play-off hopes.

UKAmericanSportsFans.com spoke with both coaches earlier this week before Cheshire’s shock win on Friday night.

Rob Paternostro, who was in attendance at a civic reception held in honour of his side’s BBL Cup triumph, is wary of the challenge ahead tonight: “We’ve played Cheshire twice this season, but I think you’ve got to kind of throw those games out, because they were early in the year. I think both teams are extremely different; I know we are. Looking at them, I think that they are as well.

“Playing at Cheshire on a Sunday night, over the years that I’ve been involved in the BBL, has always been challenging. We understand that we’ll have to play well in order to get the result up there.

“Chez Marks is a veteran player of the league and he has played incredibly well against us this season, but he has also played well against other teams. He’s a good scorer and I think that they have a club that, if you allow them to get comfortable offensively, they’re going to give you a long night.”

Matt Lloyd, who will no doubt want his charges to put in the same attitude and effort as they did on Friday night, feels that the only way to win is in the preparation for teams such as Riders who are on a roll.

“Leicester we have matched up very well with in the previous two encounters pushing them to overtime in the second time we played them but they are in form and seem to be playing some very good basketball of late and we will again, as with Friday, have to be fully prepared.”

Next weekend for Cheshire sees the first leg of the BBL Trophy semi-final, and tonight’s game could prove to be a dress rehearsal for the final itself, but Lloyd refuses to let himself get ahead of what his side need to do.

“The win against Worthing has done some good for the team we have been able to regroup a little and remind ourselves that we can play that kind of basketball, what we need to do now is convert it to when we play top opposition against the likes of Newcastle and Leicester.

“Yes, we are only two games away from the final of the trophy which is exciting but it can all end in the semi final which is no good nobody ever remembers the semi finalists or the runners up so we need to take one game at a time and ensure we do our best to get the win over both legs.”