BBL Preview: Knights at Giants – 27 October 2013
Manchester Giants will take on the Birmingham Knights this Sunday afternoon where only one thing is for certain. One of these two teams will win their first game of the season as they both arrive at Wright Robinson College with a combined record of 0-9.
It has been a rocky introduction to BBL basketball for the newly created Knights. They have been on the receiving end of some heavy defeats including a 59-point drubbing at the hands of the Newcastle Eagles.
However it has not been all doom and gloom as the Knights do boast the league’s leading scorer in US combo-guard Brent Benson who leads the league in scoring at just over 30 points per game. His season-high so far was a very impressive 45-point haul against the Sheffield Sharks. Benson has been light-out from long distance; making at least five 3-pointers in every game he has played so far this season. He sat out the Knights latest loss to Worcester but is scheduled to be available for Sunday’s matchup.
The Giants come into the game following defeat in the BBL Cup to the Worcester Wolves despite holding their top-scorer Zaire Taylor scoreless for the entire game. Taylor did have an impact in other areas as he finished with eight assists and four steals but it was Alex Owumi and Will Creekmore who did most of the damage for the hosts. Owumi finished up with 23 points as he made seven of 10 from 3-point range and Creekmore logged his fourth double-double of the season with 24 points and 12 rebounds.
David Aliu led the way for the Giants with 15 points but the team shot just 31% from the field and 26% from behind the arc. They found themselves trailing by 20 midway through the second quarter and never really recovered as they went on to lose by 22.
The Giants will need to ensure that they extend their defense all the way out to the 3-point line against the Knights as the visitors come into the game making just under eight 3-pointers per contest at a league leading 40%. The home-side will look to pressure Birmingham’s ball handlers hoping to get some easy transition buckets as the Knights lead the league in turnovers with 21 per game.
It promises to be an exciting affair as both sides will surely view this game as the ideal opportunity to jump-start their season after a less than ideal start.
