BBL Preview: Eagles at Giants – 13 October 2013

by UK American Sports Fans

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The Manchester Giants will be hoping to pick up their first win of the season as they take on the high-flying Newcastle Eagles at Wright Robinson on Sunday.

Defeat to Cheshire Phoenix last week leaves the Giants with an 0-3 start to the season and rooted to the foot of the BBL table.

After a splendid week of basketball in Manchester with the city hosting the first NBA fixture outside of London; the Giants will be looking to draw inspiration from the vast number of NBA superstars that were around the city this past week.

Stefan Gill chipped in with a season high 19 points against the Phoenix and Rob Marsden scored in double figures for the third straight game as he finished with 12. The Giants once again struggled with their 3-point shooting; knocking down just 6 of their 31 attempts. For a team that shot the lights out last season they have made a slow start this year making just 12 of their 71 attempts from long-distance in their opening three contests.

With outside shooting making up such a large part of their offensive attack its something that the side will hope to address sooner rather than later. Whether its an issue of ball movement or players confidence remains to be established but the Giants will need to make sure that they’re firing on all cylinders if they want to get a result against the in-form Eagles.

The visitors come into the game on the back of their biggest win of the season; after thrasing the Birmingham Knights by 129 points to 70 on Friday night. The Eagles starters combined for 111 points as they outrebounded their guests by a massive 68-28 to move into second place in the BBL standings behind the Worcestor Wolves who are currently 4-0.

The Eagles won all three games against the Giants last season including a nine point victory at Wright Robinson last October. Former Giant Stuart Thomson will return to play his old team for the second time after playing for the Cheshire Phoenix in their defeat to the Giants in February of this year. He scored a season high 16 points against the Knights on Friday and will be anxious to show his previous employers what their missing in what promises to be a fiery matchup on Sunday afternoon.