The Basketball Diaries – Friday November 25

There are four games in the BBL Championship tonight all with a tip-off time of 7:30pm.

All four promise to be great matchups for their own reasons.

The Tigers welcome a Durham side that put up a good performance on their last road trip losing by just a solitary point at Worcester in a low scoring contest. Six days ago however, they were beaten convincingly in front of their own fans by the Rocks (75-95).

Capocci and Bucci provide the threat for Durham but getting those players opportunities at the basket is where they need to improve.

The Tigers have not had a great start to the season and have lost three times in three games in November. Two of those defeats have come in the Championship against the Wolves and the Riders. With just the Heat keeping them off the bottom of the table, Garbelotto will be hopeful that his side can start as they mean to go on with two points against the Wildcats.

My prediction will not be to Tony’s liking as I am going for a second league victory for the visitors tonight.

Prediction: Durham win.

Two of the early season favourites go head to head at Sport Central and our very own OleDJ will be in attendance. Check back for his game report after tonight’s contest.

Newcastle have recorded a personal best start to the season with five wins out of five in the league but the Jets pushed them hard in the fifth of those games last Sunday. The result may well have been different if Matt Schneck had not left the court with an injury.

That said I expect the Eagles to go six from six tonight against the Raiders. Gavin Love’s men lost a close one to the Wolves last Saturday but despite it being just a one point game, Worcester exposed a weakness in the Plymouth game. Notably, that if you close down Colbert and Williams’ inside game, Plymouth may not have enough to get the win from outside.

Jeremy Bell is of course a class act, but he can’t jump shoot his way to victory on his own if you close down the Raiders’ low post game. Shutting down Williams is easier said than done and Rowe is a worthy adversary too, but I don’t think we are done talking on whether letting Ben Smith go (a different type of threat) was the right decision.

Prediction: Eagles win.

We all know the story of the Sharks’ season so far but the expectation that they will burst in to life and go on a run is still hanging in the air. The toe to toe contest against the Riders however did confirm that they may have the potential everybody sees in them.

I don’t see a win for Sheffield tonight though, I see a ninth straight for the Wolves. With the Sharks still hoping to click, this Wolves side isn’t one that is going to give them the opportunity to build anything at the EIS.

The Wolves defence was at its most consistent against Plymouth and if they can routinely disrupt the Sharks possession as they did the Raiders in spells then their front court game will put paid to Sheffield.

Prediction: Worcester win.

The MK Lions welcome the Glasgow Rocks in what is possibly the hardest game of the evening to call but only because the Rocks are on the road. Glasgow beat MK by a clear 27 points at Kelvin Hall in October.

Glasgow have lost on the road in the Championship twice in November at the hands of Cheshire Jets and Newcastle Eagles.

MK have flattered to deceive. The noises they have been making suggest they have had a better start to the season than they actually have. They beat the Leicester Riders but in a dead rubber in the Trophy and have only one win in the Championship to date against a poor Heat side.

At home and with Bolds and Gill in their ranks they have the potential to beat most teams, but I see the 4-2 Rocks adding to their win column.

Prediction: Rocks win.

Join us for a Live British Basketball Chat from 7:25pm tonight!