The Saturday BBL Preview: 21st December 2013

With only one game this Saturday in the BBL Championship, which sees Manchester Giants travel to Solihull to face joint-bottom of the table side Birmingham Knights, many will have differing opinions as to whether this fixture will warm those winter cockles.

Paul Douglas’ Knights will still be reeling from their defeat at the hands of Newcastle Eagles last night, but will take heart from the knowledge that their star guard in Brent Benson was rested for tonight’s meeting with the Giants.

This could potentially be Knights’ best chance of a win so far this season, against a side who have only won one in their last five games.

Last Sunday, the Giants were ripped apart in the fourth quarter (32 to 14) by Cheshire Phoenix, seeing their North West rivals walk away with a 100-88 victory and also took home with them a vital head-to-head series.

That result needs to be put as far back in the minds of Jeff Jones’ side as possible and produce a confident display as they did earlier in the season against the Knights.

Another unfavourable note for the visitors, is that they have yet to pick up a win on the road this year.

If all goes well for Manchester, the pressure will be on Durham Wildcats tomorrow night to score a win, and the keep alive the series, over Phoenix; which could create an incredibly interesting mini-league between these sides if results and form stay as close as this towards the end of the regular season.