Leicester Riders seek immediate revenge against Sheffield Sharks in the second of a back-to-back against their South Yorkshire adversaries.
The Sharks handed Leicester their first loss of the season last time out with an intense 79-82 battle at Mattioli Arena, and now the sides head to Sheffield for the reverse fixture.
Here’s how the game is shaping up…
A battle in Leicester
The sides are ready for round two off the back of a heavyweight clash last time out. It was an electric affair and a heartbreaker come the final buzzer for Leicester, who battled back at the hands of Zach Jackson late in the fourth.
Despite the Riders loss, Jackson again showed his ability to put the scoring load on his back in the clutch to will his team into contention. His Player of the Game performance saw him bag 20 points, and 8 straight for the Riders to claw them back in it.
The Riders were down six with three minutes on the clock before back-to-back threes tied it up. Following a Sharks bucket, Jackson putback Riley Abercrombie’s miss to once again level the scores, and his game tying attempt on the buzzer missed by an inch for what would have been his 11th straight.
For Sheffield, a 16-0 run in the fourth overcame a ten point Riders lead, with EC Mathews sinking the game winning shot on his way to a team-high 18 points.
The Sharks bench was pivotal to their success. Backing Mathews in the second unit was Prentiss Nixon, who was a thorn in the Riders’ side in last season’s playoffs. Nixon went for 11 and 4 on the game in 24 minutes, shooting 50% from the field and finishing with a +/- of 7.
Coach’s words…
Following the loss, Head Coach Rob Paternostro reflected on what he thought was an entertaining spectacle of high-level basketball.
“It was a really well played game from both teams. In the first half we struggled to stop them. They put 49 on the scoreboard and shot 69%. We knew they had some high level players- they’re a talented team and they showed that.
“We turned the game around in the third quarter with our defence and took a lead in the fourth, but we struggled to hit open shots late. We had three or four looks late that we’ll take all day, and give them credit, they hit some clutch threes at the end.”
The Riders had a chance to send it to overtime, having called timeout down three with 18 seconds on the clock. But the Sharks, with fouls to give, wound the clock down to 3 seconds left, forcing Jackson to heave a tough shot on the move.
Paternostro reflected on if things could have been different should the Riders have found more whistles earlier in the action.
“We couldn’t get the best look at the end. They had a couple of fouls to give and we only had six free throws all game so they weren’t in any foul trouble. Zach’s shot was on-line and he had a good opportunity.
“But ultimately, defensively at times in the fourth quarter we just didn’t get the stops we needed, and when you’re playing a good team you need those stops.”
Playing back-to-backs against teams presents an opportunity to right the wrongs of the initial fixture. The Riders have spent the week in the film room, and will look to grow as a unit and put out a more convincing performance this time out.
“This was a good opportunity to get into the film and figure out ways we can play better. We knew the type of team they were so it wasn’t a surprise with what they were able to do. But next time we have to make plays late in the game. It can be a make or miss situation, and if we made some of the looks we had it could have been a different story.”
How to watch
The game, played at Canon Medical Arena, tips-off at 4 pm. It is available to watch live on DAZN here!
