The Leicester Riders begin their Super League Basketball Playoffs campaign on Friday night as they host the B. Braun Sheffield Sharks in the first leg of the quarter-finals at the Mattioli Arena.
After closing the regular season with back-to-back wins over Sheffield, both on the road and at home the Riders enter the postseason with momentum and confidence after three wins on the bounce. But playoff basketball brings a different challenge, and Rob Paternostro’s side know they face a familiar opponent with plenty at stake.
This latest meeting adds another chapter to what has become a true M1 rivalry, with the two clubs meeting for the 19th and 20th time in the playoffs across 12 different seasons.
Momentum Heading Into the Playoffs
Leicester arrive in strong form after three out of four wins in the closing week of the regular season, including two important victories over the Sharks in the final week of the regular season. Travis Evee has led the offence in recent weeks, whilst Keddy Johnson has brought composure and scoring in key moments, while Flynn Boardman-Raffet continues to influence games on both ends of the floor since cementing his place in the Riders’ starting five.
The Riders will hope that recent success against the Sharks can carry into a two-legged series where every possession could prove decisive.
Credit: Leicester Riders | Nathan Green
The Challenge
The Sharks will arrive determined to respond after those two recent defeats. Dirk Williams has been a major offensive threat in recent meetings, while Nick Kern Jr, Jordan Ratinho and Fahro Alihodzic continue to give the Sharks multiple scoring options.
Their physicality and experience make them a dangerous playoff opponent, and the Riders will know there is little margin for error over two legs.
Credit: Sheffield Sharks Media | Adam Bates
History Favours the Riders
Leicester have enjoyed a strong playoff record against Sheffield and have won six previous postseason series meetings between the clubs. The rivalry dates back to the 2000–01 Final, when the Riders claimed an 84–75 victory to lift the title.
The two sides met again in the 2008–09 quarter-finals, where Leicester edged a dramatic 72–71 aggregate win, before the Riders advanced in the 2011–12 quarter-finals by 182–141 and again in 2017/18 season by 165–140.
More recently, the Leicester Riders defeated Sheffield 153–140 in the 2022–23 quarter-finals before winning a high-scoring 172–162 semi-final series last season after going into overtime spearheaded by American Guard Jaylin Hunter.
That history gives this latest meeting even greater weight heading into another high-stakes encounter.
Looking Ahead
The playoffs have arrived, and with a fierce rivalry renewed, the stakes could hardly be higher.
For the Riders, it is a chance to build on recent momentum and take control of the tie before heading to the Steel City.
Tickets for the highly anticipated game are still available via our website. Watch both the home and away leg of the Super League Basketball Playoff Quarter Finals live on DAZN.
Another chapter in Leicester versus Sheffield is about to begin.
