PREVIEW: Final weekend determines Sharks playoff destiny

BBL Championship

The final weekend of regular season is upon us and the B. Braun Sheffield Sharks wrap up against two of the teams they potentially might face in the playoff quarter finals. Friday night sees another appearance in front of the Sky Sports cameras as Atiba and the guys make the short journey to the Morningside Arena to tackle the Leicester Riders. Regular season concludes on Sunday afternoon with the top-three finishing Bristol Flyers visiting The Tank for a 4pm tip off.

Friday – Riders v Sharks – Morningside Arena – 7.45pm

Watch – Leicester Riders vs Sheffield Sharks, BBL Championship – LIVE – YouTube

Ones To Watch

Carrington Love – The Riders squeeked a tight one against Manchester last Sunday and point guard Love was their main man. He led the team with 17 points as well as 6 rebounds and 6 assists, making 4 of his 5 shots inside for the single digit victory.

Patrick Whelan – Three trademark triples were a key feature of Whelan’s display in the 82-83 road win over the Giants. His 15 points were slightly above his season average of 13.7 for the GB-capped dangerman.

Zach Jackson – The Riders ‘Mr Consistency’ was at it again with a 13 point, 8 rebound, 4 assist and 2 block outing in the North West. Averages more than 30 minutes per game for Coach Paternostro’s men.

Darien Nelson-Henry – A double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds for Leicester’s skipper was one of his best performances of an injury-foreshortened season. Always effective under the post due to his sheer presence.

Last Meeting

March 24^th 2023 – B. Braun Sheffield Sharks (Glasgow 15 Nelson 14 Nichols 12) 72 Leicester Riders (Loving 18 Mackenzie 13 Whelan 8) 64

Sunday – Sharks v Flyers – Ponds Forge – 4.00pm

Tickets – B. Braun Sheffield Sharks v Bristol Flyers – BBL Championship Tickets, Sun 23 Apr 2023 at 16:00 | Eventbrite

Ones To Watch

Tevin Olison – The Flyers have been the surprise package of the season – their 87-73 win over Cheshire confirming a top three finish. Olison’s 20 points against the Phoenix guiding them to a memorable win.

Thomas Bell III – 19 points from Bell was another key to the Flyers success against the ‘Nix. Bell has very much been part of the team effort with an average of 13.6 points and 6.2 rebounds in a successful season for the South West side.

Malcolm Delpeche – Brother of Sharks’ Marcus who added 19 points and 14 rebounds in the Cheshire success. The double-double was his sixth of the season and has been a key factor in the Bristol rise up the table.

Jelani Watson-Gayle – The newly-capped GB star has been a revelation in Bristol this season. Shoots a notable 41% from three point territory for the season and added 14 points and 6 assists in the Cheshire win.

Last Meeting

January 20^th 2023 – B. Braun Sheffield Sharks (Ratinho 16 Nelson 14 Glasgow / Delpeche 10) 73 Bristol Flyers (King 21 Bell 19 Miller 16) 91

Shark Bites

The Sharks go into their game at Leicester on Friday having won the previous two clashes – the first time the Sharks have won back to back matches with the Riders since March 2011.

The last time the Sharks managed 3 consecutive wins against Leicester was in the 2009-10 season. A 20 point win in Leicester is required to take the head to head in the league this season.

The Sharks have never played the Caledonia franchise or Bristol among the current members of the BBL on the last day of the regular season. Sharks have 15 wins and 13 losses on the last day of Championship action including a 7-5 record at home.

The Sharks hold a slender 14-12 advantage over Bristol in the 26 clashes between the clubs, including 8 wins and 4 losses when at home. To take the league head to head over the Flyers this season, the Sharks need a 28 point win.

SharkNation

It’s the weekend that will decide the Sharks playoff destiny! The final two games of regular season are upon us. Friday sees the guys show out in front of the Sky Sports cameras on the road at Leicester. Then on Sunday, it’s the big finale when Bristol Flyers visit The Tank for another of those thrilling ‘Delpeche Derbies.’ Two wins will guarantee a 5^th place finish – 2 losses will make a 7^th place finish inevitable. So you know what to do! Hit the ticket link elsewhere on this page, and get on down to Ponds Forge to roar the team into post-season. We need the best finish possible and that includes our SharkNation making as much noise as possible! You’ve made them #FearTheFin. They now #KnowOurName. Let’s keep it going all the way to the O2! #NowYouKnow.

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Adam Bates