2n April, 2008 Sheffield Sharks 83-66 Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders

BBL Championship Match Preview

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The Sheffield Sharks confirmed their spot in the BBL Championship Playoffs after they beat the Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders 83-66 live on Setanta Sports 1, and recorded their third consecutive win.

Australian guard Nathan Niesler put in his best performance in the BBL as he hit five three-pointers on his way to 24 points. Chad McKnight led the Riders with 14.

The Sharks led from the outset as a James Whyte triple made it 5-2 and set the tone for the first half. The Sharks rattled off a 12-2 burst shortly afterwards including two further triples from Nathan Niesler and one from Alto Virgil. The teams traded baskets before Rangy George came from the bench to make back-to-back baskets for a score of 25-11 and the Sharks led 29-14 after ten minutes.

Sheffield continued their fine shooting in the second stanza and posted an early 8-3 run comprising of two further three-pointer from Virgil and another George score. Chad McKnight and Carlos White carried the load for the Riders, but the lead was stretched on another 8-2 burst as Niesler hit back-to-back threes, the Sharks were 9/15 from beyond the arc in the first half, and the score peaked at 51-28. White and McKnight kept it up for the Riders as they combined to score the last 6 points of the half to keep them in it at 51-34.

The Riders chipped into the lead in the third quarter as former Shark Joel Burns hit two early three-pointers. McKnight and White combined once more with consecutive baskets to cut the deficit to 61-47 midway through. The Riders stepped up on defence before Russell Jordan and a Mindaugas Janiska triple closed out the quarter and set up the decisive period at 65-53.

The Riders got as close as 10 points with 2:30 to go after Terrence Woodyard and Rod Wellington baskets, before the hosts posted the run that won the game. Whyte made an old-fashioned three-point play, before Niesler stole the ball on the inbounds and finished with a lay-up to ignite an 8-0 burst that made it 80-62 with 1:42 left, and there was no way back for the visitors.

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