Davis Positive Ahead of Crucial Semi-Final Clash.
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The Glasgow Rocks are 3 games away from BBL Playoff Glory and player/coach Sterling Davis is relishing the challenge:
"Personally it's another step forward for me. It's the first time I've reached the semi finals as player/coach. But I'm not content with that myself. When you get to this stage you want more. I want to see us in the final and not only that win the final."
The last time the Rocks reached the playoff semi-final stage was in season 2006/07 when Davis was a player for the club. Now the format has changed and instead of the old style "finals weekend" which saw the semi's and final played over two days at a neutral venue, the teams will now face a two-legged semi final. The two legs will be played home and away, ahead of the culmination of the BBL season on 8th May, the BBL Playoff Final. Davis is cautious of the new format and knows his team will have to stay focused for both games:
"It's different this year, its nothing I've ever seen before in basketball for a Playoff format. I think it adds pressure for both teams. If we go down there and win there is pressure on us to come back here and do the same in front of our home crowd but at the same time it puts pressure on Sheffield to make sure that they play the best that they can in the first leg, understanding that they have to come back to our home court which should be an advantage in our favour."
The Rocks, who finished third in the league, overcame the Leicester Riders last Sunday beating them by 2 points (88 - 86) in a game that went right to the wire. Now the Rocks will face the second place Sheffield Sharks in the semi-final to battle it out for a place in the final the following weekend. Having just concluded their final training session ahead of the first leg, Davis is upbeat about his team chances and feels positive about their attitude going into the games.
"The mood around the guys is good. The guys are excited but at the same time they're concentrated and understanding of what we have coming up. I think the guys respect our opponent and realise how the meetings have gone with them throughout the course of the regular season.
I expect the guys to fight and leave it out there I know they understand what the games mean now but I expect us to go out and play with that same sense of urgency.
I feel good about the game, I'm excited about it, and I'm excited we're playing Sheffield. I feel like the guys are ready and that makes me feel good."
The first leg of the tie will be played at Sheffield's EIS on Friday 30th April, tip-off 7.30pm. Then the two sides will travel north of the border for the Rocks home tie at Glasgow's Kelvin Hall on Sunday 2nd May, tip-off 5pm. The Rocks will be hoping the fantastic home crowd they saw at last weeks enthralling quarter final will return to give them that home advantage and see them through to the final.
Posted on 29 April, 2010
