Wounded Reading Rockets seek immediate response
Sportsdesk • Published 3 Nov 2011 09:30
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READING Rockets will be looking to put back-to-back defeats behind them when they take on the BA London Leopards in the National Trophy on Saturday in Barking (8pm tip-off), before welcoming English Basketball League Division Three outfit Canary Wharf Baltic Staff to Rivermead on Sunday (4pm tip-off) in the third round of the National Cup.
Rockets suffered only their second loss of the season on Saturday when they were beaten 68-54 by EBL Division One defending champions Bristol Academy Flyers in their first league game.
The Berkshire club do, however, have it all to play for this weekend as a win against close rivals BA London Leopards would seal second place in their National Trophy group, whilst a win against the Baltic Staff on Sunday would see them through to the quarter-finals of the National Cup.
Despite the loss to Bristol, Rockets head coach Samit Nuruzade knows it is still early in the season, and his team have a lot of improving to do before they are anywhere near the finished product.
He said: "Bristol are a talented team and were worthy champions last year. However, it was really more about us not playing well again in the first half and putting ourselves in a position where we had to play catch up, which despite our valiant efforts, was not to be.
"We have a lot of work still to do in the execution of our offence as well as making some adjustments and tightening up defensively but there is a long way to go."
Rockets look set be without Lithuanian point guard Lukas Aleksandravicius, who may require surgery on his shoulder, but 6'9 forward Harrison Gamble has had no recurrence of his achilles injury which kept him sidelined for three weeks.
The Berkshire club will also be hopeful that captain Ryan Lohfink and shooting guard Robbie Parker will be fully healed for the tough two-game weekend.
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