Rockets to take on Magic in quarter-final clash
Published 1 Apr 2011 11:00
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Third place Reading Rockets will entertain sixth place Manchester Magic in the EBL Division One play-off quarter-finals this Saturday at Rivermead Leisure Complex (6.30pm tip-off).
Rockets finished the regular season with a record of 12 wins and 6 losses whilst the Magic ended with with just 7 wins from 18 games.
The game is a reverse of last year's quarter-final match-up when it was Manchester who claimed the runners-up spot with the Berkshire club finishing down in seventh place.
On that occasion, the Magic advanced to the final fours with a comfortable 83-70 point win but the National Trophy champions will be hoping to turn the table this time around.
The two teams have already met twice this season with the Rockets coming out on top in both encounters most recently winning a close battle by 73-67 at Rivermead as well as claiming a narrow 72 points to 69 at the Amaechi Centre earlier in the campaign.
Rockets Head Coach Samit Nuruzade has been very pleased with what he has seen so far this season and is relishing the game against his former team, Manchester Magic.
He said: "I have been really pleased with the progress this team and indeed this club has made this season and since my arrival. Everyone here works so hard and gives everything to the cause and that is why it has been great to be part of such an ambitious and enthusiastic programme.
"The players have responded really well to everything that we have thrown at them and I am very happy up to this point how we have done.
"Saturday's quarter-final will be a great test for us against a team that has shown significant improvement in the latter stages of the season. This time of the season and in particular one-off games are crucial to prepare for and there is no doubt in my mind we will be ready to do that.
"I am really looking forward to facing my old team in what will be the biggest game at Rivermead this season and I am hoping our fans come out in numbers to help us in our quest for a place in the final four."
Rockets head into Saturday's crucial clash with no new injury worries. Jon May has now recovered fully from his ankle injury that kept him on the sidelines for 2 weeks and Harrison Gamble is near to fully-fit after a knee injury which hampered him this month.
The Berkshire team will be hoping to get through their practices this week unscathed and will also be buoyed by the form shown by their bench in Sunday's narrow defeat to Leeds Carnegie, especially from their young Lithuanian point guard Lukas Aleksandravicius who top scored for the Rockets with 16 points. Rockets are expecting a bumper crowd in their final home game of the season with doors opening at 5.30pm as the 2010/2011 reaches its climax.
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