BBL Cup Semi-Final Preview: Raiders at Riders – 7th December 2013

With Leicester Riders holding a six-point advantage in this BBL Cup semi-final second leg, it really is all to play for on Saturday night at John Sandford Centre.

Plymouth will be boosted by the addition of new big Nick George in their quest to overturn the deficit that stands between them and a third BBL Cup final appearance.

Speaking to the Leicester Mercury, Rob Paternostro has played down the pressure of having such a slender lead going in to this second leg: “There hasn’t been any talk about the six-point lead. We’ve just spoken about playing better than we did last time in order to win this game.”

If his side do finish the game with the aggregate win, Leicester will become only the fourth team to reach five consecutive finals in BBL history.

Plymouth Raiders’ coach, Jay Marriott knows that reaching the final in Birmingham is within touching distance, especially with the fightback his side made in the first leg at Plymouth Pavilions, when he spoke to the Plymouth Herald: “We took loads of positives from the game with Leicester, not least the fact that we got ourselves back into it and now have every chance.

“It’s a two-possession game and if we come out very, very focused in the first quarter, we could put them (Leicester) on the back foot. Then it’s game on.”