Surrey Scorchers will look to build on Friday's win when they welcome the Leicester Riders to Surrey Sports Park on Saturday evening. It's the second part of a back-to-back for Lloyd Gardner's men.
Recent form
Leicester's last outing was a heartbreaking one point loss against the Cheshire Phoenix in the BBL Trophy semi-final. After trailing by 12 with three minutes to play, the Riders produced a spirited comeback, but fell just short against the eventual Trophy winners.
Overall they're in good form, winning four of their last six in all compeitions. Their only other defeat was on the road against the London Lions.
Their 10-11 record in the BBL is a reflection of an inconsistent season so far. With the quality within their squad, they will be hoping to push up the table between now and the end of the season.
Key strengths
This is a team that has no problem scoring. They're amongst the league leaders in all key metrics on offence; 3rd in points per game, 3rd in offensive rating, 2nd in field goal percentage and number one in three-point percentage.
Whilst they can struggle to get stops at the other end, this is a team that is not scared of a shoot-out. They are deadly from three-point range and it could be the deciding factor in who comes out on top in Saturday's game.
Source: BritHoops.com
One to watch
This a very talented roster and Kimbal Mackenzie is at the heart of it. Now in his third season with the Riders, the Canadian guard is averaging 12.58 points per game in 25 minutes this season.
His play earned him a spot on the BBL team of the year last season and he's proving to be one of the league's leading lights again this time around. Despite the Riders' inconsistent form so far, they are a staggering +100 points when Mackenzie is on the floor, which is by far a team high.
Stopping him pulling the strings will be key if the Scorchers are to come out of this game with a win. If they do manage to stifle his creativity, then they'll also have to make sure they don't leave him open at the three-point line, where he's shooting at a 41.89% rate.
Previous meetings
This will be the third of four meetings between these two teams this season. Leicester came out on top in the opening two meetings, both at their Morningside Arena home.
Mackenzie lead the way with a 22 point, 6 assist, 6 rebound performance in their first match up, which the Riders won by a comfortable 15 point margin. They met again a fortnight later and this time it was a closer affair, with the Riders winning 94-86.
Tip off at Surrey Sports Park is at 5pm on Saturday and tickets are available HERE. Alternatively the game will be streamed live on the BBL's YouTube channel.
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