Surrey Scorchers are on the road again Thursday as they look to continue their good form when they take on the Sheffield Sharks in South Yorkshire. Victory would see Surrey climb above their opponents in the BBL standings, as they look to secure the best seed possible with the play-offs on the horizon.
Five wins from their last seven games has seen the Scorchers all-but secure a spot in the BBL play-offs for the first time since 2017/18. They sit in 7th place in the table with a 12-16 record, whilst their opponents have a very similar record of 12-15 and sit one place above them in the standings.
Whilst Surrey's recent form has been impressive, Sheffield Sharks' recent results have been anything but. Since exiting the BBL Trophy they've only managed one win from their last six outings, which came against the league's basement team last week, as they blew out the Plymouth City Patriots 97-60.
In their defence it's not been the easiest stretch of games for the Sharks. They have faced two games against London, as well as road games against Surrey, Leicester and Cheshire Phoenix in this period. They'll be keen to get back to winning ways in front of their own fans on Thursday night.
Scoring points has been a big problem for the Sharks this season. They average just 78.74 points per game, which is the lowest in the league. On the flip side, they also give up the fewest points as well, so the Scorchers will have to ensure they're shooting well if they're to get the win.
January's acquisition of American forward Malek Green has sparked some productivity on the offensive end for the Sharks. During his brief time playing in the UK, only the London Lions have been able to keep him quiet, as he's averaged 20 points per game against all other opponents. This included a 19-point effort against the Scorchers at the start of February.
This will be the fifth and final meeting of the two teams this season. So far, the series has been split, with the Sharks narrowly winning home and away against the Scorchers in the first two league matches. Surrey got their revenge with a BBL Trophy win in January and followed that up with a 82-75 victory in their most recent clash.
Sheffield has not been a happy hunting ground for the Scorchers in recent years. You have to go back to September 2017 for their last road win against the Sharks, in which Tony Hicks put up a team-high 17 points in a narrow 81-78 victory.
Tip off at Canon Medical Arena is at 7:45pm and you can follow the action live on the BBL's YouTube channel.
Add comment
Comments