Basketball
Storm enters Game 2 versus a Halifax team angry after losing Sunday
The Island Storm will look to take a 2-0 lead over the Halifax Hurricanes in the bestof-seven National Basketball League of Canada playoff series on Tuesday. The teams will meet at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, N.S., where the Storm won the series opener 119-115 on Sunday afternoon.
The good part about the Island Storm winning Game 1 of its Atlantic Division final against the Halifax Hurricanes is a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
The bad part is Halifax is now just angry, never a good thing when playing against the National Basketball League of Canada’s second-best team in the regular season.
So when Game 2 starts Tuesday, at 7 p.m., in Halifax, N.S., head coach Joe Salerno knows the Storm is in for a fight.
“It’s going to be tough. I thought (Game 1) was a wellplayed game all the way around. They don’t want to go down 2-0 at home. We have to match their intensity right out of the gate. It’s a team you don’t want to dig yourselves a hole against,” said Salerno, who doubles as Storm vice-president of player personnel.
In a game more or less even through much of it, the Storm went on a 6-0 run late in the game as part of a 25-11 tirade in the fourth quarter to seal the win on Sunday in Halifax – that after being down 104-94 with just under seven minutes remaining.
Nullified advantages
The run nullified Halifax advantages in total rebounds (4236), offensive rebounds (10-6), second-chance points (12-2) and points in the paint (72-54). Halifax forward CJ Washington (30 points) and Billy White (21 points) paced Halifax inside. Storm guards Jahii Carson and Terry Thomas went for 21 and 20 points, respectively.
Salerno concedes likely better numbers to Halifax near the rim, given its hardy front court, but he’s ready to assert the series hinges on the Storm’s guard play led by Carson and Thomas, which was helped by Sunday’s bench heroics of point guard Al
Stewart and two-guard Rashad Whack.
The pair went for 14 and 17 points, respectively, and shot the Storm bench to a 42-19 advantage, but Salerno said his reserves can’t be asked to do that every night. So exploiting its backcourt edge and keeping the ‘Canes outside is the Storm’s main game plan.
“I thought we attacked the rim, attacked the paint. We spread them out used (the speed of) our guards. I thought we held our own on the boards. The bench did what it needed to do. Stewart and Whack really put some points on the board,” said Salerno. “We have to force this team to take for more shots on the perimeter. Fifty to 55 points in the paint I expect that, but the transition points in the paint… hurt (more).” Game 3 is Thursday, at 7 p.m., at Eastlink Centre. Game 4 goes Saturday, at 7 p.m., at the Link.
The London Lightning leads the Central Division final 2-0 over the Windsor Express. London has won the two games by a combined three
points. Games 3 and 4 in that bestof-seven are Thursday and Saturday, respectively, in Windsor, Ont.