Blazers on the road to try to edge closer to title
THERE are only two weekends and three games of the regular basketball season remaining for Derby Trailblazers and the club are edging ever closer to a second NBL Division One title.
Derby, Hemel and Essex are tied on 36 points at the top of the table but the Trailblazers have a game in hand and own the head-to-head over their two title rivals.
Today brings a trip to play Reading Rockets (2pm), as Derby look to record a league double over the Berkshire side.
The Trailblazers won the reverse fixture 99-81, with Corey Johnson dropping six out of seven threepointers to lead the team with 23 points, five rebounds and three assists.
Raheem May-Thompson added 22 points, while Sam Masten had 19 and seven assists. Malcolm Smith finished with 11 and Rob Marsden flirted with a triple-double, racking up 12 rebounds, 10 assists and seven points.
This will be the third meeting of the season between the two sides.
They also met in the semi-final of the KitKing Trophy, when Derby sealed an emphatic 98-69 win in Berkshire.
With Essex due to host Hemel on Saturday, a win for Derby could go a long way towards sealing the title, but Trailblazers head coach Matt Shaw isn’t taking anything for granted.
“Every game is like a cup final right now. They are all important fixtures and we can’t afford to have any slip-ups,” he said. “Reading is one of the hardest places to play in the league.
“They have a great atmosphere and the options they have in the back court are probably wider than any other team in the league.
“We are playing with confidence and determination right now. I really like the mindset the guys are showing. It should be another great game.”
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