Not what they do, but the way that they do it
EAGLES GETTING BACK TO FORM AS PLAY-OFFS APPROACH
IT’S not the usual phrase you would hear coming from the camp of a franchise who have enjoyed such phenomenal success - but winning isn’t everything for the Newcastle Eagles. Only, though, for the next two games.
With the play-offs just around the corner, Newcastle Eagles guard Joe Hart feels the team are heading in the right direction performance wise - and that is something he feels is hugely significant.
The Eagles suffered a narrow defeat to the Leicester Riders on Wednesday evening but have the chance bounce back straight away tonight as they welcome the BBL champions to Sport Central.
Hart said: “It’s very important to us, every game is very important for us.
“We still need to win one more game to lock up the second spot in the standings. That has some relevance, but I think we just need to keep building and keep improving.
“In the last three or four games, we haven’t necessarily won but we’ve taken big strides to get back to playing the way that we know and how we can play.
“I think we’ve taken big strides in the right direction and it’s like we’re building towards something. We should be ready by the play-offs.
“We need to just keep getting better and play hard for 40 minutes.”
Scott Martin led the way with a double-double of 18 points and 13 rebounds in the 87-81 midweek defeat and Hart thinks playing better is more important than getting a result in their last two BBL Championship games.
He added: “At the end of the day, none of these games really matter as we’ve clinched our play-off spot.
“I know everyone in our roster and everyone in our organisation knows we can beat everyone in this league. We just need to get back to playing the way we know how to play and if that means we lose the next two games but take steps forward then so be it, we lose those two games.”
It is now seven consecutive road defeats for Newcastle and they have the chance to snap that on Sunday against the Sheffield Sharks.
Hart, however, said the focus is solely on the game with Leicester though clinching second place sooner rather than later is the aim.
He said: “It would be very nice to win on the road because in the playoffs you’re going to have to win on the road.
“As of right now, I think we’re trying to focus on Friday’s game, taking care of business at home because winning at home is very important and move on from there.”
“You don’t want to leave anything down to the last day if you don’t have to. That being said, you can only go out and do what you can do.
“If we don’t win on Friday then we’re going to have to go out and play as hard as we do every game to get the win on Sunday.”
The Great Britain star reflected on his recent performances, saying they have improved - and he is also looking forward to the play-offs for the very first time.
Hart added: “In the last two months I have played a lot better and found some rhythm. I am pretty pleased with my performances.
“There are always things you can do better, clean up things on the defensive ends, clean up turnovers here and there.
“I’ve never played in an aggregate system, except in the BBL Cup.
“It’s definitely a different play-off system to what I’m used to.
“It’s the best time of the year. It’s why we compete all year long, to make the play-offs. It should be fun.”