It is going to be real battle but we’ll tame the Wolves

DREW UPBEAT AS EAGLES BID FOR PLAY-OFF FINAL

NEWCASTLE Eagles’ Drew Lasker believes the side must step up their game against the in-form Worcester Wolves if they are to make it to the BBL play-off final.

The Eagles welcome the Wolves to Sport Central tonight in the first leg, the second leg taking place on Friday night – with the overall winner moving on to the final at the O2 Arena in London.

Lasker knows just how tough the two-legged match will be against the Wolves - but has every faith Newcastle can get through.

He said: “We will be going to the O2. That is our mindset.

“That has to be our mindset – there is no point in playing if you are thinking ‘I am not sure.’

“We are going to have to play much better than we did in this first round because Worcester have been the best team in the league over the last three months.

“They are a real confident team and over the last two years they have kind of had our number - but I know our guys will be ready.

“It is going to be a tough game, an absolute battle.

“We hope we can get all our fans supporting here because we are going to need it.

“They have had our number in the last two games, they are riding high and we are looking to take that from them.”

Fab Flournoy’s side beat Bristol Flyers 84-82 on Sunday on Tyneside to secure a five-point aggregate win and Lasker knows teams who are playing in the play-offs are the “best of the best.”

“It is play-off basketball, they are not just going to lay down,” the shooting guard added.

“There are eight quarters and to sustain that type of lead for eight quarters is tough, especially at their place.

“The Bristol players, they owed their fans because, even when they were down by 30, those fans were rowdy the whole time.

“They stuck with them, they actually gave the team confidence.

“They started making shots and that place was loud. They got going, it is a game of momentum and a game of runs, which they did.”

The Eagles led the Flyers by 33 points at one stage in the first leg down at the WISE Arena but were pegged back going in to the second leg at Sport Central.

The slender advantage they had meant Flournoy’s side could not rest on their laurels and a ccording to Lasker had to go out and win in front of their fans.

He said: “Three points is one possession – you can get that at the start of the game, so that is nothing.

“That is exactly why our mindset was to win the game.

“We came out and it was not one of our best performances but that is play-off basketball. It is going to be ugly all the way to the O2. “It is just about imposing your will on the opponent.” Darius Defoe’s big performance of 26 points and 10 rebounds helped to tip the balance and Lasker thinks the Eagles’ experience got them over the line in the end. “Probably our experience,” he added after being asked what the difference was between the two sides. “That is what it came down to because when they went on a run, when they had the lead in the first half, we never panicked. “With a younger team in that position you would panic and lose your identity. We stuck to the game plan the whole game. “We knew it was a long game and we battled all the way through, so I think our experience helped to pull us through.” Tip-off at Sport Central tonight is at 7.30.

They’ve had our number, they’re riding high and we’re aiming to take that from them Drew Lasker