Basketball: Kings lose their crown

GUILDFORD KINGS could not save their NatWest Trophy title at Birmingham's National Indoor Arena last night, but they at least salvaged some pride before losing 91-84 to Thames Valley Tigers.

With Tigers 72-49 ahead at the end of the third quarter after outscoring the holders 25-7, the Kings were facing the greatest humiliation in their history against domestic rivals.

But in the final 12-minute period they came close to believing they could still win the game. Trevor Gordon, one of their few players to perform for the entire game, Alton Byrd, Karl Brown and Adrian Cummings hauled them back to trail just 87-81 with 17 seconds to play.

Nigel Lloyd regained control of his team for the crucial final moments and with support from the Most Valuable Player, Lester James, he denied Guildford the most unlikely of comeback wins.

Two free throws from Paul James 17 seconds from time and then two more from Lloyd made the victory safe and Guildford were left only with a resigned last-second three-pointer from Gordon.

In a Carlsberg League curtain- raiser to the final, Birmingham Bullets, who hope to play at the Arena next season, beat Leicester City Riders 119-102.

In other games, third-placed London Towers' credibility as title challengers fell sharply after a 76- 69 defeat at Manchester Giants. London's discipline also suffered in the second period, as a string of technical fouls for dissent, five in all, allowed Giants' American, Rick Lloyd, to take his free-throw total to 15.

MEN'S NATWEST TROPHY Final (Birmingham): Thames Valley Tigers bt Guidford Kings 91-84. Leading scorers: Tigers: L James 24, Lloyd 17, St Kitts 15. Kings: Gordon 24, Byrd 20, Brown 14.