Bullets level series

Basketball

Birmingham Bullets scored eight free throws in the final 30 seconds, six of them from Nigel Lloyd, to beat Chester Jets 82-72 and square their Budweiser League play-off quarter-final series at 1-1.

The teams return to Birmingham's National Indoor Arena for the decisive third game tomorrow. The Bullets, last season's Wembley play-off winners, trailed Chester 53-43 early in the second half and faced elimination despite holding Jets' American Billy Singleton to single figures.

But runs of 7-2 and 9-2 were capped by a three-pointer from Mike Landell to give Birmingham the lead for the first time since the opening quarter at 68-67.

Sheffield Sharks join the league champions, the Leopards, at Wembley on the first weekend of May after a 2-0 series win over Manchester Giants with Tuesday's 74-68 victory. Newcastle and London Towers are tied 1-1 after the Eagles' 80-70 win on Tuesday and the final game is at Wembley on Sunday.