Basketball: Gordon to the rescue for Rocks

If a British Basketball League coach is dependent on his 6ft 10in centre to save the game by sinking a long-range three-pointer from the corner, it's desperate. And it was desperate for Scottish Rocks at Crystal Palace on Saturday, until Roni Gordon hit the target seconds from the end of their BBL Cup semi-final with Thames Valley Tigers.

The Scottish international, who is normally used to the dirty work under the basket, hit a clean three-pointer to tie the scores 93-93, setting up Rocks for a 105-104 overtime win.

Rocks took the BBL play-off title last season and they will line up in their second knock-out final on 11 January against Sheffield Sharks, who beat London Towers 90-81 in the other semi-final.

The cup was launched after BBL clubs withdrew from the National Cup when a change in the eligibility rules would have barred most of their American imports, and now two rookie coaches will contest the first final, Rocks' Steve Swanson and Peter Scantlebury of Sharks.

Swanson was assistant to the Brighton Bears coach, Nick Nurse, last season when they won the National Cup, but he thought his chances in the new format were slipping away as Josiah James and Quintin Bailey accelerated Tigers' scoring in the fourth quarter.

The veteran Tony Holley put Tigers 93-90 ahead but Rocks' Jerry Williams stole possession and fed Gordon in the corner. With the clock ticking down and no options available, he dramatically sent the game into overtime. Nike Arinze clinched Rocks' win, scoring the last of his 36 points 12 seconds from time to complete a three-point play.

Sharks' victory was built on out-rebounding the Towers 46-21, but it still needed a four-point play from Randy Duck, fouled while sinking a three-pointer, to seal the win.