Basketball: Leaders in the clear amid rush for play-offs

The 12-point stranglehold Scottish Rocks and Newcastle Eagles hold over the British Basketball League is under little threat this weekend, in the first round of fixtures since the England and Scotland senior men's teams left for the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

Instead, the focus switches to the also-rans scrambling for a place in the play-off quarter-finals. Brighton Bears, now eighth and one point behind Guildford Heat, are at home tomorrow against Leicester Riders. Leicester's 79-76 defeat at Milton Keynes on Wednesday was their eighth in a row and saw the Lions join the Heat in joint sixth.

Two points back in ninth and 10th are Plymouth Raiders and last season's league champions, Chester Jets. The Raiders are at home to the fourth-placed London Towers, whom they defeated 89-85 at Crystal Palace last weekend.