Basketball: Peers puts pressure on Jets

The Chester Jets coach, Robbie Peers, has reacted to his team's shaky start to the defence of their BBL Championship title by releasing the American duo, Shaheen Holloway and Shawn Myers, from their line-up.

Peers has re-signed the playmaker and last season's MVP John Thomas – recently released by his Israeli club, and his fellow American Kenny Gregory, a 6ft 6in forward. Gregory graduated from the University of Kansas and more recently played for the Dodge City Legend in the USBL.

The Jets have lost two of their first three games, which under the old north-south conference system was not such a damaging start as the top four from each conference qualified for the play-offs with the title going to the eventual winners. But this season's 11-team national league format leaves less room for error, as the championship will go to the top side after a 40-game schedule.

Birmingham Bullets hope their stop-start season will click into gear tonight when Tenerife visit the Aston Events Centre (7pm) for their third game in the Champions Cup Western Conference. Despite an outstanding 96-95 overtime win in Belgium last week against Mons, after a first-game defeat in Portugal to Oliveirense, Bullets lost a third straight BBL Championship game on Sunday and are bottom of the table.

Tenerife lead the Western Conference group after two wins and the Bullets coach, Tony Garbelotto, said: "We have to respect them but I don't fear any of these teams." Also tonight the Championship's leading pair, Thames Valley Tigers and Brighton Bears, meet in a BBL Trophy game at Bracknell (8pm).