Basketball: Towers overcome absence of Myers

London Towers' talismanic playmaker, Terrel Myers, was readmitted to hospital on Saturday, taking with him the last hopes of his team-mates that he would be shouting encouragement from the bench in their BBL Trophy semi-final against Birmingham Bullets.

If Towers missed him, it didn't show on court where they reduced Bullets to rubble on their own floor with an 18-0, seven-minute run in the third quarter to win 86-62 and earn a final date with holders Chester Jets, who beat Newcastle Eagles 97-89.

Myers has been out for five weeks since a swelling in his armpit revealed a blood clot. He watched the low point of Towers campaign last week when they allowed Leicester to end a 22-game losing streak, but missed the high point when they rebuilt their season with victory at the Aston Events Centre.

Rick Taylor, Towers' general manager, said: "Terrell began feeling weak and dizzy this morning and the swelling had come up again."

Bullets' game plan worked in the first half: they neutralised Kendrick Warren and contained Theo Dixon to lead 36-35. But when Bullets' Martin Henlan tipped in to tie on 45-45 it was their last score for over seven minutes. Former Bullets John O'Connell and Danny Craven took revenge over the Bullets owner Craig Bown, who spent last season at odds with his players, all of whom left.

Dixon became unstoppable and Towers' Ronnie Baker and Shaheen Holloway dominated Rob Paternostro and Eugene Baah, who succumbed to the effects of injury.

The Jets sprinted for the line with a 22-8 finale, once playmaker John Thomas stopped nursing a thigh injury and the referees stopped calling fouls on his team-mates, who outmuscled the Eagles.