Basketball: Bears happy to give Williams another shot against Bullets

Williams, who was on a monthly contract at the Bullets, was with the Bears last season and, although he has slipped from his high-scoring early-season form, should boost his former club, who have won only three out of their first seven Championship games.

The Bears coach, Nick Nurse, said: "Yorick is a scorer, which we have been lacking this season. We were disappointed not to pick him up in the summer."

Although the Bullets will miss 30-year-old Williams, who can be erratic and effective in equal measure, it was his former team-mate Jeff Bonds who has been making a bigger impact over recent weeks, winning the BBL's player of the month award for October.

The cavalry is on the way to solve Sheffield Sharks' crisis at point guard, but it will not arrive in time for their trip to Glasgow to face the unbeaten BBL leaders, Scottish Rocks, tomorrow.

The Sharks coach, Peter Scantlebury, has signed Mike Slattery out of Delaware University to replace his fellow American Herbert Montgomery, but the Philadelphian is not due to arrive until next week.

The Rocks extended their unbeaten start to the season to six games with a surprisingly close 86-80 win over the bottom club, Plymouth Raiders, on Thursday, and the Raiders also ran Newcastle Eagles close last night, losing 77-69 as the Eagles moved up to joint top with the Rocks.