Basketball: Bullets in chase for final play-off spot

Birmingham Bullets' roller-coaster season takes another twist this weekend with the playmaker Rob Paternostro coaching his team-mates at Brighton Bears tonight and at home to Thames Valley Tigers tomorrow, while Tony Garbelotto serves a two-game ban.

Garbelotto has been banned for comments made to match officials after the Bullets were beaten at Essex Leopards four weeks ago, and Paternostro, who has tendinitis, will act as coach.

Bullets have lost ground to claim the final place for the play-off quarter-finals in the past 10 days with defeats against Sheffield Sharks, Newcastle Eagles and Scottish Rocks while Paternostro mainly watched from the bench.

Garbelotto said: "We don't know how long Rob's going to be out for, he could get better within days or it might be weeks." Like football's Premiership, the BBL Championship is now split into three groups. Brighton and Chester Jets are chasing Sheffield, but cannot overhaul them if the Sharks keep winning. Newcastle, Thames Valley, the Rocks and London Towers will qualify for the play-offs but are jostling for a top-four finish to have home advantage in the quarter-finals. Bullets, Leopards and Milton Keynes Lions are fighting for eighth place while Leicester Riders, like Sunderland, are adrift at the bottom.

The Leopards are eighth despite Thursday night's 104-83 defeat at Sheffield, but the Lions can catch them by beating Leicester tonight and Newcastle tomorrow, although the Eagles have the incentive of strengthening their grip on fourth.

The Eagles player-coach, Fab Flournoy, said: "I'm extremely happy with the way things are going right now. Most of our problems are with mental lapses, but it's a sign of a young team. We have to recognise those lapses and play smart basketball."