Basketball: Garbelotto takes risk

Tony Garbelotto, coach to the BBL Championship strugglers Birmingham Bullets, has axed three players in an attempt to drag his club into contention for the post-season play-off quarter-finals. Bullets are 10th after winning only four of their first 19 games and, with 21 games left to play, Garbelotto has released the American pair Kyle Rolston and Michael Jackson along with the back-up guard Mike Redd.

It is a gamble considering Rolston and Jackson are the club's leading scorers. But they average only 17 points per game and barely scrape into the BBL's top 25 scorers. Garbelotto said: "This is probably the biggest risk in the BBL, but, if the changes come off, they will be great." Bullets are on a 10-day break because of England's semi-final round European Championship Group E fixtures, which they complete tomorrow night against Portugal at the Aston Events Centre.

Bullets' next game is at Thames Valley Tigers on Wednesday night, and Garbelotto plans to announce the replacements on Tuesday.