Basketball: Sharks hoping for title celebrations

Sheffield will become national champions for the first time since 1999 if they defeat Brighton at Ponds Forge tomorrow, after falling at the final hurdle in the last two seasons when the title was decided by sudden-death play-offs.

The meticulous preparation by the Sharks coach, Chris Finch, of his versatile team is suited to the long haul of a 40-game schedule, and he said: "I think this format rewards the most consistent team."

Now he is poised to win the title for the second time, this time as a coach after also triumphing in 1995 as a player with the Sharks.

But Finch is aware there is a hint of sudden death to the last nine days of the regular season. If the second-placed Bears defeat Milton Keynes tonight and inflict Sheffield's first home defeat of the season tomorrow, they will have the upper hand in the four-game series between the clubs.

If they then match Sheffield over each club's final two games of the season, Brighton will win the title.

Finch said: "Brighton are never easy to beat. Nick Nurse does a fabulous job with his teams every year and he has done a particularly great job this year."

The Bears have remained in contention despite injuries costing them their playmaker, Randy Duck, for two months and Emiko Etete for the entire second half of the season. Duck's backcourt partner Ralph Blalock is playing through a painful foot injury.