Towers ready for Bullets' tactics

Basketball

The London Towers coach, Kevin Cadle, is adamant his players are ready to deal with any "gimmick" defences Birmingham throw at them tonight in the first leg of their National Cup semi-final, after the Bullets caught them out with a one-point Budweiser League victory at Wembley last night.

Birmingham, who tuned up with an 86-81 overtime league victory against Derby at the weekend, shut down London's leading scorers Steve Bucknall and Danny Lewis in their upset win and Cadle believes they will try the same tactics tonight.

"Other players had open shots against Birmingham but didn't make them," Cadle said. "If Birmingham work on Steve and Danny tonight then Andy Gardiner, Mark Hubbard and Tony Windless must step up and make their shots."

The league leaders, Towers, kept their edge over the defending champions, Sheffield Sharks, with Friday's 84-78 win against Leopards in the game that went ahead at London Arena 30 minutes after the IRA bomb blast in the Docklands.

The scores were tied on 77-77 with just over two minutes to play, leaving Leopards' coach, Billy Mims frustrated at another victory slipping away in the final seconds.