Leicester and Sheffield to contest British BBL Trophy Final
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Basketball fans are in for a treat this weekend, with the British BBL Trophy Final taking place in Glasgow.
It pitches reigning champions Leicester Riders against 2013 victors Sharks Sheffield.
Leicester are actually aiming for a third-successive trophy title, while the Sharks will be hoping to repeat their 71-69 final win over the Riders five years ago.
The Riders have been the standout team in recent seasons. This will be their fifth appearance in the final in six years.
The two sides will be familiar with each other, having met twice in the league last month. Leicester prevailed 75-64 at home, after a 98-92 success in Yorkshire.
An 80-75 victory for the Riders in November means they’ll be aiming for a fourth straight win against the Sharks.
Rob Paternostro’s Leicester really have been the team to beat when it comes to the BBL.
They sit comfortably top of the BBL League, something they’ve become accustomed too lately.
Since 2010 they’ve topped the league three times, going on to win the championship twice. You can add three BBL Cups and those trophy wins to their trophy cabinet too.
As for Atiba Lyons’ Sheffield, they’re the underdogs in Glasgow. They dominated the BBL at the turn of century, finishing first or second in the league for six straight seasons.
But they could only land the championship once in that spell in 2004.
Success has been frequent in recent times though, winning the championship again in 2016 in addition to the trophy in 2013 and successive cups in 2010 and 2011.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
