Cheshire Phoenix head coach John Lavery is aiming to see his side continue their hot streak in the BBL this weekend, but admits it will be tough.
The Nix, currently on a four-game winning streak, travel to high-flying Leicester Riders on Saturday (7.30pm) in Loughborough before welcoming a resurgent Plymouth University Raiders to the Cheshire Oaks Arena on Sunday (5.30pm).
The Riders will be smarting after losing their first game of the season last weekend, going to down to Sheffield Sharks, while Plymouth, under the stewardship of new head coach Daryl Corletto and boasting former Nix centre Adrien Sturt among their ranks, stunned Worcester Wolves on Sunday, winning 101-91 on the road.
“Leicester Riders are a really tough outfit,” said Lavery, who added veteran UK forward Olu Babalola to his squad following his release from Manchester Giants.
“Loughborough is a hard place to go and pick up a win, but we’ve just got to continue doing what we’ve been doing, and go into the game focusing on what we need to do to give ourselves a chance to win.
“Plymouth are coming off a great win at Worcester and have added a couple of new pieces in Adrien Sturt and Duane Bailey.
“I know Adrien very well, as he was here last year and is a great addition for Plymouth.
“It’s going to be a tough game but [as a team] we’re not going to talk about Plymouth until Sunday morning, when we have our team meeting. But all our focus is on Leicester, which is our next game.”
Former Newcastle Eagles, Everton Tigers and Sheffield Sharks man Babalola is available for selection for this weekend's double-header, while club captain David Aliu is nearing a return from injury, although this weekend may come too soon for the 34-year-old Liverpudlian.
“We’ve still got David Aliu to come back into the mix,” said Lavery.
“Dave’s a seasoned pro and an influential player both on and off the floor. He’s our leader and our glue, but we have to take it day by day with him.”
