A winning run in the league that stretched back to November 4 was ended last night as Cheshire Phoenix slipped to a 85-91 home reverse at the hands of Sheffield Sharks in the BBL Championship.
A mammoth 36-point haul from Nix ace Taylor King couldn't prevent John Coffino's men, who were without the services of the injured Demond Watt and Mike DiNunno, from being edged out by their Yorkshire visitors.
Missing two players of the calibre of Watt, who was injured in Friday's 65-53 win at Leeds Force, and DiNunno was always going to make an already tough tasker even tougher, but the Nix put in a spirited display with a limited rotation in front of a sell out crowd at the Northgate Arena.
The Nix opened up the contest with back-to-back three's from King and new signing Dustin Salisbery, and went blow for blow with the Sharks, whose head coach Atiba Lyons was away attending the birth of his baby daughter.
With Watt and DiNunno out of action, Coffino gave Adrien Sturt, Paul Sturgess and Simeon Naydenov their chance to shine, with all three staking their claim for more minutes on the court with impressive displays.
The defensive frailties that had blighted the team in the BBL Trophy loss to Plymouth Raiders the week before had been addressed and the Nix headed to the bench at the end of the first quarter with a two-point advantage at 18-16.
King, the BBL's leading points scorer this season, took on the offensive burden in the absence of Watt and DiNunno and had the hot hand in the second quarter, helping his side to a one-point advantage at half-time, with the Nix going into the locker room up 46-45.
The lack of a deep rotation was evident in the second half and Sharks dangermen Mike Cook, Mike Tuck and Ola Babulola helped the visitors to hit the front and stretch their advantage over the Nix, who were made to pay for their high number of turnovers.
Sharks dominated the first five minutes of the final quarter and held a 12-point advantage with 5.53 left on the clock, but the Nix dug deep and reduced that to just four points when Salisbery, who finished with 17 points and five assists, hit a jump shot for two with just 18 seconds left.
The Nix, who had Simeon Naydenov fouled out late on, tried to wrestle back control of the contest in the dying embers by forcing the Sharks to earn it from the line, but the Yorkshire side had just enough in the tank to see themselves over the line.
The defeat sees the fourth-placed Nix slip to 14-6 in the BBL Championship but remain in play-off contention, eight points ahead of Manchester Giants in fifth and four points behind third-placed Leicester Riders.
King finished with 12 boards to go along with his 36 points while Naydenov and David Aliu both registered 11 points each.
