AFTER a two-year absence, Glasgow Rocks are once again involved in the BBL post-season. Now that they are there, player/coach Gareth Murray is determined to make a big impression.
Scotland’s sole representative in the BBL will tonight host Sheffield Sharks, the league’s second-placed side, in the first leg of the play-off quarter-finals before making the journey down south for the return fixture on Sunday.
A strong run of form – particularly at home – towards the end of the campaign saw the Rocks claim seventh spot and a berth in the knockout stage of the tournament, while a run to the final four of the BBL Cup and BBL trophy provides grounds for cautious optimism about the team’s prospects. Murray, for one, can’t wait to get going.
“There were no play-offs in the Covid year and last year we didn’t make the play-offs so it is good to be back,” he said. “We have made two semi-finals this year and unfortunately we didn’t reach the final in either, which was difficult for the team.
“I think we have a good match up for ourselves in Sheffield Sharks. We played them a couple of weeks ago and won on the buzzer, 77-76, which was a pretty good game. From the teams that are remaining, I think Sheffield are the best match that we could have hoped for.
“It’s in the way that we match up. They are a really defensive team, they really slow down the pace, but we are the complete opposite. We want to push the pace, play fast, get more possessions than the other team.”
That forward-thinking approach has reaped dividends across the course of the campaign. The Rocks’ gung-ho attacking style, coupled with a formidable record when playing at Glasgow’s Emirates Arena, leave Murray believing his team have a fighting chance this weekend.
“Our home games are always important because our road record this year has not been amazing but our home record is the joint-best in the league,” Murray noted. “So getting a good result at home is really important for us ahead of Sunday.
“They’re the No.2 defensive team in the league and we’re the No.2 offensive team in the league so it is a complete contrast but it should be a good match up to see which style of play comes out on top.
“We have the head-to-head over them in the league and they have the head-to-head in the cups, so it’s fairly balanced. I don’t think either game will be a blow-out; I don’t think you’ll see a 20-point win for either team. I think both games are going to be very close.”
This isn’t the first occasion this season that the Rocks have found themselves facing an opponent but as Murray explains, this time it is a little different.
He said: “This will be the third time we have played a two-legged game where we’ve not had another game scheduled in between them. This week we can only focus on Sheffield, which is good.
“It’s what I like anyway. I would really like if we could just play one game a week then we could just focus on that team and get in really deep with the scouting and really try and stop each team.
“But now we can really focus on what works on that team, what doesn’t work against them, how to stop them.”
With his side potentially just four games away from a one-off final in London, Murray is feeling optimistic. Any myriad of problems could strike the Rocks’ opponents and any number of unforeseen circumstances could tip the scales in the Glaswegians’ favour, he reasons. His job is to make sure that the team are primed and ready to take advantage of whatever the future has in store.
Murray added: “You’re playing four games and you can be in a final – and you only really have to win two of those games out the four, you just have to win them by big margins.
“It’s a knockout competition and the aggregate score usually finds the best team then you get to a one-off final. Anything can happen.
“We finished the season fairly well and we are playing with a lot of confidence. You never know, you might turn up and the other team just want to go home. You don’t know what can happen.”
