Crucial NBL double-header this evening

Robert Bailey, Gleaner Writer

Former champions St Georges Slayers and last year's beaten finalists Majesty Legends will be aiming to secure crucial wins in today's final round of matches in the Flow National Basketball League at the National Stadium Courts.

In the opening game, the Legends will oppose the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) at 5 p.m. while the Slayers will battle Swift Sons at 7 p.m.

The Slayers, who last won the competition in 2006, are fourth in the standings with 16 points, including six wins and four losses.

Rohan Robinson, player and coach of the Slayers, said his side would be pulling out all the stops to get a victory.

"This is a very crucial game for us because it will decide our placing in the second round of the competition, and so we have to ensure that we win this game," said Robinson.

"This (Sons) team is a very dangerous one and so we are not going to take them lightly and so we have to make sure that we dominate the game from start to finish," Robinson said.

sons ranked fifth

The Sons, on the other hand, are fifth in the table with 15 points, including five wins and five defeats.

In the meantime, the Marland Nattie-coached Legends, who are coming off a humiliating defeat to Urban Knights in their last game, are third in the standings on 17 points, with seven wins and three defeats.

Kemar McLeish, captain of the Legends, said he is very optimistic that his team can return to winning ways.

"I think that we just have to go out and execute and to do what we do best, which is to run the floor and score the easy baskets," said McLeish, who is also a national senior team representative.

"However, they are a team that we are not going to take lightly because on any given night they can be very dangerous," McLeish added.

The JDF are currently fifth in the standings with 15 points, which includes five wins and five losses.

Defending champions Tivoli Wizards lead the standings with 21 points, which includes 10 wins and one defeat.

The second round of the competition, which will tip off next week, will see the 12 teams divided into two groups. The top four sides in each group will advance to the quarter-finals of the competition.