Wizards, Legends start shooting for title

Robert Bailey, Gleaner Writer

A massive showdown is expected today when defending champions Tivoli Wizards face Majesty Legends in Game One of their best-of-three finals of the Flow National Basketball League (NBL) Southern Conference competition at the National Stadium Court, starting at 7 p.m.

The series is also a repeat matchup of last year's final, in which the Wizards defeated the Legends 2-0 to win the title.

The west Kingston-based Wizards booked their place in the finals with a comfortable 2-0 series victory over the Jamaica Defence Force.

The Wizards will start the series as the favourites, after defeating the Legends by more than 10 points in their opening match of the competition.

Despite this, Edward 'Ted' Marshall, coach of the Wizards, said they would not be taking their opponents for granted.

"They are a very dangerous team and so we won't be taking them lightly," said Marshall. "They (Legends) lost to Urban Knights in the first part of the season and then they came back and beat them in the semi-finals, and this, I believe, said a lot about the character of their team."

Marshall added: "We will have to be very focused and play a disciplined ball game because Majesty is a team with a lot of experienced players and we will have to ensure that we bring our 'A' game tomorrow (today) in order to beat them."

One of the most intriguing matchups, which everyone will be looking forward to, is the battle between national representative Kemar McLeish of the Legends and the Wizards' Omar Barnes, at the shooting guard position.

The Wizards' Kirk Ferguson will face off with Legends captain Baldon Todd at the other guard position, while Andrew Whilby of the Wizards and Maurice Blackwood of the Legends will have their own little match at the centre position.

The Legends secured their path to the finals with an exciting 2-0 series win over former champions Urban Knights.

"We are feeling good about ourselves and we are coming for revenge because they beat us in the finals last year," said Todd. "However, we have to ensure that we keep them off the boards and force them to shoot jump shots."

Todd added: "We are very confident we can beat them because presently we are the best team in the competition, but we just have to make sure that we keep a level head throughout, and once we do this I know we will win the game."

Game Two in the series will be played on Saturday at the same venue.