Basketball: Kings must be rated as underdogs against Fury

Edinburgh Kings’ Scottish international guard Paddy Campbell believes the players have a point to prove in tomorrow’s Scottish League clash with Falkirk Fury at Portobello High School (5pm).

Having beaten Fury on their own court at the Mariner in November 60-46, Kings would have been going into this game as firm favourites but for a disastrous Scottish Cup semi-final against Fury which they lost 96-69 at Portobello just before Christmas.

“They played really well last time and I think we got our game plan wrong and played an immature game,” said the former team captain. “We’ve been working hard and our attitude has to be right in terms of behaviour and discipline.”

Things have got worse since then with the loss of two star players in Audrius Ciapas, who is now serving a nine-match ban, and Mike Kirkpatrick, who has decided to stand down because of his university studies.

For the first time that I can remember Kings will be definite underdogs to a Falkirk team who appear to have better three-point shooters, Keith and Jonny Bunyan and Scott Russell all hitting high percentages against St Mirren last weekend in an 85-75 win; more height, with Ronnie Gordon and Stu MacKay a double threat to Kings’ sole centre Simon Flockhart, and more depth on their bench.

Both teams have 21 points from ten wins.

City of Edinburgh have four games against Falkirk tomorrow, starting with the cadet men at 11am, the Kool Kats senior women at 1pm and the junior men at 3pm, while the cadette women play their game at Portobello on Tuesday.

Edinburgh Kool Kats should maintain their title challenge in the senior women’s league against a Falkirk team still without a win.

Kats and Glasgow Rocks have both had just one defeat, but Polonia Phoenix have slipped back to three defeats after losing away to Glasgow last Sunday.