Wizards, Legends clash in Game One
The newly sponsored Flow/ National Basketball League’s (NBL’s) best-of-three finals tip off this evening with Tivoli Wizards going up against Majesty Gardens Legends at the National Stadium Courts, starting
at 7:00.
Tivoli, winners of the last five versions of the former divisional title, are seeking their first lien on the coveted NBL crown.
Majesty Gardens are contesting their first final after just their second season in
the league.
The teams are evenly matched, despite Tivoli’s slight edge after beating their opponents in three out of four matches this season.
But Tivoli’s coach Ted Marshall says after having the better of an opponent a number of times in one season, one has to play harder each time one faces that team if one wants to win.
“If you come out and don’t decide to play, then you’ll lose,” he asserted. “We beat them three times, but if you’re playing a final and you have it in the back of your mind that you defeated this team three times, you can end up losing to that team,” he added.
Marshall said his team is hungry to regain their hold on the nation’s top basketball title and they intend to make the most of their presence in
the final.
“From the start of the season they (players) have followed instructions and if they continue to follow instruction we’ll be all right… but we’re coming with 190 per cent,”
he said.
Marlan Nattie, the Legends coach, conceded that his opponents have the egde after beating them three times this season. He believes that to have a good shot at the title, his team must avoid losing Game One this evening.
“If we win Game One, we only need to win one more,” he commented. “But we don’t want to put ourselves in that spot because it’s a psychological battle to lose the first game and fight back to win the last two. It would show you have a lot of guts, but it’s much harder,” he argued.
According to Nattie, both teams had an outstanding season and should both be prepared for a tough match this evening.
“Last year we made the semis, so this year we’re in the final and we’re more motivated and determined to ensure that we get a chance to be in the top spot,” he added.
