Basketball: Coaches forced to sit out crucial match

LONDON TOWERS' challenge for the Budweiser League title is on the line at Wembley tomorrow, but their coach, Kevin Cadle, is confined to the TV commentary team alongside his rival on the night, Birmingham Bullets' Mike Finger. Both Americans are serving a one-game ban for the match, after berating officials in two different games in recent weeks. They decided to entrust coaching duties to their assistants rather than risk further punishment by appealing, and instead will sit side by side on the television platform.

Towers already have eight defeats, the same number asGreater London Leopards in winning the title last season. Leopards have 21 wins from 26 games after beating Towers 93-83 last weekend and Newcastle Eagles 100-97 in overtime on Wednesday.

Bullets have 20 wins from 25 games, ahead of Sheffield Sharks on 19 from 25 and Towers in fourth, but they cannot afford to lose another game.