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BBL Lloyd guides Bullets into Final
Mike Finger will have his Wembley send off after all. The Pertemps Bullets Birmingham coach and his team progressed into the Dairylea Dunkers Championship final at the expense of Haribo London Towers, grinding out a 60-53 victory in a torrid semi-final at the Coventry Skydome.
Birmingham skipper Nigel Lloyd – the top free-throw shooter in the country – yet again came good at the big moment when he landed two free-throws with 27 seconds left to edge his side into a 58-53 lead, just as Towers had looked to be clawing their way back. Lloyd then ran the clock before a late foul allowed Justin Phoenix to seal it with two more from the line.
Earlier, Towers had led for the entire first-half, but an 8-0 Bullets run either side of half-time put the Birmingham side into the lead for the first time. The Bullets continued to stay just in front for most of the third and fourth quarters, and after Bullets’ Texan star Shawn Jamison escaped a bad injury following a bad fall seven minutes from time, Lloyd steered his troops home scoring a team-best 14.
"We didn’t have the best of regular seasons," said Finger. "But the guys have really bonded together and all credit to them. I’m real proud of them and we played a great game defensively."
Towers’ England star Steve Bucknall finished with 20 points, while Bullets’ Joel Burns was voted the game’s MVP.
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