London Towers began their spell of five matches in four competitions in seven days by booking their place in the semi-finals of the NTL National Cup, with a 70-61 win over Manchester Giants.

Jerry Hester led Towers to the win with 16 points, giving his coach, Nick Nurse, a win over his former side. 

A  10-1 run in the early stages of the third quarter saw Towers lead 45-39 and although Manchester rallied, it was never quite enough to overtake the Towers. 

Justin Phoenix scored 22 points for Giants - last season's runners-up, leading all scorers in the game.