Atiba Lyons has hailed the mental strength of his Sheffield Sharks team as they head into a potentially pivotal weekend in the Super League Basketball title race.

Sharks are currently riding an 11-game winning streak, highlighted by their victory in the SLB Cup final against Surrey 89ers in Nottingham last Sunday.

That they were able to back that up three nights later with a win over Cheshire Phoenix was a big check in the character box for Lyons. Key to it was compartmentalising celebrating and getting back to business.

“On Sunday night we went back to the arena and had some drinks and a little bit of a celebration, and then we gave them the day off,” said Lyons of how they celebrated their first trophy in nine years.

Prentiss Nixon celebrates Sheffield Sharks' SLB Cup final win but it's now back to league business for the team.

“In the 24 hours they had off, I don’t know what they did, but they showed up ready to work Tuesday morning so they didn’t do anything too crazy.

“We’ve never been in a position where we’ve come off winning a title and then playing a game two days later. As a coach you hope for the best and these guys showed up and really impressed me.”

The next two nights will provide an acid test of their title credentials. First up a swift rematch with a smarting 89ers team in Surrey, followed by a visit from title rivals Leicester Riders to the Canon Medical Arena on Sunday.

A defeat will come at some stage over the coming weeks, but Lyons is confident he and his team have the mindset to overcome any setbacks.

“I take it one game at a time. The streak, whether it’s good or bad, is irrelevant,” he said.

“I don’t think about the past. The final was in the past, and now we’re refocused.”

'Cup glory is in the past, now we're refocused': Sheffield Sharks have mental strength to maintain momentum