'If we impose our physicality we'll come out on top' - says Sheffield Sharks captain Rodney Glasgow Jnr ahead of BBL play-off date with Leicester Riders

Sharks ended the British Basketball League regular season with something of a whimper over the weekend, losing to the Riders in Leicester on Friday night, and then to Bristol Flyers on Sunday at Ponds Forge.

Having had a chance of finishing fifth going into the weekend, thereby creating a slightly easier path to the BBL play-off final on Sunday, May 14, Sharks fell to a seventh-place finish.

It means a quarter-final match-up with last year’s BBL champions and play-off winners Leicester Riders, which if they defy the odds and negotiate over two legs, will likely result in a semi-final with big-spending London Lions – the freshly-minted league champions and top seeds – in next weekend’s semi-final.

But having won at both Leicester and London in the regular season, it is a task Atiba Lyons’ Sharks are not daunted by – if they stick to the game plan laid out for them and overpower Leicester with their physicality.

“For us it’s about staying consistent to a game plan,” said Glasgow of how his team-mates must approach the week leading up to Friday’s first leg at Ponds Forge (7.30pm tip-off).

"If coach wants a certain game plan we need to stick to it and make the right reads.

"Defensively when guarding Leicester it’s about stopping them in transition and then being more physical. Last Friday night at their place we weren’t as physical with them as we should have been, and they don’t like physicality.

"If we impose that then we should come out on top when it comes to the aggregate score.

"We know what to expect, it’s a well-coached team by Rob (Paternostro). Those guys know each other well, we know their strengths and their weaknesses. It all comes down to us staying locked in, knowing they’re going to be a very organised team, so you’ve just got to stay at it offensively and defensively, and if you play the right way their defence will break down.

"On offence we know who they’re going to – they’ve got a lot of weapons but we’ve got a lot of weapons too. It should be a good first round.”

Sheffield came out flat against Bristol in their regular-season finale on Sunday, registering their lowest scoring first quarter of the season. They then followed it up with their joint-lowest scoring third quarter of the campaign.

Any repeat in the eight quarters against Leicester (Friday and Sunday), and Sharks know their play-off campaign will end at the first hurdle as it has done the last two seasons. Last year they were the second seeds when bounced by Glasgow Rocks (now Caledonia Gladiators), so they know an upset is possible.

"When it comes to the play-offs, it’s about match-ups,” said captain Glasgow, pictured. “Anybody can be beaten.

“This is crunch time now, and despite the last two losses in which we’ve played two very good teams, going into this if we take it one game at a time and we can head deep into the play-offs."