'I'm from New York, I've got the dog in me': How Rickey McGill inspired Sheffield Sharks play-off win

But on the court, the Sheffield Sharks point guard is a different animal.

“I’m from New York, I’ve got the dawg in me, I come ready to play,” he said on Sunday night after sinking his teeth into Cheshire Phoenix and not letting go.

With Sharks down 10 points coming into the play-off quarter-final second leg, and having seen Donovan Clay and Prentiss Nixon on the sidelines with ankle and nose injuries respectively, Sheffield’s big dawg took charge.

McGill sunk a couple of key three-pointers and a lay-up as Lyons’ side kept their foot to the floor, knowing giving Cheshire hope would be liking giving a dog a bone.

In all, McGill – the 27-year-old mid-season acquisition with previous Super League Basketball experience with Newcastle Eagles – scored 31 points, eight rebounds and five assists as Sheffield turned the tables on Phoenix and advanced to the semi-finals.

“We were down two guys and I had to be there for them,” said McGill, who was keen to deflect any praise onto his team-mates.

“Shout out to Jamell (Anderson), J-Rat (Ratinho), Drake (Jeffries), all the guys that came in. They definitely stepped up for us when we had two key players go down.”

It was a pulsating watch for the punter, the nature of the aggregate tie meaning every point mattered from minute one to minute 40. But a glimpse into how McGill greeted the mounting tension offers an insight into how coolly he handled the situation.

“I try not to think about it, it’s just basketball, you’ve got to get the job done at the end of the day,” he said. “We came out and did what we had to do.”

Next up is a two-legged semi-final with Leicester Riders starting Friday at the Canon Medical Arena (7.30pm) and continuing Sunday in Leicester.

McGill added: “It’s the play-offs, yes it’s great that we won the Cup already and that’s an accomplishment, but now it’s 0-0, everybody is going to give it their all, nobody wants to go home, we just have to keep getting better every day and keep it rolling.”