Fahro Alihodzic admits time is running out for Sheffield Sharks to snap out of their inconsistent streak before the start of the Super League Basketball play-offs - but knows rival teams would be foolish to write this unpredictable unit off.

A microcosm of the Sharks season came this weekend with a rousing come-from-behind victory at Newcastle Eagles on Friday followed a by a sluggish, ragged performance at home to Leicester Riders on Sunday.

Alihodzic, the 36-year-old Bosnian-British centre signed in February, admitted they failed to get out of the low gear they started in in front of their home fans.

They have an immediate chance to atone at Leicester Riders on Tuesday night in their penultimate game of the regular season.

Slam dunk: Sheffield Sharks' Fahro Alihodzic scores a basket against Leicester Riders (Picture: Adam Bates)

placeholder image — Slam dunk: Sheffield Sharks' Fahro Alihodzic scores a basket against Leicester Riders (Picture: Adam Bates)

Win their final two games (Manchester at home on Sunday) and they will finish third in the league, which would postpone a meeting with the all-conquering London Lions until the final.

But the hot and cold nature of Sheffield’s season suggests getting that far is by no means certain and if they are to have any chance of a deep run, Atiba Lyons’ side need to find a consistent rhythm early.

Asked about the team’s propensity for slow starts, Alihodzic said: “Maybe it had to do with the fact that we’d played a game on Friday, it was an emotional game in which we had to come back from being down and won a big game up there.

“We came out Sunday with low energy and they kind of capitalised on that. These back-to-back games are proving difficult for us, I feel like the last few weeks we’re always a bit slower or less energy in the second game and we need to try and pick that up especially with the play-offs coming up.”

Big centre Fahro Alihodzic scores with a lay up for Sharks against Leicester.

So how do they go about arresting that?

“We have another game Tuesday, another chance to make up for it,” he said.

“Game by game, play by play, that’s the mentality we need. We need to be ready for the next play, forget this game now, make up for it Tuesday and this could set us up for the play-offs when you’re going to be playing the same team two nights apart.”

Alihodzic, who previously played for London and Caledonia in a much-travelled career that has taken in spells in Hungary, Greece and Argentina among other countries, believes Sharks could still be a dangerous proposition in the play-offs.

“I feel like anything can happen with our team,” said the 6ft 10in centre.

“None of the other teams in the league will want to match up with us because when we play really well for 40 minutes we’re very difficult to stop, we can be a very strong team.

“We don’t always come out where we’re playing our best basketball for 40 minutes.

“We are running out of time, we have a good game and then a bad game, there’s still that consistency we’re looking for, but there’s still time.”