INSPIRED by forward Prentiss Nixon, Sheffield Sharks recorded successive victories over Leicester Riders this weekend to advance to the British Basketball League play-off semi-finals – keeping their season very much alive.

They began the weekend down 1-0 in the best-of-three series with the 2022 league champions and their season would have been over if they lost in Leicester on Saturday night.

But in a tense fourth quarter with the scores locked at 74-74, Nixon took the ball up court and launched a successful three-point shot with 1.6 seconds left to snatch the win and force game three.

The decider – the only quarter-final tie to go to three games – began just 18 hours after the game in Leicester finished, and back at the Canon Medical Arena the Sharks were roared to victory.

GOING THROUGH: Sheffield Sharks' fans celebrate during the win over Leicester Riders on Sunday. Picture courtesy of Adam Bates.

Atiba Lyons' side started fast and although Leicester knotted the scores at 17-17 towards the end of the first quarter, they never got close again.

Led by Devearl Ramsey, and with the rebounding of Marcus Delpeche and Kipper Nichols in the absence of the injured Bennett Koch, Sharks opened up a nine-point lead at the half.

Nixon then took over with a succession of three-pointers as Sharks blew the Riders away in a third quarter in which at one point they led by 26 points, as Sheffield clinched a 86-69 victory.

Next up is a three-game series with Cheshire Phoenix starting on Friday in Cheshire and continuing in Sheffield on Sunday.

Sheffield Sharks bounce back to down Leicester Riders and reach British Basketball League play-off semi-finals