Towers primed for title

Basketball

DUNCAN HOOPER

London Towers have shown few signs of needing help to win the Budweiser League in recent weeks, but Birmingham Bullets gave them a massive shove in the right direction by beating their nearest challengers, Sheffield Sharks, 78-72 on Friday night.

The Towers coach, Kevin Cadle, said: "We'd have to lose three of our last six games to mess it up now." With four of those games against strugglers Chester (twice), Hemel and Thames Valley, London will surely add the League title to the National Cup and League Trophy they have already won this year.

Cadle's Wembley-based team, who will be the first London club to win the Premier League since the Embassy All Stars in 1975, stayed cool with an 87-72 win at Newcastle Comets in front of 5,000 fans on Saturday night. London's scorers were led by the American pair Tony Windless (22 points) and Danny Lewis (16) and the team's catalyst, England international Steve Bucknall (20).

Sheffield were Birmingham's latest victims in a 13-game unbeaten run which has taken them to third place in the table.