Small Margins Are Making All The Difference To The Patriots

If you're familiar with the movie Any Given Sunday, then you'll be more than aware of the rousing pregame speech by Al Pacino's character, in which he assures his players that the game of American Football is indeed a “game of inches”, and by doing the smallest things either right or wrong, it can affect the entire outcome of a game.

- Pablo Cheeks

LEICESTER RIDERS...81

PLYMOUTH CITY PATRIOTS.....64

The game of basketball is no different. Watching the Plymouth City Patriots has had its frustrations so far this season, but it is the fact that, over the course of an entire game, it is literally the small things, or inches, that are accumulating against them, leading to an inevitable loss.

Sunday's opposition, the Leicester Riders - the best team in the country and who on Friday night defeated the London Lions to establish the number one spot in the BBL Cup Southern Division - were always going to win the game, but there was yet again evidence that the Patriots are improving and in their progress are indeed very close to that elusive first win.

The Patriots did not look 17 points worse than their high-profile opposition as, despite losing 81-64, the Patriots held their own with the Riders and for large periods of the game actually looked the stronger of the two teams.

Kingsley Okoroh only managed 4 minutes in the game, after receiving a particularly nasty eye injury, which did not help matters, in what was his first game back from injury.

The Pats were doing all the right things, with some excellent team play, creative ball movement and impressive defence. However, it was literally the small things that went against the hard working Pats, with 25 turnovers.