Thunder suffer heavy defeat at Plymouth

Thunder lost by 35 points at Plymouth Raiders in the BBL Championship, 112-77, and assistant coach Alan Sweetman-Hicks said: “It was pretty disastrous.

“We just didn’t come out with any defensive intensity, although they did shoot their lives out.

“I’ve never seen a shooting performance like that before.

“They got 13 of 17 three-pointers, at 76 per cent, and that is just unheard of. If we’d have come out with more defensive intensity, it would have been closer but we’d still have lost with the way they were shooting.

“It wasn’t even that we were leaving shots open for them, they were getting tough ones as well. At half-time, we were in it but we just didn’t come out in the second half.”

Sweetman-Hicks admitted that the Sky cameras had no affect on his side’s performance and said: “You wouldn’t have really known they were they.

“They interviewed Gary Smith (Thunder coach) before and after the game and put a camera in for time-outs but there was no delays for adverts or anything like that.

“Unfortunately, being on Sky, it’s not the best result for us and everyone will now get to see Evaldas Zabas (who left Thunder for Plymouth in October) do very well against us and Sam Cricelli (who played for Thunder last season) also had a good game.

“Everyone will see us not really perform to the standard we have been used to. But the guys will be looking at themselves this week, re-group and will come ready to play at the weekend.”

Zabas sank 22 points and had six assists for Plymouth as he joint-top scored for the home side, with Chez Marks.

For Thunder, Adam Williams and Shaun Durant both scored 20 points and Durant also had nine rebounds.

The game was broadcast as live by Sky Sports on Tuesday evening.

The defeat was Thunder’s fifth successive reverse in the BBL and keeps them second from bottom.

Thunder’s home game with MK Lions on Saturday was postponed Friday afternoon owing to safety fears for supporters and the MK team making their way to the game.

Thunder entertain Worcester Wolves on Saturday (7.30pm).