Reading Rockets (9-4) will be looking to get the new year off to a winning start this weekend when they entertain Westminster Warriors (3-10) this Sunday, 5pm tip-off at Rivermead Leisure Complex.
\nThe Rockets finished 2019 with defeat to rivals Hemel Storm, 91-75 but were dealt a huge blow by the loss of influential forward AJ Carr who has been ruled out for the rest of the Berkshire outfits campaign with a broken hand.<\/p>\n
Sunday\u2019s first match-up of 2020 will be the second meeting between the two teams this season with the Warriors winning the very first league game of the campaign by 87 points to 84 in the reverse fixture, one of only three wins in thirteen outings this season which sees the London team currently occupying eleventh position in the NBL Division One table.<\/p>\n
Rockets Head Coach Alan Keane is looking forward to getting back to action after the Christmas interlude and knows a tricky test awaits his team in their first game since the break. The Reading play-caller said,<\/p>\n
“We are looking forward to getting back at it after a short break over the Christmas period and well earned rest after a busy first half of the season. However these breaks can often bring an element of vulnerability and that is something we will be mindful of in the lead up to this game.”<\/p>\n
“We welcome Westminster to the Rivermead in what could be a tricky affair as they have proven to be a difficult opposition for most teams. Regardless of league positions and the win\/loss columns, we know that we will have our work cut out for us Sunday especially following the loss of AJ Carr for the season.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, “next man up” principle has served us well all season and I expect nothing different this coming Sunday.”<\/p>\n
Rockets will be going into Sunday\u2019s match-up a little thin on the ground with the loss of AJ Carr and with the academy team away in Spain on an Erasmus trip for two weeks ruling out already injured Sam Grant and David Obediah but it is thought Asher Ndah may well make the trip back to bolster the Reading roster ahead of round 14 of the campaign.<\/p>\n
A busy month lies ahead for the Rockets with no fewer than 6 games to start off the year including a National Cup semi-final home draw to either this Sunday\u2019s opponents, Westminster Warriors or NBL Division Two outfit Myerscough. The Berkshire team will also have home games against Thames Valley Cavaliers and Liverpool Basketball with trips to Nottingham and Loughborough filtered in as the race for the play-offs hots up.<\/p>\n
Follow the Rockets on social media; Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram – @rocketsreading or check out the club\u2019s website – www.readingrockets.co.uk<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Reading Rockets (9-4) will be looking to get the new year off to a winning start this weekend when they entertain Westminster Warriors (3-10) this Sunday, 5pm tip-off at Rivermead Leisure Complex. The Rockets finished 2019 with defeat to rivals Hemel Storm, 91-75 but were dealt a huge blow by the loss of influential forward […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4757,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"0","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":[],"_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"spay_email":""},"categories":[244,4,6],"tags":[237,144,210,152,143,217,142],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Jan-article-2020.png?fit=700%2C298&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pdDaI5-1eH","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4294,"url":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/rockets-tip-off-against-newly-promoted-warriors\/","url_meta":{"origin":4755,"position":0},"title":"Rockets tip-off against newly-promoted Warriors","date":"25\/09\/2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Reading Rockets will travel to the Capital to open up their NBL Division One campaign this Saturday (5.30pm tip-off) when they face last season's NBL Division Two runners-up Westminster Warriors. The Reading team had it\u2019s first official pre-season last weekend against fellow NBL Division One outfit Essex and Herts Leopards\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Club Announcements"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/IMG_1774.jpg?fit=1200%2C712&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4129,"url":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/rockets-tip-off-with-pre-season-friendly-against-team-usa-select-and-release-fixture-list-for-2019-2020\/","url_meta":{"origin":4755,"position":1},"title":"Rockets tip-off with pre-season friendly against Team USA Select and release fixture list for 2019-2020","date":"26\/08\/2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Reading Rockets will begin pre-season training this week and will be straight into action this Friday 30th August when they take on Team USA Select for their annual friendly game at the John Madejski Academy (7.30pm tip-off). Coach Keane will have a new-look roster this term with the Berkshire outfit\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Club Announcements"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/latest-news-banner_zps8906efc5.jpg?fit=555%2C241&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5697,"url":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/rockets-v-warriors-game-preview\/","url_meta":{"origin":4755,"position":2},"title":"Rockets V Warriors | Game Preview","date":"25\/02\/2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Reading Rockets V Leicester Warriors Saturday 27th February | 6:00pm Tip Game will be livestreamed on Basketball England's YouTube Channel This Saturday, Rockets (4-4) host the Leicester Warriors (2-9) at the John Madejski Academy to face in the National Basketball League. The game will be livestreamed on Basketball England's YouTube\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Game Preview"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/DSC09635-X3.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4426,"url":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/rockets-ready-to-do-battle-with-warriors-at-jma\/","url_meta":{"origin":4755,"position":3},"title":"Rockets ready to do battle with Warriors at JMA","date":"04\/11\/2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Reading Rockets (5-1) will lock horns with Leicester Warriors (3-3) this Sunday afternoon, 5pm tip-off when the Berkshire outfit host for the second time in three week\u2019s at their training venue of the John Madejski Academy with Rivermead Leisure Complex once again being out of use to the Reading team.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Game Preview"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/nov4-preview.png?fit=700%2C298&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4338,"url":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/rockets-looking-to-bounce-back-from-opening-day-defeat\/","url_meta":{"origin":4755,"position":4},"title":"Rockets looking to bounce back from opening day defeat","date":"01\/10\/2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Reading Rockets (0-1) will be looking to make amends for their narrow defeat on the first day of the regular season when they make the short journey to Uxbridge on Saturday afternoon to take on Thames Valley Cavaliers (1-0) in their second NBL Division One game. Rockets lost out to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Mens Team"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/news-asher.png?fit=700%2C371&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2515,"url":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/rockets-looking-to-bounce-back-after-first-defeat-of-the-regular-season\/","url_meta":{"origin":4755,"position":5},"title":"Rockets looking to bounce back after first defeat of the regular season","date":"08\/11\/2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Reading Rockets (3-1) will be looking to return to winning ways this weekend when they host Bradford Dragons (2-1) on Sunday afternoon returning to their home venue, Rivermead Leisure Complex (5pm tip-off). Rockets lost out for the first time during this campaign as they were defeated by rivals Manchester Magic\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Mens Team"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/IMG_5858r1.png?fit=700%2C298&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4755"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4755"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4755\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4758,"href":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4755\/revisions\/4758"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4757"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4755"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4755"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4755"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}