ESSEX Leopards face a crucial weekend of basketball in the North-East knowing that if they win both their games they may get home advantage in the play-offs.

A comfortable 81-69 win against Brixton Topcats on Good Friday wasn’t enough to lift the Leopards out of sixth in the table and with four sides tied from second to fifth place in the table above them, Leopards will have to win both their games and hope other results go their way if they hope to get home advantage.

Leopards face two of the sides above them over the weekend as they take on Tees Valley Mohawks in Middlesbrough and Team Northumbria the following day and Leopards need two of the four sides above them to lose twice over the weekend if they are to seal a top four place.

The team already beat both its North-East rivals earlier in the season and victories over the weekend would give them a head-to-head decider against all of the four sides immediately above them.

Leopards only injury concern is Captain Taner Adu out for the rest of the season with an Achilles injury, with Robert Youngblood, Rowell Graham and Jamelle Davis all returning after missing the match against the Topcats.