GBR - Coach urges cautions

SHEFFIELD (FIBA Europe) - Great Britain coach Chris Finch has warned his players the job is not yet done despite their huge win over Switzerland in the first leg of their crucial promotion playoff game.

Britain won 74-41 in Sheffield on Tuesday, virtually guaranteeing themselves an aggregate victory and a place in FIBA Europe's Division A - a crucial requirement if FIBA is to allow Britain to play in the 2012 Olympic Games.

Chicago Bulls forward Luol Deng was the star of the show, collecting 31 points, 12 rebounds and four assists in a virtuoso display.

But despite the heavy scoreline Finch insists his team is not home and dry yet as they prepare for Saturday's second leg in Geneva.

"You never know," Finch said. "I've been involved in games at club level where we've had a margin of 22, 24 points and lost. If you get some injuries or something it can change.

"I think if we can get off to a good start it will probably be enough. We will keep the defence the same and we know that even if they score 100 points we can probably win."

Finch found cause for complaint in some aspects of his team's performance, but has to be happy with the end result.

"What impressed me the most tonight was the commitment to playing defence," he said. "Offensively, if I could start over at the beginning of the summer there is a lot I would have done differently."

Deng added: "It was fun. We did a good job and really finished the deal. We've got to go there and stay focused, not think about the points, but just focus on playing good basketball."

Promotion to Division A would cap a remarkable summer for Great Britain, who have benefited from the arrival of players like Deng and former NBA man Robert Archibald into the squad.

This was a fifth straight win since Deng signed on, catapulting Great Britain from the status of an afterthought to an emerging European power in basketball.

With the quality of players at his disposal, Finch knows he can afford the odd bad performance and still come away with the win.

"We're definitely winning on talent at the moment," he said. "We have a much higher talent level then most teams at this level. There are good players in this division but most teams don't have the depth."

Ian Parker
FIBA