Rattlers host River Lions looking to climb out of Western Conference basement

On paper, it’s a lopsided battle.

The East-leading Niagara River Lions visit the Western Conference’s basement-dwelling Saskatchewan Rattlers on Saturday at 9:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. MT. Live streaming coverage is available on CEBL+ and TSN+.

But looks can be deceiving. At 5-5, the Rattlers sit just one game behind the 6-4 River Lions at the halfway mark.

Meanwhile, Saskatchewan has lost just once in five attempts at home, while Niagara brings a 2-4 road record to Saskatoon’s SaskTel Centre.

Both teams are coming off losses to the Winnipeg Sea Bears, with the River Lions falling 94-82 on Thursday and the Rattlers taking a 103-101 defeat last Saturday.

In fact, neither squad is playing its best basketball. The Rattlers have lost three straight and the River Lions have fallen in two of their last four.

It all makes for what should be a fascinating contest.

The playoff pressure is already on in Saskatchewan to climb out of last place in its conference. The standings are bunched, which helps, but every loss can feel like lost ground.

Recent defeats at the hands of conference-rival Winnipeg and Calgary only amplifies the urgency for Saskatchewan, which is searching for its first title since the inaugural 2019 season.

Niagara can focus more on achieving consistency with a 3.5-game edge on last-place Brampton in the East.

But with a date against top-ranked Vancouver approaching on Monday, the River Lions may be at risk of their first losing streak of the season if they fall against the Rattlers.

Head coach Victor Raso didn’t sound pleased after the loss against the Sea Bears.

“I’m disappointed in our performance, honestly,” Raso said. “I kind of blame myself, I think I should’ve been a little harder on the guys. We had a tough injury week, but when we got out here our approach wasn’t correct and I’m upset with them for how we approached the game, but I blame myself more than them.”

Surely, then, Raso will have his River Lions locked against a Rattlers team eager to climb up the standings.

Niagara and Saskatchewan are two of the top three rebounding teams in the league.

The River Lions average three more offensive boards per game than any other team, while the Rattlers do more of their work on the defensive end.

As both teams average nearly the same points per game (89.3 for Saskatchewan, 89.8 for Niagara), the extra opportunities off the glass could prove crucial.

Milestone watch

• Niagara’s Antonio Davis Jr., is 17 points away from 500 and five assists away from 100 for his career, regular season only
• Niagara’s T.J. Lall is 19 points away from 500 for his career, regular season only
• Niagara’s Khalil Ahmad needs five assists to reach 200 for his career, regular season only
• Saskatchewan’s Cody John needs 13 points to reach 500 for his career, regular season only
• Saskatchewan’s Jalen Harris is seven assists away from 100 for his career, regular season only

- CEBL -

About the CEBL

A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 73% of its 2023 rosters being Canadian. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. Fourteen players have signed NBA contracts following a CEBL season, and numerous CEBL players attend NBA G League training camps every year. The CEBL season runs from May through August. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.