This is the big one, says Fab Flournoy

Apr 24 2009 by Mark Douglas, The Journal

A 4,000-plus crowd is expected at the Arena for a game that the Eagles will be expected to win. They have won all four clashes with the Jets this season, including a 108-83 mauling in Cheshire back in January. But that has not altered Flournoy’s view that the Jets are one of the most dangerous teams in the play-offs.

“I honestly feel that they are one of the toughest teams in there. I know people will look at them finishing where they finished and us beating them in those four games but they’ve got good players, good leadership and they know what they are doing,” Flournoy said.

“Paul Smith and the whole organisation itself know what it takes to win games like this. A one-off game sees both teams laying it all on the line, and they have the likes of James Hamilton, Calvin Davis, Phil Perre and Shawn Myers who know what it takes to win in the play-offs. They look to me like a top-four team when you see their roster – it’s a point I’ll be making to the players.”

The Eagles rounded off their regular season with a win against Guildford that pleased Flournoy, who saw a team still hungry for success despite having wrapped up the league.

“That intensity is what we need – it can’t be allowed to drop. You can’t turn it off and on so from my point of view it’s great to go into the play-offs with those results behind us,” Flournoy said.

There are no fresh injury concerns for the Eagles, who have seen Darius Defoe complete two games since returning from injury with no ill effects.

There will be no place in the game for Lynard Stewart, however, with Flournoy dropping a heavy hint that the forward will not play any part in the play-off campaign.

“With Lynard, he took three big bangs on the left knee that he hurt quite badly once already. Our priority is to get him back and playing basketball and healthy again – it’s not about rushing him back for the play-offs or any specific game,” Flournoy said.