WE STOP BEFORE WE RUN - JAMES

Both are ex-Worthing Bears and ex-Brighton Bears. The odds are against Worthing but Thunder's shock semi-final win at London United a fortnight earlier suggests that they can produce on the one-off day. And was their blowout on Saturday at Reading's hands a classic pre-cup final soft-pedalling?

If Thunder's fans can be a sixth man, Brighton's could even be a seventh.

City are a team with individual European and domestic championship veteran experience but they do not play like Reading. Thunder face a hard-nosed, though unathletic defence, and an offence with classically rapid Sheffield ball movement leading towards a five-man row of lethal perimeter archers.

Brame said: "It feels like you've made it when you play at The Brighton Centre. It's a 3,000 arena with a wooden floor with just court lines and going back there to play is going to mean a lot. It means even more to Danny because he's been talking about it all week.

"Yes, Sheffield are experienced and very smart. But we've been to a final every year. We just have to take care of our defensive assignments. We can out-run them but we have to make the defensive stops first. Both teams have match-up problems. They're not that much better than us and I think we are deeper than they are but it'll be a case of who wants it more on the day.

"We must get all over Ryan Patten and make him give up the ball. We have to stop Todd Cauthorn shooting. But we have the biggest man in Teon Knox."

Head coach Gary Smith started centre Pat Bates on Saturday. His choice of starting five is decisive to Thunder's hopes because they must not allow Arrows to jump out and away.

Neither Thunder nor Arrows pursued their option to postpone a league match on the eve of a cup final. On Saturday, they will meet the bottom two teams in the table: Thunder entertain Kingston Wildcats; Arrows visit Coventry Crusaders. The teams are due at The Brighton Centre by noon on Sunday.

Kingston are an array of ex-Worthing men featuring Dwayne Martin, now player-coach again, Marvin Addy, Sammy Salter and Paul Mundy-Castle.

City of Sheffield Arrows lost a match in their Trophy pool (their opening one, 78-71 at home to Manchester Magic) but Thunder did not.

Arrows were awarded their notorious semi-final walkover when dates could not be agreed with semi-finalists Worcester Wolves. They should have met on February 20 but Sheffield's Institute of Sport court was in use for an international match.

Arrows offered Wolves the weekend alternatives of February 5 or 6. Wolves did not want to postpone their home league match against Thunder on the Saturday (which emphatically they won) and had a long-standing promotion and coaching clinic day they wanted to keep on the Sunday.

Wolves pulled out and received a 500 fine.

Arrows beat Thunder in the National Cup semi-final by one point with a Ryan Patten buzzer-beating three-pointer. But when they met again in the League on January 29, Thunder felt the full force of a Sheffield fully motivated and ready and were lucky to escape worse than the 114-77 hammering they took on their own court.

Their destroyer, Arrows' high-scoring American point-guard Ryan Patten said afterwards he believed Thunder would beat London United away in the Trophy semi-final (they did) and would be ready to seek revenge over Arrows in the final.

The new Thunder honours banner commemorating the National Trophy triumph last season was raised at Thunder's game on Saturday. The delay in its raising came about like this.

The original original banner sponsors, Thrifty, withdrew last autumn on the brink of the banner being produced, owing to the loss of their Worthing franchise. New local business Dial A Hubby took their place but further delays concerned the siting of the banner.

Finals Day Schedule at The Brighton Centre (Doors open at noon) '” 1pm: EBL National Trophy: Thunder v City of Sheffield. 3pm: Basketball League Trophy: Brighton v Newcastle.

Tickets: 18 adult, 13 child covers both matches. Available from Worthing Thunder on 01903 507889. They will be on sale at Worthing Leisure Centre tomorrow evening (Friday) from 6-8pm, then at Thunder v Kingston, same venue, on Saturday (8pm tip-off).