NBL1 Preview: Week 12 (16/17 January 2021) - live streams, stats and more

The second weekend of 2021 serves up six NBL1 games and a L Lynch Trophy quarter-final.

Team Solent Kestrels and Hemel Storm have double-headers to contend with, as they balance league ambitions with chasing a place alongside Worthing Thunder in the last four of the Lynch competition.

Oaklands Wolves and Leicester Warriors also both play back-to-back NBL1 games.

We take a look at all of this weekend's games below, with links to live stats at the bottom of the page.

Team Solent Kestrels (4-0) v BA London Lions (2-0) - Saturday

Two unbeaten league records are on the line as the Kestrels host the Lions on the South Coast. The home side will, no doubt, go into the contest as favourites thanks to their phenomenal and famed NBL winning streak.

Barking, however, will be up for the fight following their thrashing of Essex last weekend. Guard Flynn Boardman-Raffet shot the ball with precision (6/7 from the field, 2/3 from three-point range) to earn a spot in the Rebound Team of the Week.

Loughborough Riders (2-4) v Thames Valley Cavaliers (3-0) - Saturday

Kyle Jimenez was a rebound short of a triple-double to claim a Team of the Week spot in the Riders' one-point OT defeat to Team Newcastle last weekend.

The unselfish guard is bound to be in the thick of things again for the home team against a fourth-placed Cavaliers side looking to extend the only other unbeaten run in the division after a weekend off last weekend.

Hemel Storm (2-1) v Worthing Thunder (2-3) - Saturday

Both teams have bagged a pair of wins each making it, on paper, an evenly matched battle.

Thunder will be buoyed by their victory last weekend over Derby, a success that put them into the semi-finals of the L Lynch Trophy and one that saw Max Richardson crowned NBL1 Player of the Week with a 23-point, 11-rebound double double from the bench.

Hemel will be looking to gain momentum for their stop-start season before heading to Solent for a Lynch Trophy test on Sunday. Watch out for the threat of Greg Poleon and Mike Williams, two of the most reliable scorers in the league.

Essex Rebels (0-2) v Oaklands Wolves (0-5) - Saturday

Essex Rebels and Oaklands Wolves face each other both looking for their first NBL win of the season.

Wolves' addition of former London Royals, Hemel and Essex Leopards guard AJ Roberts should help them.

The American returns after a suspension and told the Wolves website: "Despite what I’ve been through, they [the Wolves management team] welcomed me in with open arms and I’m very grateful for that! I’m looking to contribute to the team and help secure some wins. It feels great to be able to play the game I love again and I look forward to making the most of it! I hope to see all the fans soon!"

Essex are still finding their feet in the division with only two games on the board so far.

Leicester Warriors (0-5) v Derby Trailblazers (5-1) - Saturday

Form favours the high-flying Trailblazers for this one. Matt Shaw's men have racked up five wins in six games to go into the weekend in second place in the table.

Despite exiting the L Lynch Trophy they have solid league form, with the likes of Malcolm Smith, Oliver Stanley, Blake Bowman and Ronald Oberia helping them win consistently.

The Warriors, however, are finding things tough. The third team in the league still searching for a win, they are bottom of the standings.

Oaklands Wolves v Leicester Warriors - Sunday

This pair head into their second NBL contest of the weekend each looking to find some joy in the lower reaches of the table.

L Lynch Trophy Quarter-finals - Sunday

Who joins Worthing in the semis?

It's Solent v Storm for one of the remaining three slots as the inaugural Trophy heads towards its climax.

Thames Valley v Nottingham Hoods was a late postponement.

This weekend's fixtures

Saturday 16 January - NBL1

2.30pm: Team Solent Kestrels v BA London Lions LIVESTATS/LIVESTREAM

2.30pm: Loughborough Riders v Thames Valley Cavaliers LIVESTATS/LIVESTREAM

3pm: Leicester Warriors v Derby Trailblazers LIVESTATS/LIVESTREAM

3pm: Essex Rebels v Oaklands Wolves LIVESTATS/LIVESTREAM

4pm: Hemel Storm v Worthing Thunder LIVESTATS/LIVESTREAM LOCATION

Sunday 17 January

NBL1: 4.30pm: Oaklands Wolves v Leicester Warriors LIVESTATS

L Lynch Trophy: 2.30pm: Team Solent Kestrels v Hemel Storm LIVESTATS/LIVESTREAM