Stingers Rematch Bandits in Edmonton

The Edmonton Stingers are back in action against the Vancouver Bandits (15-5) tonight at the Edmonton EXPO Centre with tip-off at 7:00 p.m. MT.

The Stingers arrive in Edmonton flying high for their first home game since July 6 after going 3-1 on their road trip and clinching a playoff berth.

But tonight offers an opportunity for the Stingers to avenge their sole loss of the road trip with a rematch against Vancouver. 

To do so, Edmonton will look to continue its dominance on home court this season. The Stingers are 5-0 at home since losing to Vancouver in Edmonton on May 30 and were winners of seven straight before the loss to the Bandits on the road trip. 

The team rebounded with a 95-92 win in Winnipeg to close out the road trip and will need another electric performance from Scottie Lindsey, who dropped a team-leading 26 points and six threes against the Sea Bears, to emerge victorious tonight. 

That should not be a problem, though. Lindsey was dynamite in his past two outings, recording a combined 35 points. The guard is also posting 19.2 points per game in his last five — the second most on the team — and connecting on a team-leading average of four threes a night. 

But don't forget about East II, who registered two 30+ point performances on the Stingers' last homestand, and leads the team in points per game and assists over the previous five games with 19.6 and 5.6. 

Watch for both Lindsey and East II to bring their A-game and add onto the stellar performances they both put up during the last home stand if Edmonton is to overcome Vancouver. 

The Bandits roll into the EXPO Centre to close out their quick two-game Alberta road trip after losing 98-96 to the Calgary Surge on July 25. 

Vancouver is currently leading the Western Conference with a 15-5  record thanks to one of the deepest lineups in the league.

The player leading that charge is Mitch Creek, who is fifth in the league this season in points per game with 22.9, and coming off a 25-point and four-assist night in the loss against Calgary. Creek will undoubtedly draw the focus of the Edmonton defence tonight, but he is not the only weapon the Stingers will need to guard closely. 

Zach Copeland is the Bandits' best three-point shooter and is leading the team in points per game in the last five games with 21.8 and threes made with 4.2. 

He is also a significant reason behind why Vancouver is leading the league with 14.2 three-pointers made per game and 98 points per game. The Bandits are a team that thrives on stringing together multiple threes to gain significant leads over their opponents. That means the Stingers will need to keep their shooters in check from beyond the arc and not let them get hot. 

Which is precisely what the Surge did in their win over the Bandits. Calgary limited Vancouver to just eight threes, as the Bandits shot 29 per cent from three, well below their 42.3 per cent average in the last five games. 

That will be a tall task for the Stingers, but it is achievable. 

Although Edmonton's defence struggled at times on the road trip, when looking at their defensive stats at home this season, it tells a much different story. The Stingers allow 85.5 points per game, the second-fewest in the league, compared to their average of 90.6 points allowed per game in their last five matchups. 

Pair that with Edmonton's league-leading 98 points per game at home and second-highest average three-pointers made at home with 10.8, and it's a perfect opportunity for the Stingers to pounce on the Bandits tonight. 

Playing back at home where the Stingers have played their best basketball as of late, could be just what they need to get past Vancouver and improve to 11-2 in their last 13. 

Keys to the game

Don't let Vancouver get hot from three.

Limit Vancouver's depth scoring from contributing, and don't give up easy scoring chances.

Can Edmonton's defence bounce back into form?