BBL Trophy final: London Lions v London City Royals will be 'tough but not heated'

The British Basketball League's first all-London final in 22 years will be "tough, but not heated", says London Lions coach Vince Macaulay.

Lions take on London City Royals in the BBL Trophy final in Glasgow on Sunday.

"It's a rivalry but it's not a fierce hatred - it's a case of one-upmanship," said Macaulay, whose side have already won the BBL Cup and top the league.

Newcomers Royals, who are fourth in the BBL, will hope to stop their rivals' bid for a clean sweep of titles.

The Royals joined the BBL this season, external as a new franchise and are based at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre in south London, while London Lions play at the Copper Box Arena in Stratford, east London.

"Every summer, the scrimmages around London are all together - whether it's south London or east London," added Macaulay.

"So it's still a very tough rivalry because everyone knows everyone else."

Royals coach Jay Williams, who was named coach of the month for February, agrees that the closeness between the two teams on and off the court will give the final an extra edge.

"A lot of the guys are friends off the court," he said. "On the court it's a different matter. Everybody's going to be going at each other trying to win.

"No-one wants to be on the losing end - especially to your own friends who are going to be talking about it in the summer and into next season."

Royals star Matthew Bryan-Amaning, a former GB international, played briefly for Macaulay at the Lions and he and Lions captain Justin Robinson, BBL's most valuable player last season, came out of the same junior programme at Brixton.

That friendly rivalry extends to the two coaches. Williams, 42, played under Macaulay at the Lions when the club moved from Milton Keynes to the capital in 2012.

Williams said: "Fast forward seven years and I'm in the driving seat going up against the Lions in a final - this is special for me and the Royals."

Macaulay, meanwhile, is under no illusion about the task facing him and his players at Glasgow's Emirates Arena on Sunday.

"He [Williams] was an exceptional point guard - now he's taken to coaching very well and he'll be tough competition on the sidelines," said Macaulay.