Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter

Defending champions St. George's Slayers and promoted Majesty Gardens will battle for sole leadership of the KFC National Basketball League (NBL), when the teams meet today in a 6:45p.m. fixture at the National Stadium courts.

A sensational start to the second half of the season has seen Majesty Gardens, who started in fourth place join St. George's at the top of the table with both teams holding a 10-3 record.

After an outstanding first half of the season, which saw them coast their way to a 10-1 record and the league's summit, the defending champions seem to be in the midst of a lean spell.

Narrowly losing the battle for the mid-season final to their rivals Urban Knights, the Slayers are 1-2 since the second half of the season. In their first game back from the break, they were blown out by the Tivoli All-Stars, then narrowly clipped Arnett Gardens Rockers, before being scalded by the Portmore Flames in their third fixture.

In the meantime, things have gone in the opposite direction for newly-promoted Majesty Gardens. They beat Portmore Flames in their first encounter, easily got by Arnett Gardens Rockers in their second game, before edging out Tivoli Gardens for a 3-0 start to the second half of the season.

Having moved past the floundering mid-season champions Urban Knights, who are winless since the restart, lost to both Runnin' Rebels and Blazing Panthers.

When the teams met in their only encounter earlier in the season, many expected George's to prevail and they did, 87-75.

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