Milton Keynes coach Nigel Lloyd wants to wreck his mentor's title dreams when Brighton Bears visit tomorrow.

Bears chief Nick Nurse introduced Lloyd to coaching when he made him his No. 2 at Birmingham Bullets seven years ago.

The two go head-to-head tomorrow night in a match both teams must win to fulfil their BBL southern conference ambitions.

Bears desperately need victory to maintain their chances of taking the title while victory will send Milton Keynes into the play-offs, a target which looked beyond them a few weeks ago.

The previous three meetings this season have all gone Bears' way, but never by more than two points, with Nurse's men being taken to overtime in their last trip to the Bletchley Leisure Centre.

Lloyd admitted: "It's a game we have to win but I would rather be playing any team other than Brighton.

"It's an important game for both sides, but more important for us because Brighton are already in the play-offs and are going well.

"Whenever we have played them we have always been in the lead but they somehow manage to beat us.

"We don't have the answer to them right now."

Lloyd puts much of that down to Nurse, alongside whom he shared play-off success with Birmingham in 1996.

He added: "What Nick brings to the table during game time has been a key factor.

"He has got poise and can solve problems that other teams set him during games, whether that be by changing defences or doing something new.

"Nick was probably the biggest influence on my coaching career.

"He is the one who gave me the opportunity as his assistant and I am grateful for that. I learnt a lot from him."

Milton Keynes have minor injury concerns over Jason Siemon (arm) and Victor Payne (ankle) but both are expected to play.

They can still finish the season in third place and clinch the perceived simpler quarter against Edinburgh Rocks. So they will be fired up tomorrow night.