Alfredo Ott has urged his Worthing Thunder team mates to take care of business after a landmark week for the rookie guard, both at home and in the States.

Ott fired 43 points as Barkers (Tarring) Thunder scored a key 118-114 win at EBL Division One title rivals Reading.

He then kept track from afar as sporting life in his native New Orleans got back to something near normality with the return of the Hornets for NBA action.

Ott is in no rush to get back to the States. He would love to be at the NIA in Birmingham at the end of next month competing in the play-off final four with Thunder.

In the meantime, the regular season title is up for grabs after his big night helped defeat the Rockets and leave the top two neck-and-neck with three defeats apiece.

Reading still have the advantage on head-to-head results, having won by six at Durrington in December.

But one Reading slip-up will let in Worthing, providing they win their three remaining games.

The tension resumes tonight as Thunder host Coventry (8pm), then tomorrow with Reading going to London United.

That United trip and a visit to Worcester look the best hopes Thunder have of Reading suffering their fourth defeat of the league season.

Worthing's toughest looking match is their last one, at City of Sheffield a fortnight today.

Ott admits there were mixed feelings at the end of two great days last weekend which also saw Worthing win at home to United.

He said: "We were happy with the win at Reading but we were thinking about the head-to-head after the game and hoping the title doesn't come down to one basket. That would suck.

"But we were also happy to win from the psychological point of view.

"It lets us know we are capable of beating them.

"The first job was to get the win. Then when it came down to the last couple of minutes we were looking for the seven-point margin.

"I thought we did a good job of moving the ball and getting up and down court in that game, which is how we like to play.

"Now we've got three left. We think they are all winnable although Sheffield on the road looks the toughest one.

"We just have to hope Reading slip-up."

Bizarrely, all five meetings between Reading and Thunder in various competitions this season have ended in away wins.

Which makes it tough to know which way honours will go if the clubs meet on neutral territory in the finals, for which Ott hopes to delay his flight home.

Life is now returning to normal in New Orleans, the city Ott and his family fled when Hurricane Katrina struck last year.

Ott has not been back since and, when the EBL season ends, his destination will be Baton Rouge, Lousiana, where some of his family are still staying.

New Orleans was given a massive lift this week when the Hornets, who have been playing in Oklahoma City, returned home to take on Indiana.

Ott said: "The are playing three games back in New Orleans and that is big news for the city.

"Having the games there will bring some people back to the city.

"Most of the major buinesses are back there already but it's still not so good out in the suburbs. My family is kind of spread out now.

"Some are still in Baton Rouge, my grandmother is back in New Orleans on the West Bank and my cousins are in Atlanta.

"I'll be going back to Baton Rouge but there's no rush. I want to be in the play-offs and win a Championship first."