For the first time since 2022, when they were known as the Saskatchewan Rattlers, Saskatoon’s recently rebranded professional basketball team will compete in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) Playoffs. The new-look Saskatoon Mamba, fresh off a 4th place regular season finish, will kick off the postseason Thursday when they travel to Winnipeg to take on the Sea Bears. “I see a team that’s peaking at the right time,” CEBL Sideline Reporter Joey Slattery told CTV Your Morning Saskatchewan. “This is a team that’s starting to put it together.” The Mamba started the season 0-4 before finishing strong, going 13-9 the rest of the way. Slattery believes a big reason for the recent success is new head coach Isaiah Fox. “He’s a nominee for Coach of the Year, and he’ll get some votes. They’ve had some turnaround, but they’ve stayed very consistent,” Slattery said. The Mamba/Rattlers organization has made the playoffs in two of seven CEBL seasons. After winning the first-ever CEBL championship in the inaugural 2019 season, the team would go on to lose in the 2022 quarterfinals. Download the CTV News app to get breaking news alerts sent to your device All four conference semifinals kick off Thursday, with the games being shown on TSN and TSN+. The Mamba are hosting a watch party at the Saskatoon Moxies. Tip-off on TSN+ is set for 6:30 p.m. The Niagara River Lions are the reigning back-to-back CEBL champions. They play the first-place Scarborough Shooting Stars in the first round.
