Giants Clips Hawks At Home
Tagged in: Competitions, NBL
The CPS Nelson Giants returned to their formidable selves at home in the Dominion Finance NBL on Saturday night.
With 20-point games from Phill Jones, Chris Daniel and import Michael Harrison, the Giants defeated the Easy LPG Bay Hawks 90-79 at the Trafalgar Centre in round 13, further confusing the clogged battle for a home quarterfinal.
Tall Black Jones had 27 points on 11-of-21 shooting, while Daniel added 25 points on a perfect 9-of-9 from the field and 5-of-5 from the perimeter and seven rebrounds and Harrison had 21 points, three steals and two blocks as the Giants took control early and never relinquished it.
After a 10-0 start, which included baskets from Jones, Daniel, Harrison and American forward Jamil Terrell, the Giants continued their hot start to take a 32-15 lead after the opening quarter. They held it through the second, before the Hawks pulled within 11 points with a period remaining.
The Hawks, who could have effectively booked a home quarterfinal with a win, closed within seven points with 9:19 remaining in the fourth, but never got closer.
American centre Kareem Johnson scored a game-high 28 points and pulled down seven boards for the Hawks, who sit level with the Giants at 9-6.
Point guard Paul Henare was the next best with 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while new Adelaide 36ers signing Paora Winitana was the only other double-figures scorer with 11 points and five rebounds.
In Dunedin, the new League-leading Century City Wellington Saints made what can be a hazardous Southern double-header look no problem, as they defeated the Cartridge World Otago Nuggets 93-73, a night after dealing to the Marley Canterbury Rams by 31 points.
Tall Blacks point guard Lindsay Tait, who only returned to action nine days ago after a five-month injury hiatus, top-scored for Wellington with 21 points, also dropping five assists, while centre Nick Horvath posted back-to-back double-doubles with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
The Saints (12-4) quickly jumped out to a 12-point but the Nuggets (2-14) were able to fightback to take a brief lead as the Saints were up one point at the first intermission.
Otago were able to keep it close until midway through the second before Wellington were able to pull away, leading by nine at halftime and stretching to 20 points by three-quarter time.
Wellington had five players score in double digits, with Luke Martin, who got the start over Tait at the point guard position, with 13, import shooting guard Ernest Scott 12 points and nine rebounds and American centre Kevin Owens with 10 points and eight boards.
Antoine Tisby and Lemar Gayle, the Nuggets two American imports, dominated their scoring, Tisby going for a big 29 points and 17 rebounds and Gayle 21 points and seven boards. Brent Charleton was the only other major scorer with 13.
Dominion Finance NBL Round 13
At Trafalgar Centre, Nelson
CPS Nelson Giants 90 (Phill Jones 27, Chris Daniel 25, Michael Harrison 21) Easy LPG Bay Hawks 79 (Kareem Johnson 28, Paul Henare 14, Paora Winitana 11)
1Q: 32-15
HT: 56-39 (24-24)
3Q: 73-62 (17-23)
FT: 90-79 (17-17)
Giants vs Hawks Box Score (21KB html)
At Lion Foundation Arena, Dunedin
Century City Wellington Saints 93 (Lindsay Tait 21, Luke Martin 13, Nick Horvath 12, Ernest Scott 12, Kevin Owens 10) Cartridge World Otago Nuggets 73 (Antoine Tisby 29, Lemar Gayle 21, Brent Charleton 13)
1Q: 24-23
HT: 47-38 (23-15)
3Q: 74-54 (27-16)
FT: 93-73 (19-19)
Nuggets vs Saints Box Score (21KB html)
