Basketball New Zealand

Warning: file_exists() [function.file-exists]: open_basedir restriction in effect. File(/var/www/vhosts/basketball.org.nz/httpdocs/resources/uploads/2008/03/jasoncrowei-web.thumbnail.jpg) is not within the allowed path(s): (/home/bbnz/:/tmp:/usr/local/lib/php/) in /home/bbnz/domains/tallblacks.org.nz/public_html/wp-includes/post.php on line 3943

Pistons star Jason Crowe (Photosport)

It could be a verbal warning shot to the rest of the Dominion Finance NBL, if Waikato Pistons coach Murray McMahon played that game.

But he doesn’t.

“It’s always nice to get a win but I think all the players realise that we’re not playing as a team yet,” McMahon said, following the Pistons 96-72 dissection of Devon Dynamos Taranaki at Hamilton City Stadium on Saturday night.

“I guess it’s good that we’re getting a few wins while we’re like this . . . I think we’re about 60 percent.”

That 60 percent effectiveness has been good for a 12-point win over the co-competition-leading CPS Nelson Giants and Saturday’s 24-point victory, leaving the Pistons as the only remaining undefeated team after three rounds.

If the NBL standings were ordered on win percentage rather than points, the Pistons would be sitting number one.

“But we’re played a lot less games than everybody else,” countered McMahon, who believed the closeness of the 2008 NBL was a good thing.

Waikato’s “Tandemonium” – American guards Jason Crowe and Brian Wethers – has powered the Pistons in their opening two wins.

Point guard Crowe has averaged 14 assists – setting an NBL record with 16 in round two – and 16 points per game, recording a rare triple-double against the Dynamos with 25 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists.

“We rode off his energy a bit.

“He’s a point guard and that’s his job. He’s experienced and he’s quite proud of being a point guard and he’s very good at it.”

Wethers, a former NZ Breaker getting his first taste of the NBL, has blown through for 40 and 35 points, averaging 37.5 to easily lead the league in scoring.

“We’re getting very good individual contributions, it’s just that our team-work isn’t there yet,” McMahon said.

“I’m sure all the other teams are something similar, just getting their first few games together. All team are in the same boat. Wellington have got a lot better since their first game and Auckland have made big strides.”

With Wethers on the bench with foul trouble, Taranaki were able to capitalize on their rebounding advantage to take a one-point lead early in the third quarter, after trailing by seven at halftime.

“They started to rebound stronger, which is one of their strengths and we got out of what we were trying to do and suffered accordingly.

“We started to wear them down and they got tired a bit and we started getting our fast break going.”

The Pistons soon recovered, with Crowe and Wether featuring prominently, and were back up by 10 points after three periods, then cruised in the fourth quarter, allowing McMahon to give the young players at the end of his bench minutes in garbage time.

Forward Puke Lenden has been the benefactor of Waikato’s fast-break offence, scoring 17 points against Taranaki, following on from his 10 points in the season-opener, the majority coming off Crowe assists.

Elsewhere in the League, the Youthtown Auckland Stars completed their road double-header 2-0, defeating the Manawatu OzJets 93-73 on Friday and the Marley Canterbury Rams 95-86 on Sunday, to move to the top of the Dominion Finance NBL standings.

Forward Casey Frank recorded his third and fourth double-doubles in four games, scoring 27 points against Manawatu and 23 in Christchurch.

After a bye in the opening two rounds, the Easy LPG Bay Hawks split their season-opening road double-dip, caught out of rhythm in a 27-point loss to the Appliance Shed Harbour Heat on Thursday night and pulling away in the second half for a 101-90 win on Saturday over the OzJets, who joined the idle Cartridge World Otago Nuggets at 0-2.

Behind 23 points from centre Nick Horvath and 21 from swingman Marquis Webb, the Century City Wellington Saints got their season back on track with a 90-89 upset over the Giants in Nelson on Thursday.

Round four of the NBL tips-off with a busy Thursday night, the Stars hosting the Nuggets in the live game on Sky TV, the Pistons looking to stay unbeaten at home against the OzJets and the Hawks welcoming the Dynamos.

2008 Dominion Finance NBL Round Three

Thursday, March 13
At Trafalgar Centre, Nelson
Century City Wellington Saints 90 (Nick Horvath 23, Marquis Webb 21, Luke Martin 16) CPS Nelson Giants 89 (Phill Jones 23, Michael Harrison 23, Chris Daniel 15). HT: 45-37

At The Furnace, North Shore
Appliance Shed Harbour Heat 93 (Oscar Forman 20, Hayden Allen 16, Mika Vukona 12, Tim Behrendorff 10) Easy LPG Bay Hawks 66 (Kareem Johnson 13, Callum Baynes 12, Kevin Smith 12, Paora Winitana 12). HT: 51-32

Friday, March 14
At Arena Manawatu, Palmerston North
Youthtown Auckland Stars 93 (Casey Frank 27, Adrian Majstrovich 14, Dillon Boucher 10, Tyrone Davey 10) Manawatu OzJets 73 (Kantrail Horton 28, Keith Davis 13). HT: 48-32

Saturday, March 15
At Hamilton City Stadium, Hamilton
Waikato Pistons 96 (Brian Wethers 36, Jason Crowe 25, Puke Lenden 17) Devon Dynamos Taranaki 72 (Keith Salscheider 19, Tony Rampton 16, Link Abrams 16). HT: 43-36

At Arena Manawatu, Palmerston North
Easy LPG Bay Hawks 101 (Kevin Smith 30, Paul Henare 18, Paora Winitana 16, Callum Baynes 13, Kareem Johnson 10) Manawatu OzJets 90 (Kantrail Horton 35, Keith Davis 15, Kaine Hokianga 14, Stacey Lambert 11). HT: 38-42

Sunday, March 16
At Cowles Stadium, Christchurch
Youthtown Auckland Stars 95 (Casey Frank 23, Dylan Perfect-Tait 21, Adrian Majstrovich 20, Dillon Boucher 13) Marley Canterbury Rams 86 (Jeremy Kench 18, Joey Harrell 15, Gerard Bowden 15, Luke Ruscoe 10). HT: 52-51

2008 Dominion Finance NBL Round Two Results and Box Scores
2008 Dominion Finance NBL Round Two Standings (9KB pdf)