Basketball New Zealand

Sharks Arthur Trousdell and Giants Mika Vukona (Photosport)

Preview Of Quarterfinal One between the Fico Finance Nelson Giants and the Zerofees Southland Sharks

This year’s playoffs marks the 18th year the Giants has made the playoffs and their seventh year in a row.

Hopefully for the Sharks they will have similar success twenty years down the track, but right now in their inaugural season they have an opportunity to get their very first playoff win.

Both teams will be very familiar with one another having played each other last Friday at Trafalgar Centre, Giants victorious 83-71.
But the Giants have had mixed form in the latter stages of the competition losing two of their last three home games where they were previously unbeaten.

Sharks have played their last four games on the road with a two win two loss record, winning four of their last six games. Both teams average an identical 81.8 points per game, but the Giants are the best in the league at three point percentage (39.3) compared to the Sharks who sit at the bottom (29.7).

In his 31st playoff apperance Giants legend Phill Jones will be playing his 300th career game. Jones is the Giants leading scorer at 20.8 points a game which is the ninth time he has averaged twenty or more in a season.

Sharks leading scorer is Mike Helms who plays the same position as Jones and is eighth in the league in scoring at 22.3. Helms is averaging 25.2 points in his last five games. The high scoring import scored 23 in the loss against the Giants, but was held to two points in the second half.

One player who will want to redeem himself against the Giants is Round 16 player of the week Rene Rougeau who leads the league in steals (3.8). The four time player of the week was held to a season low three points in the loss to Giants, which can’t be repeated if they wish to win.

Rougeau bounced back in a win to clinch a playoff spot against the Manawatu Jets with a stat line of 25 points, 18 rebounds and four blocks.

Mika Vukona had arguably one of his best games this season against the Sharks both offensively and defensively with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Vukona has had seven double doubles this season and seems to mark the best player in the opposition teams no matter what position they play.

Experience is grossly in favour of the Giants who have players with over 100 NBL games compared to the Sharks who have only two players. It also shows in playoff games where the total playoff games played by the Sharks is 17 compared to Giants 74.

One Sharks player who has had a taste of playoffs against the Giants is their point guard Luke Martin who was a member of the Wellington Saints team that beat the Giants in the 2008 semi finals. Martin was also a member of last year’s Saints team that was beaten on the buzzer by a Tony Rampton tip in the 83-82 semi final loss which was played at Trafalgar.

This is the second time in three year’s that Martin has gone head to head with Giants point guard Mike Fitchett who is playing in his sixth playoffs in a row. Fitchett was the star for the Giants when they upset the Waikato Pistons who Martin was playing for in the 2008 semi finals scoring 34 points in the 109-103 overtime victory.

Sharks mid season signing Arthur Trousdell also played in last year’s semi finals loss to the Giants and has brought another offensive option, currently third leading scorer for them at 12.5 points.

Trousdell will be starting alongside promising young big man Gareth Dawson who will be making his first playoff appearance. The two forwards go against Rampton and Michael Harrison in which should be a battle of the boards.

Rampton was a monster on the boards in last years playoff averaging 11.3 rebounds to go with his 13 points. Harrison was a member of the Giants in the 2008 playoffs averaging over twenty points per game in two playoff appearances.

Bench may prove the difference in the game, Sharks average 17 points a game compared to the Giants who are last in the league at 12.7. But in the Giants defense they rarely use the bench with only Darryl Jones and Josh Bloxham getting decent minutes. Jones has been fighting a hamstring injury which could limit his minutes.

Sharks have also been a little short on the bench, playing without starting centre Martin Iti (Chest injury) which has lead to Trousdell starting. James Paringatai the only big on the bench for the Sharks.

2010 Bartercard NBL Player Power Rankings (Round 16) (104 KB pdf)

2010 Bartercard NBL Quarter Finals Media guide (633 KB pdf)

2010 Bartercard NBL Team Stats (Quarter Final Teams) (260 KB pdf)

2010 Bartercard NBL League Leaders (Regular Season) (24 KB html)

2010 Bartercard NBL League Stats (Round 16) (256 KB pdf)

2010 Bartercard NBL Team Stats (Round 16) (928 KB)

Quarter Final One

At Trafalgar Centre, Nelson

Fico Finance Nelson Giants 82 (Michael Harrison 23, Phill Jones 20, Mika Vukona 17) Zerofees Southland Sharks 67 (Mike Helms 19, Luke Martin 18, Rene Rougeau 16), Final

Referees – Tim Brown, Melony Wealleans, Hayden Pipe
1Q: 21-14
HT: 43-27 (22-13)
3Q: 68-49 (25-22)
FT: 82-67 (14-18)