TBs One Game From Finals
Tagged in: Kiwis Abroad, Tall Blacks
Tall Blacks Mika Vukona and Nick Horvath moved to within a game of the Australian National Basketball League Finals with the South Dragons on Tuesday night.
Vukona had three points (1/4 FG, 1/2 FT), nine rebounds, three assists and a steal in 21 minutes in the regular season champion Dragons 94-81 win at home in Melbourne in game one of their best-of-three semifinal series against the Townsville Crocodiles.
Horvath provided two points (1/2 FG) and two rebounds in six minutes of court-time as the Dragons pulled away in the back-end of the fourth quarter, after taking the lead for good in the third.
Boomer Mark Worthington, who top-scored with 27 points and 12 rebounds, blew up for 12 points in the fourth, as South went from two points up with 6:54 remaining to win by 13.
The Dragons will look to reach their first ANBL Finals series in game two at The Swamp in Townsville on Thursday night.
In the NBA, Sean Marks has gone 3-2 with the New Orleans Hornets since the All-Star break, getting his fifth start of the season and extending his own mark for games in a season to 36.
Marks had three points (1/2 FG, 1/2 FT) and seven rebounds in 16 minutes in the Hornets 112-105 road win over the Sacramento Kings on Monday, lifting them to 33-22, good for seventh in the Western Conference and fourth in the Southwest division.
The former Tall Black produced four points (2/3 FG), five boards, an assist and block in 21:36 in a 102-88 road loss to the Utah Jazz on Saturday, one day after New Orleans fell in overtime 115-111 at the Los Angeles Lakers, with Marks going for three points (1/4 FG, 1/2 FT), three rebounds and two blocks while D’ing up against Spanish international Pau Gasol.
Marks also banged bodies with Dwight Howard in a 117-85 home rout of the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, holding the All-Star to just 12 points while going for four points (2/4 FG) and five rebounds in 15 minutes himself. He also posted six points (2/3 FG, 2/3 FT), five boards, a steal and block in 25 minutes in a 100-98 road win over the Thunder in Oklahoma City.
In Europe, former Tall Black Brendon Polyblank produced 23 points (10/14 FG, 2/3 3pt, 1/1 FT), six rebounds, two assists, a steal and block in 40 minutes as Lausanne Basket advanced to the Swiss League Cup semifinals with a 78-68 quarterfinal win over the Lugano Tigers on Saturday. Lausanne now meet second-placed Benetton Fribourg Olympic on Saturday for a place in the final.
Tall Blacks coach Nenad Vucinic guided his BC Kalev/Cramo side to two road wins in the Estonian KML last week, lifting to second in the standings at 12-3, still 2 ½ games behind unbeaten TU/Rock.
Kalev face Lithuania’s Nevezis on Friday in the Baltic Basketball League, with a win securing the club a place in the Final Four.
Harbour Heat forward BJ Anthony scored 18 points (7/13 FG, 4/6 FT), eight rebounds, an assist, steal and block in 28 minutes but his Herzoge Wolfenbuttel team fell big 109-73 on the road to proveo Merlins in round 21 of the Bundesliga division two pro B on Saturday.
Tall Blacks centre Craig Bradshaw put up 13 points (6/13 FG, 1/1 3pt), five rebounds and two assists in 23 minutes in Grupo Begar Leon’s 85-59 road loss to Basquet Mallorca on Friday in round 21 of the Spanish LEB Gold.
In Greece, former Tall Black Mark Dickel went scoreless (0/1 FG) in 13 minutes of action as AS Trikalla scored an 87-86 road win over VAP Kolossos on Wednesday in round 19 of the A1 league, just the third win over the season for 13th placed Trikalla.
Former Tall Blacks coach Tab Baldwin saw his Romanian club, U Mobitelco Cluj-Napoca, fall 91-82 on the road to defending champions CSU Asesoft Ploiesti in round 22 of the Divizia A on Saturday, with Emerging Tall Black Leon Henry getting two points (2/2 FT) in two minutes of court-time. Cluj sit fifth at 14-6.
