Winning Streaks Meet Head-On
Tagged in: NBL
By Sam Worthington - Dominion Post
Playoff implications are massive when two of the hottest sides in the NZCT National Basketball League collide at Nelson’s Trafalgar Centre tonight.
Century City Wellington Saints (nine wins, two losses) and ecogise Nelson Giants (10-2) are both riding six-game winning streaks and are fighting defending champions Waikato Pistons and Bartercard Christchurch Cougars for the top two spots in next month’s finals.
Before their games last night, Waikato were 9-1, with Christchurch 8-4. The top two teams after 14 rounds skip the quarterfinal stage, where team 6 plays team 3 and team 5 plays team 4, instead gaining home advantage for the semifinals.
In their previous encounter this season, Tall Blacks hot-hand Phill Jones inspired Nelson to a 98-93 win in Wellington despite the absence of veteran centre Tony Rampton, who was at his father’s funeral. Rampton, who will play tonight, has been a model of consistency, averaging 16.5 points and nine rebounds per game.
The other key player Saints must shut down is import point guard Jarryd Loyd, who is averaging 16.8 points and 6.1 assists.
Since the Nelson defeat, the Saints have added star trio Lindsay Tait, Leon Henry and Brendon Polyblank to their roster, with small forward Polyblank hoping to return to the court tonight after suffering knee tendonitis.
Wellington are buoyant after last Friday’s 77-68 defeat of Christchurch. The Saints struggled to get going offensively, shooting just 39.7 per cent from the field, but despite being out-sized, hustled on the boards to haul down 48 rebounds to the Cougars’ 39.
Saints coach Gordie McLeod, who signed as coach of the Wollongong Hawks Australian NBL side midweek, will demand similar intensity if they are to repeat their success.
Nelson’s Jones and Wellington’s Mike Efevberha are likely to shoulder the brunt of their teams’ scoring loads. Southpaw Jones is the league’s fourth-best scorer, knocking down 23.8 points per game and shooting a phenomenal 55 per cent from three-point range.
Efevberha is the NBL’s second best scorer behind Harbour tyro Corey Webster, hitting 28.9 points per game.
Wellington point guard Luke Martin continues to steer his team effectively in tandem with Tait, averaging 5.7 assists per game while sinking 51 per cent of his three-pointers, behind only Jones.
HOW THEY LINE UP
Wellington Saints: Lindsay Tait, Reece Cassidy, Hugh Quinlivan, Brendon Polyblank, Luke Martin, Leon Henry, Mike Efevberha, Damon Thornton, Calum MacLeod, Arthur Trousdell, Troy McLean.
Nelson Giants: John Barber, Darryl Jones, Nico Ritschny, Sam Dempster, Bronson Beri, Tony Rampton, Phill Jones, Steven Bill, Josh Bloxham, Chris Reay, Jarryd Loyd, Ben Wright
