Brendon Egan11:29, Jul 14 2021
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Devondrick Walker and the Hawke’s Bay Hawks have found form at the right stage of the season.
OPINION: It’s the final round of the NBL season and the top four is confirmed. The exact finishing order and semifinal match-ups are still to be determined though, setting up an interesting final weekend. BRENDON EGAN looks at the key talking points for round 12.
Finals permutations The hometown Wellington Saints have top spot locked up for the Final Four in Porirua, which will be contested next Thursday and Friday. Southland and Hawke s Bay, who both have a 12-5 record, are likely to meet in one semifinal (two versus three), but it s not quite guaranteed. The fourth placed Auckland Huskies could still potentially jump up, but it would require several scenarios playing out. Auckland must beat the Saints on Saturday and hope both the Hawks and Sharks lose, forcing a three-way tie.
Brendon Egan12:13, Jul 07 2021
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Isaiah Moss and the Otago Nuggets face a defining weekend in the NBL.
OPINION: Two rounds remain in the National Basketball League’s regular season. The Saints, Hawks, and Sharks are all close to securing their final four spots, while the Huskies and Nuggets are jostling for fourth place. BRENDON EGAN looks ahead to round 11.
Do or die for Nuggets Round 11 will make or break the Otago Nuggets’ season. The NBL Showdown champions face a critical weekend, fighting for their finals lives and really need to win both games. The Nuggets (9-6), who are a game behind the Huskies (10-6), could not have scripted a tougher doubleheader, travelling to Invercargill to play the Southland Sharks on Friday. They are then back in action on Monday away to the Wellington Saints. If the Nuggets have final four aspirations, they need to show they can beat the best teams in the league and there is no better platform than this round. America
It was hoped Shane Temara would return from his ankle injury soon and his presence would be a boost when the Jets host the Auckland Huskies on Sunday. While it still looks to be a rough road to finish the year, if they can reproduce the performance from the Rams game in their last four games of the season, they will be more than competitive. Guard Daishon Knight led the way in both games at the weekend, but he went big against the Rams with a triple double, scoring 30 points to go with 16 rebounds and 11 assists. Nikau McCullough put in his best performance, scoring a career-high 25 points, and DeAndre Daniels scored 22 points.