The Property Brokers Manawatū Jets (4-4, 8th) v Bjg Barrel Hawks (5-3, 5th)
The Jets are looking to keep pace with the chase for the Final 6 but will need to string back to back wins together for just he second time this season against a Hawke's Bay squad that has already taken them down once and that was without 3 current starters. Will the Hawks additional talent allow them to sweep the season series or will the Jets defend the Hangar to fly into the top 6?
When: Saturday 18th April, Rapid League 6:30pm Sal's NBL 7:30pm
Where: Fly Palmy Arena, Palmerston North
Watch: Live in New Zealand on Sky Sport 4 | USA: ESPN3 | International: FIBA YouTube| TikTok: @skysportnz
Box score here
Last Time Out:
The Jets welcomed the Airs as they looked to sweep the season series and keep pace with the Finals chasers but were pounced upon right from the tip as a balanced offense took a 14 point lead at quarter time. Manawatū would battle back in the second and an Eric Williams Jr dunk would cut the lead to 1. Owen Foxwell (35pts, 5rbs, 9ast)and the Airs would build a 17 point lead in the third but the Jets would rally behind Kenny Goins (19pts, 9rbs, 8ast) down the stretch as they powered home with a 39 point 4th quarter to take a 111-106 win where Miles Gibson (31pts, 9rbs) led all scorers.
The Hawks swooped on the Tuatara in the Sanctuary flying to a 9 point lead as Dan Grida (33pts, 7rbs) energised the Hawke's Bay offense. But the Tuatara would respond with a lift in defense as Davo Hickey (31pts, 11rbs, 10ast) exploded to the rim in transition and the half court to build a 4 point halftime lead. Buay Tuach (23pts) would help extend the lead to 19 in the 2nd half and despite a late Jackson Ball (16pts) flurry the Hawks would go down 106-97.
What to Look For:
The Jets boast the 2nd highest scoring offense and fastest pace in the league and finds a surprising amount of their offense in the mid-range(15% of total shots), which you're happy to do when it's Dontae Russo-Nance (21ppg, 5.1rpg, 4.3apg, 2.6stls) and Corey Webster (24.3ppg, 5.1rpg, 6.4apg, 2stls) and they are delivering the shot volume. Miles Gibson (22.6ppg, 8.9rpg) has been inflicting damage from the weak-side and Kenny Goins (12.4ppg, 7rpg, 1stl, 1.1blks) showed an affinity for the moment down the stretch against the Airs. Williams Jr (12.8ppg, 6.5rpg) is a mega athlete who can explode to the rime when he finds space but space will be tough to find against a bigger Hawke's Bay Front line. Those 5 players average over 27 minutes a game but Isaac Miller-Jose (5.7ppg, 3.3rpg) stepped into the starting spot to match the size of the Taranaki front line and may do so again. No team takes better care of the ball but some of that comes at the expense of the lowest assist rate in the league and a focus on creating offense out of one on one matchups.
The Hawks offense and pace sit 4th in the league but have picked up sharply with the influx of three starters who collectively are averaging 51.4ppg. The bulk of this is coming from Dan Grida (30ppg, 7rpg) who's basket attacking is a large part of the 43% of shots that the Hawks get at the rim. Wani Swaka Lo Buluk (14.7ppg, 3.3rpg) has yet to find his range from deep but still has floor stretching ability to match with top flight defense. Darnell Cowart (18.6ppg, 9.5rpg, 4.9apg) has only been held to single digits once this season and is a reliable hub for the offense in the post with a soft touch that merits guarding on the perimeter. Campbell Scott (12.3ppg, 38% 3pfg) has been inserted into the the starting lineup moving Jackson Ball (23.6ppg, 3.5apg, 1.25stls) to a 6th man role, but the offense is at it's best with him running point.
Matchup to Watch: Miles Gibson v Wani Swaka Lo Buluk -
Stats that Might Matter:
| Stat | Jets | Hawks |
| Scoring Offense | 98.88 (2nd) | 95.25 (4th) |
| Scoring Defense | 93.50 (8th) | 92.25 (7th) |
| Effective Field Goal % | 52% (9th) | 57% (1st) |
| Field Goal % Defense | 47% (8th) | 44% (5th) |
| Free Throw Rate | 23% (11th) | 27% (6th) |
| Free Throw % | 68% (8th) | 72% (5th) |
| Three Point Rate | 37% (10th) | 39% (8th) |
| Three Point % | 35% (4th) | 32% (10th) |
| Turnover Rate | 9% (1st) | 15% (4th) |
| Assist Rate | 53% (last) | 54% (8th) |
| Offensive Rebound Rate | 27% (6th) | 21% (12) |
| Defensive Rebound Rate | 73% (7th) | 70% (11th) |
| Block Rate | 9% (5th) | 7% (7th) |
| Steal Rate | 11% (3rd) | 8% (last) |
league rank in parenthesis
all advanced stats courtesy of spatialjam.com
