Mills Albert Wellington Saints (6-2, 1st) v NBS Nelson Giants(0-6, 11th)
The Saints welcome their Cook Strait rivals as they sit atop the table while looking to keep the Giants winless but this is a matchup where records don't always matter. Can the Giants find an Easter miracle and rise into the land of the winners or will the Saints machine force the Giants to lay an egg?
When: Monday 21st April, Rapid League 2pm, Sal's NBL 3pm
Where: TSB Arena, Wellington
Watch: Live in New Zealand on Sky Sport 3 | USA: ESPN3 | International: FIBA YouTube
Box score here
Last Time Out:
The Saints traveled to Otago for the second leg of the southern swing and came out of the gates hot with a 9-0 start to put the hosts into a big hole. The Nuggets would muster run in the first quarter and after Jono Jansen (20pts) drained a triple the Nuggets were within 1. But Shea Ili (31pts, 8ast) would enter the game off the bench and the Saints offense found another level, stretching the lead to 25 as Hyrum Harris (24pts, 13rbs, 5ast) was his usual hub of energy. Don Carey Jr (26pts, 8rbs, 8ast) and the Nuggets would keep the work rate up, bringing the deficit to 10 points in the third but they would never truly challenge a Saints squad that would hold fort down the stretch to claim a 111-99 win as it moved to the top of the table.
A desperate Nelson Giants squad that had added Alex Robinson as it looked to find it's first win of the season welcomed the Whai who were looking to keep pace at the top of the table with a win. The visitors would jump to an early lead as Carter Hopoi (19pts, 7rbs) got involved early and often. The Giants responded, as Callum Dalton (22pts, 8rbs) asserted himself on both sides of the half to help build a 10 point lead with 8 minutes to go in the 3rd. Sean Bairstow(15pts, 5rbs, 5ast) and the Whai would respond, and when Kruz Perrot-Hunt's (14pts, 5ast) three went in with 5:21 remaining coupled with Alex Robinson (14pts, 7ast) going out injured , Tauranga took a lead it wouldn't relinquish despite a spirited Giants chase who went down 85-81.
What to Look For:
The Saints will be playing their first game without Shaun Bruce, but that has coincided perfectly with the return of Shea Ili (22ppg, 9apg, 4.5rpg), who lifts Wellington's level of play on both ends of the court. This is a team that is deadly in transition, as long as Hyrum Harris (15.8ppg, 10.6rpg, 5.3apg, 2stls) and Nick Musyznski (14.9ppg, 9rpg, 1.9blks) control the glass and initiate transition with kick outs or grab and go's for an even quicker attack. Izayah Le'afa (13.9ppg, 5.9apg, 35% 3pfg) has been a defensive terror and has hit at least 43% 3pfg in his last three games after a slower start from deep than expected while has been playing with solid efficiency even if the volume of scoring has dipped after a hot start. Even with Nick Marshall (18.6ppg, 6.1rpg) starring in transition and offering a release valve in the halfcourt, the depth has taken a hit with the departure of Bruce, but the play of Ramgimarie Dougall-Mita and Arthur Pilcher has given solid minutes on the perimeter while Lukah Richards has offered size and effort on the interior.
The Giants have gone back to the drawing board, wishing happy trails to Bryce Johnson a few weeks after moving on from Jaylen Forbes leaving a hole in the middle and shorting the Giants in terms of overall talent. Will the change offer addition by subtraction? The stats are promising but this will be more about effort and execution and the Giants core squad that remains will be strong in both areas. Alex Robinson (17.1ppg, 5.6rpg, 5.3apg over 7 games with Panthers and Giants) offers penetration and playmaking that was previously missing while Callum Dalton (12ppg, 6rpg) will be asked to carry a heavier load, timely as he is coming off his best game of the season. They will need to find a higher level on offense ideally this will come through a collective effort rather than a single player lifting volume, which could come through transition opportunities for Liam Judd (11.5ppg) and Hayden Jones (10.5ppg) among others. Grabbing a win will be a tough task, but strange things happen when these teams cross the Cook Strait.
Matchup to Watch: Shea Ili v Alex Robinson - The defense of Ili will prove a tough task for the shiftiness of Robinson but he has the quickness to beat the defense at the point of attack to create penetrating lanes. Will Robinson be able to lift the resistance defensively to give the Giants a chance or will Ili continue his fine form and keep the Giants winless?
Stats that Might Matter:
| Stat | Saints | Giants |
| Scoring Offense | 97.75ppg (3rd) | 82ppg (11th) |
| Scoring Defense | 89.75 (5th) | 92ppg (7th) |
| Effective Field Goal % | 55% (2nd) | 51% (10th) |
| Field Goal % Defense | 45% (6th) | 49% (10th) |
| Free Throw Rate | 28% (6th) | 26% (9th) |
| Free Throw % | 77% (1st) | 59% (last) |
| Three Point Rate | 41% (5th) | 39% (8th) |
| Three Point % | 38% (2nd) | 33% (7th) |
| Turnover Rate | 13% (5th) | 14% (7th) |
| Assist Rate | 65% (1st) | 59% (4th) |
| Offensive Rebound Rate | 25% (8th) | 28% (5th) |
| Defensive Rebound Rate | 76% (3rd) | 76% (4th) |
| Block Rate | 9% (4th) | 6% (9th) |
| Steal Rate | 9% (11th) | 9% (7th) |
all advanced stats courtesy of spatialjam.com
