Indian Panthers (0-9, 12th) v Wheeler Motor Company Canterbury Rams (7-2, 1st)
The Panthers remain a team in flux that continues to compete for parts of games that has yet to put together a full 40 minutes to claim their first win. That doesn't bode well for the home team as they welcome the top of the table Rams who are coming off the most dominant performance of the season.
When: Tuesday 29th April, Rapid League 6pm, Sal's NBL 7pm
Where: Franklin Pool and Leisure Centre, Pukekohe
Watch: Live in New Zealand on Sky Sport 2 | USA: ESPN3 | International: FIBA YouTube
Box score here
Last Time Out:
The Panthers took to Palmerston North to take on the Jets with a few new faces to take on a Corey Webster-less Jets squad, but not having the third leading scorer in the league didn't have much effect on the home team as they dominated the second half by 27 points to win going way 106-70. Miles Gibson (30pts, 6rbs, 2stls), Dante Russo-Nance (21pts, 8rbs, 6ast) Eric Williams Jr (18pts, 18rbs) and Kenny Goins (21pts, 10rbs, 5ast) providing the bulk of the young Cooper Lepou (27pts) shining in his first start of the season.
Auckland welcomed Canterbury to the Sanctuary as they looked to exact some regular season revenge on the team that has taken the championship out of the hands the last tow years. But that was not to be as the Rams put on a clinic in Auckland as the dominated the Tuatara as they scored a league season high 131 points to claim a 53 point victory. C.J. Penha (35pts, 9rbs) and Sean MacDonald (31pts) leading the scoring as the Rams dominated for 40 minutes.
What to Look For:
The Panthers will hit the court looking for a minor miracle. That's what it may take for a team that sits last in scoring, scoring defense and both offensive and defensive rebounding rates. They'll need to take better care of the basketball, a tough task for at team last in turnover rate. If Leon Henry rejoins the lineup after last rounds absence he can join with Shenghze Li to form a competent rebounding frontline. Cooper Lepou is coming off his biggest scoring game of the season and if Jaylen Gerrand returns from his absence the Panthers will feature a high scoring backcourt. The Rams will be the toughest team the Panthers have played this year, a win would be miraculous but keeping the game tight for any amount of time might be just as impressive.
Where do you start with a team coming off one of the most impressive performances in recent years? I'll go with the backcourt where Taylor Britt (18ppg, 6.8apg) and Sean MacDonald (23.5ppg) who can damage a defense with penetration, passing or by hitting the jumper with consistency but the bench comes with the Isaac brothers (Kaia 10.7ppg, 4rpg and Tama 13.1ppg, 4.8apg) who lift the physicality on both ends while still producing. On the interior Kyle Bowen (13.3ppg, 8.5rpg) and Tohi Smith-Milner (14.9ppg, 8.7rpg) have been setting the tone with physicality but still displaying top flight skill with their perimeter touch and deft passing. When fatigue hits the Rams can call on C.J. Penha (17.5ppg, 7.3rpg), who is coming off his season high, and Max Darling (9.5ppg, 4.4rpg) who can both be dominant on the interior while offering a different look to the starters on both ends. Walter Brown (10.3ppg, 5.7rpg) is the Swiss Army knife, capable of performing the task regardless of the job. All in all this is a team on a mission that doesn't look to be slowing down today.
Matchup to Watch: Cooper Lepou v Taylor Britt - It wasn't that long ago that Britt was a young up and coming pg trying to prove his worth against the top teams in the league but now he's the vet trying to keep the young up and coming Lepou at bay, but that will be a difficult task against a hungry young player that
Stats that Might Matter:
| Stat | Panthers | Rams |
| Scoring Offense | 78.44ppg (last) | 99ppg (3rd) |
| Scoring Defense | 106.67ppg (last) | 85.33ppg (3rd) |
| Effective Field Goal % | 45% (last) | 55% (2nd) |
| Field Goal % Defense | 49% (11th) | 44% (5th) |
| Free Throw Rate | 66% (last) | 23% (last) |
| Free Throw % | 66% (9th) | 65% (12th) |
| Three Point Rate | 41% (6th) | 41% (5th) |
| Three Point % | 30% (11th) | 35% (5th) |
| Turnover Rate | 17% (last) | 11% (2nd) |
| Assist Rate | 47% (last) | 58% (5th) |
| Offensive Rebound Rate | 21% (12th) | 33% (1st) |
| Defensive Rebound Rate | 66% (12th) | 74% (7th) |
| Block Rate | 7% (7th) | 10% (3rd) |
| Steal Rate | 9% (7th) | 10% (4th) |
all advanced stats courtesy of spatialjam.com
