The Property Brokers Manawatū Jets (7-5, 4th) v Southland Sharks (5-7, 9th)
The Jets take move their homecourt to Hawera, hoping their form from the Hangar comes with them as they seek another win to keep their place in the top four. But a reloaded Sharks team will come to town aiming to get back to their winning ways on the road, having won on their last two trips out of the Shark Tank. Will the Jets find their offensive flow or will the Sharks impose their will on the interior?
When: Wednesday 28th May, Rapid League 6:30pm, Sal's NBL 7:30pm
Where: TSB Hub, Hawera
Watch: Live in New Zealand on Sky Sport 2 | USA: ESPN3 | International: FIBA YouTube |
Last Time Out:
The Jets were once again without leading scorer Corey Webster but were hoping for increased production from import Quinton Rose in his second game with the team, as the Franklin Bulls came to town looking to halt a two-game skid. The Bulls started strong, with Tae Hardy (25 pts, 5 rbs, 5 asts, 2 stls, 1 blk) scoring 9 points in the first quarter to help establish a 5-point lead at the break. The Jets were down three when a Kenny Goins (19 pts, 3 rbs, 5 asts, 3 stls, 1 blk) three-pointer sparked a 16–0 run, building an 11-point halftime lead — a margin that remained at nine after the third, despite the best efforts of Rose (26 pts, 4 rbs, 5 asts, 7 stls). The Bulls battled back in the fourth, taking the lead on an Ethan Rusbatch (17 pts, 3 rbs, 3 asts) jumper. But it was the Jets who held their nerve at the free-throw line down the stretch, sealing a 92–87 win.
The Southland Sharks showed fight in front of their home crowd but ultimately fell short, going down 97–90 to the visiting Hawks in a hard-fought battle in Invercargill. Sam Timmins was dominant with 30 points, while Keylan Boone delivered a double-double performance with 16 points and 11 rebounds. The Sharks mounted a strong fourth-quarter push, but despite their late surge, the composure of the Hawks proved decisive as Daniel Grida led the way for the visitors with 31 points and 10 rebounds, while Wani Swaka Lo Buluk added 23. Jackson Ball stepped up in the clutch, scoring 13 of his 21 points in the final period to help the Hawks hold off the Sharks’ comeback attempt putting them 2 wins back of sixth place.
What to Expect:
Even without Webster (hip) in the lineup the Jets field a potent offense that will look to play more often through the hands of Dontae Russo-Nance and Quinton Rose with Miles Gibson working off the second side of actions. If they hit from deep at a rate close to their last effort, where the starters hit 9 triples, their offense will be even more potent. They normally take great care of the ball but were 7 above that average in their last game. The Sharks will look to press them on the interior so Goins and Isaac Miller-Jose will need to stay out of foul trouble and lift their efforts on the defensive glass. Defensively their ability to cause turnovers should cause issues for a Sharks team that has been careless with the ball. They've won 4 out of 5 and have only tasted defeat once on their homecourt this season, but they take their home court to Hawera for this games action.
The Sharks have dropped 2 out of 3 to follow up a 3 game winning streak and will need to get back in the winning circle to make a serious post season run. Sam Timmins looked to have shaken off the rust when he found his form offensively in his last game, and he and Josiah Allick will look to press a size advantage on the block. Keylan Boone offers explosiveness on offense, both at the rim and from deep, but will need to be careful with the ball against a ball hawking Jets defense. The Sharks need to bring their form from deep to space the floor and give space on the post, and for Caleb Asberry drives. The addition of Brayden Inger will lift the form from deep and add some much needed size off the bench, giving them an advantage in this area for this match.
Matchup to Watch: Kenny Goins v Sam Timmins - Goins is coming off a 3-4 performance from deep and if he keeps that form from deep going then Timmins will be forced from the paint, opening the lane for Jets drives and second chance points of the glass. Going the other way big Sam will look to keep his scoring run going, while making a bigger imprint on the glass.
Stats that Might Matter:
| Stat | Jets | Sharks |
| Scoring Offense | 95.33 (3rd) | 89.08 (6th) |
| Scoring Defense | 95.50 (10th) | 93.75 (9th) |
| Effective Field Goal % | 52% (8th) | 55% (2nd) |
| Field Goal % Defense | 48% (10th) | 45% (7th) |
| Free Throw Rate | 24% (9th) | 23% (last) |
| Free Throw % | 70% (7th) | 74% (3rd) |
| Three Point Rate | 36% (9th) | 44% (3rd) |
| Three Point % | 33% (5th) | 36% (1st) |
| Turnover Rate | 10% (1st) | 15% (10th) |
| Assist Rate | 53% (10th | 64% (1st) |
| Offensive Rebound Rate | 26% (6th) | 26% (7th) |
| Defensive Rebound Rate | 73% (6th) | 72% (7th) |
| Block Rate | 8% (6th) | 9% (4th) |
| Steal Rate | 12% (1st) | 6% (9th) |
all advanced stats courtesy of spatialjam.com
