Wellington Saints vs Taranaki Airs - Thursday @ 7:35pm at TSB Bank Arena
Broadcast: Live on SKY Sports and Prime TV from 7:30pm (NZ)
Game Preview
The Saints and the Airs match-up for Thursday Night Lights in a game that should produce an 11th straight win for the ladder-leading team from Wellington. Having said that, the Saints will need to be mindful that the Airs showed their ability to be competitive in the first half of last week’s game against the Hawks, however whether or not they can maintain that competitive pressure remains the big question. The Saints have thus far got through eight round unscathed, the team looks fit and healthy and there haven’t been any reported injuries. On top of the ladder and raging championship favourites, all is going well in the nation’s capital. An 11pt win against the Giants last round came on the back of strong defence as the Saints’ usually high energy offence delivered a below average shooting night when they hit just 3/21 shots from beyond the arc. This appears a big mountain to climb and most likely beyond the Airs, but they get a free swing here and can just step out and go hard without fear.
SAINTS
Starting 5
55. Shae Ili (guard)
11. Jordan Ngatai (guard/forward)
7. Reuben Te Rangi (forward)
2. Nick Kay (forward)
14. Rob Loe (centre)
Bench
15. Leon Henry (forward)
10. Tom Abercrombie (guard)
3. Sunday Dech (guard)
13. Anzac Rissetto (centre)
9. Theo Johnson (forward)
8. Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones (guard)
21. James Cawthorn (guard)
Coach: Paul Henare
Assistant: Kenny McFadden
Assistant: Troy McLean
Manager: Phil Hartley
Physio: Jamie Beleski
From The Coach – Paul Henare
We are really excited to play again at home this Thursday night, and adding a new spark into our group will be a great injection for our team. We hope to play a perfect game on Thursday night in an aim to please the NBL HQ writers.
AIRS
Starting 5
14. Alonzo Burton (guard)
7. Houston O’Riley (guard)
5. Xavier Shaw (forward)
21. Chris Early (forward)
20. Thane O’Leary (forward)
Bench
3. Quintin Bailey (forward)
22. Aaron Bailey-Nowell (forward)
1. Mitch Dance (forward)
2. Oscar Roberston (guard)
10. Dane Brooks (guard)
6. Justin Cousin (guard)
8. Derone Raukawa (guard)
Coach: David Bublitz
Assistant: Andrew Green
Manager: Bevan Seddon
From The Coach – David Bublitz
This week sees us with another double header as we head to Wellington and Palmerston North. The boys should be very proud of the effort that they continue to put out on the floor and the key for this week will be too build on the very good periods of play that we put together last weekend, and turn those periods in to full 40 minute efforts. Staying locked in to our game plan while being aware of what is happening with the opposition but not letting it distract us is the key to a full 40 minute performance.
Southern Huskies vs Canterbury Rams - Thursday @ 7pm (9pm NZ) at DEC, Hobart
Southern Huskies vs Canterbury Rams - Saturday @ 7pm (9pm NZ) at Silverdome, Launceston
Broadcast: Live on SKY Sports (pop-up), Stuff.co.nz, TribeSportsApp, pickandroll.com.au from 9pm/NZ (7pm/AUS)
Game Preview
An intriguing two battles await with the Huskies and Rams set to meet twice in the space of three days, firstly in Hobart on Thursday night, followed by a return bout in Launceston on Saturday night. With both teams firmly locked into a battle for the Final 4, these two clashes will be vital to their respective chances of playing at Horncastle Arena on July20/21. The Huskies got out of NZ with two wins last round, their second coming on the back of a dramatic 29pt turnaround against the lowly Rangers. The Rams also counted their blessings after narrowly avoiding a massive upset against the Jets. There will be lots of key match-ups here and no doubt both coaches will tweak their plans for game 2 after seeing how game 1 unfolds. In particular look for the Mason Bragg vs Emmett Naar battle to be a key factor, while it will be interesting to see if Mike Karena has the mobility to go with Jalen Billups, especially if Isaiah Wilkins gets the job on Marcel Jones. Come Sunday morning we will know a lot more about where these two teams sit when it comes to talking the Final 4.
HUSKIES
Starting 5
3. Tre Nichols (guard)
6. Mason Bragg (guard)
9. Craig Moller (forward)
22. Jalen Billups (forward)
62. Marcel Jones (forward)
Bench
14. Jordan Vandenburg (centre)
8. Bryan Michaels (guard)
12. Tiri Masunda (guard)
23. Lochlan Cummings (guard)
Coach: Anthony Stewart
Assistant: Corey Davie
Assistant: Dwain Davie
Manager: Andrew Downie
Physio: Revive Health
From The Coach – Anthony Stewart
Getting out of jail in that manner in the last game has really set us up for two huge games against the Rams this week. We had some special performances from our guys down the stretch and I want that momentum to continue. I see this as the acid test, we’ve been planning for this and it should really tell us whether we are going to land in playoff contention. We’ll be fighting with the Rams for that top 4 spot so it should make for some exciting basketball. We’re really looking forward to hosting the Rams at both our venues.
RAMS
Starting 5
4. Emmett Naar (guard)
3. Cam Gliddon (guard)
25. Tony Tolovae (guard)
17. Isaiah Wilkins (forward)
44. Mike Karena (forward)
Bench
1. Luke Aston (guard)
5. Taylor Britt (guard)
10. Sam Smith (guard)
30. Toby Gillooly (guard)
9. Jonathan Janssen (forward)
45. Brent Fisher (forward)
24. Alex Talma (forward)
Coach: Mick Downer
Assistant: Terry Brunel
Assistant: Piet Van Hasselt
Manager: Raewyn Britt
Physio: Lidia Belles
From The Coach – Mick Downer
With the news of an Australian team joining the Sal’s NBL this year it was definitely an exciting thing for not only our league but also the club. We are looking forward to taking our game to Tasmania and testing ourselves. Both teams are feeling confident after recent wins and there is a lot of talent on both sides. The possession game will be key and guarding the very talented Huskies roster will be our focus. With a short turnaround from the previous round’s games it will be a case of trusting the body of work that has been done to date.
Nelson Giants vs Supercity Rangers - Friday June 7 @ 7pm at Trafalgar Centre
Broadcast: Live on SKY Sports (pop-up), Stuff.co.nz, TribeSportsApp, pickandroll.com.au
Game Preview
The Giants chances at cracking into the Final Four are slim, but this won’t deter the men from Nelson in their quest to be playing deep into July. While they’ve shown the ability to start a game on the right foot, the same can’t be said about the other 30 minutes. They face a wounded animal in the Rangers, who look to have lost skipper Venky Jois for a substantial amount of time. The game is definitely there for the taking and it will need to be taken if they want to keep their slim playoff chances alive. As for the Rangers, the loss of Jois was evident in their second half collapse to the Southern Huskies. They were up 24 points at one stage and looked to have the game locked up, but the game isn’t won in the first 20 minutes. Nnanna Egwu stepped up in the scoring department last week and they will need more of that in the rounds to come while Jois is out. Tim Quarterman is already shouldering a mammoth load for his team and they may well need him to free room up for more if they’re to cause an upset this coming week. Either that or the Rangers bench decides to turn up after a near two month absence.
GIANTS
Starting 5
2. Jordair Jett (guard)
11. Daniel Grida (guard)
24. Tyrell Harrison (centre)
25. Rhys Vague (forward)
10. Samuel Dempster (forward)
Bench
6. Ali Granger (guard)
7. Riley Bensemann (guard)
9. Tom Ingham (guard)
26. Bronson Beri (forward)
55. Kruz Perrott-Hunt (guard)
14. Mika Vukona (forward)
42. Nic Trathen (forward)
Coach: Mike Fitchett
Assistant: Phill Jones
Manager: Andrew Stevens
Physio: Ashlee Lusty
From The Coach – Mike Fitchett
The Rangers have been playing very well of late, so this game will be another hard test for us. After a tough last month, we are chomping at the bit to get that winning feeling back. Hopefully we can do so on our home floor.
RANGERS
Starting 5
1. Tim Quarterman (guard)
2. Randall Bishop (guard)
9. Lesae Coe (guard)
13. Mikaere Watene (guard/forward)
32. Nnanna Egwu (forward)
Bench
4. Daniel Green (guard)
19. Denhym Brooke (forward)
20. Scott Telfer (forward)
6. Jaylen Gerrand (guard)
5. Hyrum Hippolite (guard)
8. Nicholas Brophy (guard)
15. Nick Barrow (forward)
Coach: Jeff Green
Assistant: Greg Elliott
Manager: Auatua Aratangi
From The Coach – Jeff Green
This weeks double header sees us start off with the Giants in Nelson. always a difficult place to win. We were on the end of a big loss last time so this game will not be easy especially without Venky Jois who will sit out the two games due to his injury suffered against the Huskies. I believe if we play good team defence and shoot the ball well we should be competitive as we showed last Sunday versus the Huskies.
Southland Sharks vs Supercity Rangers - Saturday June 8 @ 7pm at ILT Stadium
Game Preview
The Sharks have seven games remaining in the regular season and they may need all 14 points on offer to book their place in the Final Four. Last week’s win against the Rangers broke a three-game losing streak for the defending champs and could be the turning point of their season. They would’ve liked to have seen their opposition finish the job on the visiting Huskies on the Sunday, but as the saying goes, if you want something done properly your better to do it yourself. That opportunity comes next week, while for the time being it is all hands on deck for this Saturday. Roberto Nelson had his best game in a Shark’s strip last week and his contribution could prove to be the difference between fourth and fifth come season’s end. This will be the second game on a back-to-back for the Rangers, who unfortunately will be undermanned and tired against a very hungry Southland team. Tim Quarterman has put up some incredible number so far in the Sal’s NBL, but with the loss of co-star Venky Jois he could be in line for even larger numbers. It may be worth a look to see what the odds are that he goes for more 50+ points.
SHARKS
Starting 5
35. Alex Pledger (centre)
97. Jarrad Weeks (guard)
22. Hyrum Harris (guard/forward)
24 . Todd Blanchfield (guard)
15. Tom Vodanovich (forward)
Bench
4. Roberto Nelson (guard)
11. Dom Kelman-Poto (forward)
14. Tai Wynyard (centre)
25. Andrew Wheeler (guard)
45. Tinashe Matambanadzo (guard)
2. Tom Cowie (guard)
34. Connor Coll (forward)
Coach: Judd Flavell
Assistant: Leyton Haddleton
Manager: Troy Paulin
From The Coach - Judd Flavell
It’s sometimes hard to play teams back to back and we need to make sure that we’re up for the challenge the Rangers will present this week. We want to put on a good performance for ourselves and our home crowd who have been very supportive so far this season. We’ll need to take better care of the ball, stay aggressive and get a good start and hopefully good things will happen from there.
RANGERS
Starting 5
1. Tim Quarterman (guard)
2. Randall Bishop (guard)
9. Lesae Coe (guard)
13. Mikaere Watene (guard/forward)
32. Nnanna Egwu (forward)
Bench
4. Daniel Green (guard)
19. Denhym Brooke (forward)
20. Scott Telfer (forward)
6. Jaylen Gerrand (guard)
5. Hyrum Hippolite (guard)
8. Nicholas Brophy (guard)
15. Nick Barrow (forward)
Coach: Jeff Green
Assistant: Greg Elliott
Manager: Auatua Aratangi
From The Coach – Jeff Green
Playing in the deep south is always a challenge, more so against the defending champions who are looking for form going into the 2nd half of the season. Backing up from the night before against the Giants will test us especially being under-manned without Venky. I see this as an incredible opportunity for our youngsters to step up and get some real game time against quality opposition. I know the youngsters are looking forward to the challenge to gauge their progress as ball players.
Manawatu Jets vs Taranaki Mountainairs - Saturday June 8 @ Central Energy Trust Arena at 7pm
Game Preview
Will this game impact on the un-wanted race for the wooden spoon? Both teams have enjoyed a few ups and unfortunately they have suffered too many downs. For the Airs those downs have been in the form of injuries and they will be hoping star guard Derone Raukawa can overcome second ankle injury and get back on the court for this clash. For the Jets a string of close games will haunt them as the season stretches on, including another dramatic loss to a top-3 team in the Canterbury Rams last week. There is no question that the Jets can run with the best when they are on song, however inconsistency is a thorn than has needled them a few times. Kuran Iverson is probably the gauge in this contest, he looks a determined man right now and could deliver some big numbers, while Wally Ellenson is due for one of those high 20s games. For the Airs, hopefully with Raukawa out there, others needed to play well include Alonzo Burton, while the form of Justin Cousin has to stay on the up. A good game from Chris Early would be handy as well. Either way this promises to be a close game, especially with the Jets keen to get off the bottom of the Sal’s NBL ladder.
JETS
Starting 5
10. Jackson Stubbins (guard)
40. Daishon Knight (guard)
3. Wally Ellenson (guard/forward)
31. Kuran Iverson (forward)
50. Shane Temara (forward/centre)
Bench
5. Taane Samuel (forward)
15. Troy Temara (forward/centre)
30. Adam Carter (guard)
4. Haize Walker (guard)
7. Tia-Toa Temata-Frost (guard)
42. Jack Henry (guard)
14. Stephen Hansen (forward)
Coach: Tim McTamney
Assistant: Terry Tanoa
Assistant: Josh Reeves
Manager: Jason Pearn
From The Coach – Tim McTamney
The disappointment of losing consecutive games to the Huskies and the Rams, after leading both going into the final moments, has been tough to deal with. As a group, we know we are good enough to beat anyone on our day, but need to find a way to get over the line in tight situations. However, our resolve has strengthened and while we no longer have a chance at a final four spot, we will be ensuring that we are still a team to be respected.
AIRS
Starting 5
14. Alonzo Burton (guard)
7. Houston O’Riley (guard)
5. Xavier Shaw (forward)
21. Chris Early (forward)
20. Thane O’Leary (forward)
Bench
3. Quintin Bailey (forward)
22. Aaron Bailey-Nowell (forward)
1. Mitch Dance (forward)
2. Oscar Roberston (guard)
10. Dane Brooks (guard)
6. Justin Cousin (guard)
8. Derone Raukawa (guard)
Coach: David Bublitz
Assistant: Andrew Green
Manager: Bevan Seddon
From The Coach – David Bublitz
This week sees us with another double header as we head to Wellington and Palmerston North. The boys should be very proud of the effort that they continue to put out on the floor and the key for this week will be too build on the very good periods of play that we put together last weekend, and turn those periods in to full 40 minute efforts. Staying locked in to our game plan while being aware of what is happening with the opposition but not letting it distract us is the key to a full 40 minute performance.
Hawke's Bay Hawks vs Manawatu Jets - Sunday June 9 @ 3pm at Pettigrew Green Arena
Broadcast: Live on SKY Sports (pop-up), Stuff.co.nz, TribeSportsApp, pickandroll.com.au
Game Preview
The Hawks step back out at home again and will be charged up to deliver another big performance in front of their home-town fans. Though it took them half a game to shake the Airs last week, once they got free of them they put the foot down and put on a splash of electric hoops. Brandon Bowman in particular was a joy to watch, his third period was off the charts and brought the crowd to their feet multiple times. The Jets are backing up here and will have their work cut out against the league’s best offensive force, however as we have seen from the Jets a few times this season, when they are up for the fight they are more than capable of matching it with the best. Though the likes of Iverson, Knight and Ellenson will do their bit at the offensive end, somehow the Jets need to work out how they’re going to stop Bowman, Rusbatch, Prewster, Singler, Kenny, Bartlett …… and the list goes on. And that doesn’t even include Daniel Kickert! Expect the Jets to be competitive and to thrown everything at the Hawks, but it is hard seeing the visitors match their more fancied opponents for all four quarters. Another Hawks rampage is on the way.
HAWKS
Starting 5
6. Jarrod Kenny (guard)
15. Brandon Bowman (forward)
12. Ethan Rusbatch (guard)
25. EJ Singler (forward)
14. Daniel Kickert (forward)
Bench
3. Nick Fee (guard)
5. Everard Bartlett (guard)
13. Dion Prewster (guard)
7. Darryl Jones (forward)
11. Jamal Mikaio (forward)
9. James Levings (guard)
21. Geoff Heather (forward)
Coach: Zico Coronel
Assistant: Morgan Maskell
Assistant: Rob Hartley
Manager: Jordan Wise
Physio: Colin Tutchen
From The Coach - Zico Coronel
Failed to provide a quote.
JETS
Starting 5
10. Jackson Stubbins (guard)
40. Daishon Knight (guard)
3. Wally Ellenson (guard/forward)
31. Kuran Iverson (forward)
50. Shane Temara (forward/centre)
Bench
5. Taane Samuel (forward)
15. Troy Temara (forward/centre)
30. Adam Carter (guard)
4. Haize Walker (guard)
7. Tia-Toa Temata-Frost (guard)
42. Jack Henry (guard)
14. Stephen Hansen (forward)
Coach: Tim McTamney
Assistant: Terry Tanoa
Assistant: Josh Reeves
Manager: Jason Pearn
From The Coach – Tim McTamney
The disappointment of losing consecutive games to the Huskies and the Rams, after leading both going into the final moments, has been tough to deal with. As a group, we know we are good enough to beat anyone on our day, but need to find a way to get over the line in tight situations. However, our resolve has strengthened and while we no longer have a chance at a final four spot, we will be ensuring that we are still a team to be respected.
