Logik Franklin Bulls (7-3, 3rd) Night 'n Day Otago Nuggets (3-8, 10th)
The Bulls have won two of three and are sitting equal to the top of the table on wins but need to find a higher level of consistency from game to game as the welcome the Nuggets who have dropped 6 straight and now find themselves towards the bottom of the ladder and desperate to reignite their season. Will Franklin leap to the top of the table with a win or will Otago end their slide and leap back into the chase for the top six.
When: Thursday 2nd May, Rapid League 6pm, Sal's NBL 7pm
Where: Franklin Pool and Leisure Centre, Franklin
Watch: Live in New Zealand on Sky Sport 3 | USA: ESPN3 | International: FIBA YouTube
Box score here
Last Time Out:
The Bulls travelled to play the Hawks and the two teams traded blows in a first half where both teams tasted the lead but couldn't pull completely away, but things changed early in the third quarter when Darnell Cowart (13pts, 3rbs) went down with injury allowing the Bulls bigs David Okwera (16pts, 13rbs) and Till Gloger (13pts, 8rbs) to take advantage down low. But the Hawks would battle back behind Dan Grida (23pts, 9rbs) to take a fourth quarter lead. Enter Tae Hardy (20pts, 5rbs, 4ast) who dominated down the stretch to let the Bulls pull away for the 88-80 ANZAC day victory,
The Otago Nuggets traveled to Auckland to face the Tuatara for the first of their City of Sails double and they jumped out to an early lead on the Rob Loe-less home squad as Jaylen Sebree (17pts, 4rbs) influenced the early going, but Charles Pride (24pts, 11rbs, 4ast, would counter with a hot hand that would see Auckland hold a 4 point halftime lead. Don Carey Jr. (24pts, 6rbs, 6ast) would find form from deep in the third to grab the lead heading into the fourth, but Will 'Davo' Hickey (25pts, 9rbs, 5ast) would hit the accelerator in the 4th driving the Tuatara to a 83-73 win.
What to Expect:
The Bulls roll out a top level defense that can harass ball handlers, wings and bang with the bigs down low to make every shot attempt a slog in the half court. That defensive effort leads to blocked shots and steals that help lift an offense that can find itself in a slog on that end as well. If they give up too many looks from deep it can be tough for a team who's shooting can be hot and cold. Tae Hardy (21.3ppg, 6.6apg, 1.4stls) is a key down the stretch, with his ability to penetrate and score despite tough defense or limited time on the clock. Flynn Cameron (calf) will sit again, but brother Tobias Cameron (10.1ppg, 4.5rpg, 40% 3pfg) will lift the defense while Ethan Rusbatch (16ppg, 39% 3pfg) will gobble up the extra shots. Upfront the tag team of David Okwera (11.6ppg, 8.6rpg) and Till Gloger (11.8ppg, 5.6rpg) provide the muscle while blocking shots and controlling the glass while Marcel Jones (8.6ppg, 5.8rpg) has provided key support off the bench.
The Nuggets have seen their defense falter over recent weeks, particularly in transition, and a lift on this side of the ball would get them back on track as currently no teams opponents have a higher effective field goal percentage (57%). Otago does a nice job of keeping their rivals off the free throw line (league low 24% free throw rate) but struggle to force turnovers (league low 12% turnover rate). The offense is solid, especially when Don Carey Jr. (23ppg, 5.8rpg, 6apg) is hitting from deep while Jose Perez (20.8ppg, 7.8rpg, 5.1apg) is getting catches down low and hitting the chemist warehouse stripe. But trips there have been less frequent, meaning Jaylen Sebree (14.6ppg, 5.3rpg), Jono Janssen (15.4ppg, 6rpg) and a support crew (Josh Aitcheson, Matthew Bardsley, Darcy Knox, Christian Martin) need to find ways to impact the scoring.
Stats that Might Matter:
| Stat | Bulls | Nuggets |
| Scoring Offense | 87.30ppg (9th) | 90.36ppg (7th) |
| Scoring Defense | 83.60ppg (2nd) | 96.91ppg (11th) |
| Effective Field Goal % | 51% (9th) | 51% (8th) |
| Field Goal % Defense | 43% (1st) | 49% (10th) |
| Free Throw Rate | 25% (9th) | 31% (4th) |
| Free Throw % | 73% (4th) | 64% (last) |
| Three Point Rate | 37% (10th) | 45% (2nd) |
| Three Point % | 32% (8th) | 35% (4th) |
| Turnover Rate | 16% (10th) | 12% (8th) |
| Assist Rate | 57% (6th) | 59% (4th) |
| Offensive Rebound Rate | 30% (3rd) | 26% (7th) |
| Defensive Rebound Rate | 75% (4th) | 74% (7th) |
| Block Rate | 10% (1st) | 5% (last) |
| Steal Rate | 11% (3rd) | 8% (11th) |
all advanced stats courtesy of spatialjam.com
