The Property Brokers Manawatu Jets continue to ascend up the Sal's NBL ladder with their third straight win, defeating the Southland Sharks 82-73 in Invercargill on Sunday evening.
Both teams struggled with their shot in the first quarter and there wasn't anything to separate them after 10 minutes tied at 19. It was a balanced scoring effort on both sides, and six offensive rebounds a piece meant second chance opportunities all around early in the contest.
That poor shooting would carry over to the second quarter, too. The Jets shot just 13-of-39 in the first half (39% FG) but managed to grind out a 36-34 lead at the half. The Sharks were just 13-of-36 from the field and 4-of-16 from three through 20 minutes of action and were unable to gain any traction against a Jets team playing for the second time in two nights.
The third quarter was a much different story for the Jets, who hit six 3-pointers in the quarter and built themselves a 64-49 lead with 10 minutes to play. The Sharks looked dejected in the third - like they had been the team playing the night before - and once they lost Winston Shepard III to fouls midway through the quarter it was too much of an uphill climb to come back.
The Jets had their way in the fourth quarter and wouldn't look back as they collected their second win in as many nights and third straight overall. The import trio and scoring punch of Shane Temara off the bench makes the Jets a dangerous team that no one should overlook. They mean business and are right in the hunt for a Top-6 spot with their impressive play in recent weeks.
It's going to be tough for the Sharks to crack the postseason bracket with their 2-8 record and Dom Kelman-Poto away with the 3x3 Tall Blacks. With how unpredictable the 2022 season has been, it might be overzealous to write off the Sharks just yet, but there's no denying that big adjustments are needed moving forward.
SCORE: Sharks 73, Jets 82
Sharks: King 15 PTS, 3 REB, 4 AST, 3 STL | Shepard III 15 PTS, 7 REB, 5 AST
Jets: Bohannon 12 PTS, 19 REB, 8 AST, 3 STL | Crawford 23 PTS, 5 3PM | Najdawi 14 PTS, 15 REB | Temara 14 PTS
Full box score HERE.
Stuff MVP Votes
Robert Crawford (Jets) - 8 votes
John Bohannon (Jets) - 5 votes
Zane Najdawi (Jets) - 5 votes
Mojave King (Sharks) - 5 votes
Shane Temara (Jets) - 4 votes
Alonzo Burton (Sharks) - 2 votes
Winston Shepard III (Sharks) - 1 vote
Upcoming Opponents
Sharks – June 25 vs. Canterbury Rams
Jets – June 25 @ Taranaki Airs
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Round 9 Sal's NBL Schedule
