The Property Brokers Manawatu Jets and EnviroNZ Franklin Bulls have delivered an old-fashioned shootout to bring Round 6 of the Sal's NBL to a close.
With a combined 85 attempts from three-point land (for 36 makes) the resounding 118-86 win for the Jets at times looked like two teams egging each other on from downtown.
The 118-points is the biggest score of the League's 40th season, so far.
Another vocal Palmerston North crowd were greeted with red-hot shooting from the outset. In a great sign for the Jets it was forwards Shane Temara and DeAndrew Daniels nailing the triples, while back the other way the equally tall Adam Dunstan and Kyrin Galloway also feeatured strongly from beyond the arc.
Galloway was cleared to the Bulls following the Sky Sport Breakers final ANBL game the previous night and flew into Palmerston North just hours before stepping on court in new colours.
Up 32-24 at quarter-time, the Jets took further flight early in the second period with Temara draining his third triple and Jayden Bezzant flushing a big dunk, pushing the home team to a 41-28 advantage.
At one stage in the second quarter the lead ballooned to as much as 16 points for the Jets before Galloway and Nick Fee rallied hard to bring the Bulls creeping back.
By half-time the Jets moved to a 61-47 lead with Temara the clear star with 25 points at a 76 per cent clip, including four treys, while Daniels had 13 points and some highlights of his own. For the Bulls, Galloway and Fee had 12 points apiece.
Between the two teams, the opening half featured 40 attempts from beyond the arc with 19 makes keeping the crowd entertained.
There was more of the same during the third period with another 47 points between the teams and a further 21 three-point attempts. Heading into the last quarter the Jets were out to a 88-68 lead and looking confident of a third win for the season, and their second in succession after toppling the Mike Pero Nelson Giants by a solitary point last Thursday night.
Temara continued to prove a handful for the Bulls, while Daishon Knight started to stuff the stat sheet with another classy performance.
Notably wounded with Josh Selby, Zane Waterman and Matt Freeman seemingly gone for the season, the Bulls just couldn't keep pace with the Jets. Playing his first game, Galloway did all he could with a double-double, and was ably supported by Denhym Brooke, while Nick Fee had one of his better games of the season.
Defence was almost put away in the last quarter as the scoring-fest continued, the Jets closing out with a 31-18 term to celebrate a strong 32-point win, their 118-point haul the largest by any team this season.
Manawatu Jets (118) defeated Franklin Bulls (86) - BOXSCORE
Jets: Shane Temara (34pts, 13rbs, 5 treys), Daishon Knight (16pts, 9rbs, 10ast), DeAndre Daniels (22pts), Nikau McCullough (17pts), Jayden Bezzant (13pts).
Bulls: Kyrin Galloway (22pts, 14rbs), Denhym Brooke (23pts), Nick Fee (14pts, 8ast), Jaylen Gerrand (11pts).
Game Highlights
Stuff MVP Votes
Shane Temara (Jets) 10
DeAndre Daniels (Jets) 7
Kyrin Galloway (Bulls) 6
Nikau McCullough (Jets) 3
Denhym Brooke (Bulls) 3
Daishon Knight (Jets) 1
(Photo Credit: PhotosportNZ)
