Southland Sharks (6-8, 9th) v Steelformers Taranaki Airs (8-5, 3rd)
The Sharks took to the Peak a week ago and snatched victory that kept them in the finals hunt while dragging the Airs closer to the pack of teams chasing them on the ladder. Now the Airs travel south to see if they can't repay the favour and get one step closer to sealing a finals spot, but the Sharks know they need to keep their winning ways if they want to swim their way into the six.
When: Thursday 5th June, Rapid League 6pm, Sal's NBL 7pm
Where: ILT Stadium Southland, Invercargill
Watch: Live in New Zealand on Sky Sport 2 | USA: ESPN3 | International: FIBA YouTube
Last Time Out:
The Sharks were on the second leg of a North Island double facing the Airs it what would be the first of back to back games between the two, and the guests jumped out the gate early, building a double digit lead in the 1st quarter as Josiah Allick (24pts, 5rbs, 2ast, 2tls) and Keylan Boone (23pts, 13rbs) got free early. The Airs stayed close and when Craig Moller (11pts, 12rbs, 3ast) found form in his first game for the Airs, they found themselves down just 2 at the break. An Armon Fletcher (18pts, 8rbs, 5ast) layup would get the score line down to 2 halfway through the 4th, but that would be as close as they could get as the Sharks closed on a 9-4 run to clinch the road win 87-82.
What to Expect:
These teams played less than a week ago making this more of a grudge match than most games at this time of season. In the first matchup the Sharks were able to take advantage of the Airs lack of a PG, taking advantage of the lack of floor general to force the home team into late shot clock actions. To find a second consecutive victory the Sharks will need to keep a potent offensive rebounding team from doing damage on the glass. They have the personnel, in Josiah Allick and Sam Timmins, to get the job done but will need to temper their physicality to ensure that the Sharks aren't left shorthanded upfront. Keylan Boone has been scoring at a prodigious clip, topping 23 points if 3 of his last four outings, but it is his improved rebounding (double digits in 3 of last 5 games) that may be his biggest contribution to the gameplan against the Airs. Caleb Asberry has been solid all season long (topping double figures in 13 of 14 games) but the key to his effectiveness is efficiency in shot selection and lowering his turnover count, which hasn't dipped below 3 in 6 games. They are much more efficient from deep as a team and will need to exploit that advantage to grab a win.
The Airs will have to adjust to the leading assist man in the NBL, Owen Foxwell who has been given his release to pursue other opportunities. Foxwell's gain is the Airs loss, as he has been key to the smooth running of the offense. But the Airs have moved quickly and have brought in Deng Dut, who has been solid in NBL1 as a scorer and facilitator which is sorely needed in the Airs offense. Carlin Davison continues his ascent, but should find greater effectiveness as a finisher with some of the playmaking duties taken off his hands. Jack Andrew and Craig Moller will be key up front, both as interior presences defensively and on the glass, but also as scoring options to put pressure on the Sharks frontline. Armon Fletcher was the leading scorer last time out but an his all around game will be key to any team success.
Matchup to Watch: Keylan Boone v Carlin Davison - Two athletic wings who can provide more than just scoring will provide possibly the key matchup tonight. Both players can score in bunches while having the ability to facilitate but it may be their defensive skills that most impact the outcome.
Stats that Might Matter:
| Stat | Sharks | Airs |
| Scoring Offense | 88.86 (6th) | 96.31 (2nd) |
| Scoring Defense | 91.15 (5th) | 92.71 (8th) |
| Effective Field Goal % | 55% (3rd) | 52% (5th) |
| Field Goal % Defense | 46% (6th) | 44% (2nd) |
| Free Throw Rate | 24% (9th) | 34% (1st) |
| Free Throw % | 75% (3rd) | 72% (6th) |
| Three Point Rate | 44% (2nd) | 35% (last) |
| Three Point % | 36% (1st) | 31% (8th) |
| Turnover Rate | 15% (10th) | 13% (6th) |
| Assist Rate | 64% (1st) | 56% (7th) |
| Offensive Rebound Rate | 26% (6th) | 30% (2nd) |
| Defensive Rebound Rate | 73% (8th) | 75% (4th) |
| Block Rate | 9% (4th) | 10% (2nd) |
| Steal Rate | 8% (9th) | 11% (3rd) |
all advanced stats courtesy of spatialjam.com
