The Northern Group Tauranga Whai (8-11, 9th) v The Property Brokers Manawatū Jets (9-9, 5th)
The Whai need a win to keep their slim finals hopes alive and will come in with the appropriate amount of desperation. The Jets will be hoping that two wins, and a bit of help, will get them back to the Hangar for a home final, but they’ll need to be wary as two losses could see them miss the postseason entirely. Two teams under pressure meet with their playoff hopes on the line!
When: Wednesday 2nd July, Rapid League 6pm, Sal's NBL 7pm
Where: Mercury Baypark Arena, Tauranga
Watch: Live in New Zealand on Sky Sport 2 | USA: ESPN3 | International: FIBA YouTube |
Last Time Out:
Tauranga travelled to Invercargill to battle the Sharks, with both teams needing the win to stay alive in the postseason race, the Sharks chasing a home eliminator and the Whai fighting to keep their season going. Southland started strong, building a lead behind Sam Timmins (19 pts, 6 rbs, 8 ast) and Keylan Boone (29 pts, 6 rbs), pushing the margin to nine. The Whai and Mojave King (43 pts, 6 rbs, 3 ast) responded, with King lighting it up from deep (6/7 3FG in the first half) to give the Whai a halftime lead. But the Sharks hit another gear after the break, opening the third quarter on an 11–2 run and piling on 33 points in the term to seize control. The Whai—and King in particular—kept pushing, but the Sharks held them at arm’s length in the fourth to close out a 98–88 win.
The Jets, meanwhile, faced the Tuatara in Auckland hoping to bounce back from a poor showing earlier in the round. Despite an early Tuatara flurry, the Jets ended the opening quarter tied, thanks to the work of Dontae Russo-Nance (20 pts, 7 ast, 5 stl). Auckland’s dominance on the glass (20 offensive boards, +19 overall) wore the Jets down, though they still trailed by just three at halftime. Luther Muhammad (36 pts, 5 rbs, 5 ast) made his presence felt in the third as the Tuatara built a 14-point cushion, but Miles Gibson (37 pts, 4 rbs) and the Jets clawed their way back. In the end, the early hole proved too deep, and the Tuatara held on for a 99–96 win.
What to Expect:
Both the Jets and Whai take great care of the ball, forcing opponents into mistakes while committing few turnovers themselves. Neither team is particularly fearsome from deep: the Whai launch a lot of threes but at a lower percentage, while the Jets shoot fewer but more efficiently.
The Whai are generally stronger on the glass, but without Carter Hopoi they may lose some of that edge, meaning Anzac Rissetto will need to carry more of the load. Offensively, Tauranga ranks last in scoring but have picked things up recently, and King, coming off a 43-point night, will need to be closely checked. Sean Bairstow has been effective in stretches, while Kruz Perrott-Hunt and Jayden Bezzant will need to keep the defensive pressure high.
The Jets have proven they can still score without Corey Webster, thanks to other weapons stepping up. But they must improve inside, where Kenny Goins and Isaac Miller-Jose will need to impact the game while staying out of foul trouble. The Jets force turnovers better than anyone in the league, though opportunities may be limited against a Whai team that looks after the rock. Defensively, the Jets need to lift, and with the Whai the league’s lowest scoring team, this is their opportunity to do it.
Matchup to Watch: Mojave King v Miles Gibson - Coming off 43 and 37 point games respectively you know these two will bring the buckets, but the one who can find form defensively to slow down his opponent will gain the upper hand for his team.
Stats that Might Matter:
| Stat | Whai | Jets |
| Scoring Offense | 80.74 (last) | 92.11 (4th) |
| Scoring Defense | 83.74 (2nd) | 95.72 (10th) |
| Effective Field Goal % | 48% (last) | 51% (9th) |
| Field Goal % Defense | 45% (6th) | 47% (10th) |
| Free Throw Rate | 27% (9th) | 27% (8th) |
| Free Throw % | 70% (8th) | 70% (9th) |
| Three Point Rate | 43% (2nd) | 36% (10th) |
| Three Point % | 30% (last) | 32% (8th) |
| Turnover Rate | 12% (3rd) | 11% (2nd) |
| Assist Rate | 58% (5th) | 52% (11th) |
| Offensive Rebound Rate | 27% (6th) | 24% (10th) |
| Defensive Rebound Rate | 70% (9th) | 70% (last) |
| Block Rate | 8% (7th) | 9% (6th) |
| Steal Rate | 10% (3rd) | 12% (1st) |
all advanced stats courtesy of spatialjam.com
