JadCup Auckland Tuatara (5-4 8th) v Wheeler Motor Company Canterbury Rams (6-2, 2nd)
Two teams coming off single digit thrillers meet as the Tuatara come back to the Sanctuary and will be without one of the best players in the league while up against one of the deepest front lines in the competition in the Rams. Will they be able to lift as a collective to take a win off the back to back champs or will the class of Canterbury prove too much to overcome?
When: Saturday 26th April, Rapid League 3:30pm, Sal's NBL 4:30pm
Where: Eventfinda Stadium, Auckland
Watch: Live in New Zealand on Sky Sport 7 | USA: ESPN3 | International: FIBA YouTube
Box score here
Last Time Out:
The Tuatara travelled to take on the Airs and were mostly playing catchup through three quarters before a late 3rd quarter run coincided with Carlin Davison's (17pts, 6rbs, 8ast)second tech foul (and subsequent ejection) to see Auckland up 5. When Rob Loe went down with injury it looked like Owen Foxwell (31pts, 8rbs, 7ast) and the Airs had the game in hand but Will Hickey (36pts, 10rbs, 7ast) still had a chance to win at the buzzer. But the chance would go wayward and the Tuatara 5 game win streak would end with a 111-110 loss.
The Rams welcomed a Nuggets squad that had lost 3 in a row and expected to play with a bit of desperation and would jump off to a hot start behind Don Carey Jr (28pts, 6rbs, 6ast) and Jaylen Sebree (24pts, 5rbs) that would sustain to a 11-point 4th quarter lead. But a defensive fueled 11-1 run would culminate in an overtime contest after a Tohi Smith-Milner (28pts, 10rbs, 4ast) free throw tied the game with 17 seconds left. Smith-Milner's 9 straight to open the quarter, but his two missed free throws with 11 seconds left allowed the Carey a game winning chance which wasn't to be, Canterbury claiming a 108-107 thriller.
What to Look For:
You won't be looking out for Rob Loe who's injury may keep him out for the foreseeable future, meaning Nick Barrow (2.6rpg, 3.1rpg) will step into the starting lineup but look for Tom Vodanovich (12ppg, 4.3rpg) to get the usage on offense. Will 'Davo' Hickey (29.4ppg, 10.2rpg, 9apg) will be the engine of the offense and be happy to take on the challenge of the Rams defense and his pace in transition will create opportunities for Buay Tuach (18.6ppg, 4.8rpg) to attack. The rebounding will take a hit with Loe out but Charles Pride's (12.3ppg, 6.1rpg) strength in that area will help ease the blow. The deeper bench will need to contribute for the Tuatara to protect the nest, but the question Coach Cam Gliddon will need to answer is who.
In contrast to Auckland's lack of depth comes a Ram side that has four starting quality players on the bench in Max Darling(10.3ppg, 4.4rpg), C.J. Penha(12ppg, 6.7rpg), Kaia Isaac (10.9ppg, 4.3rpg) and Tama Isaac (13.9ppg, 4.9apg). Walter Brown (10.2ppg, 5.6rpg) should prove an excellent foil for Hickey while Sean MacDonald (16ppg) should be more comfortable in his role. Taylor Britt (18.1ppg, 6.6apg) will be a terror on both ends of the court, especially coming off his first single digit scoring game of the season. The rebounding on offense has been a potent weapon and Tohi Smith-Milner (15.3ppg, 8.5rpg) and Kyle Bowen (14.8ppg, 9.2rpg) have been big contributors in that space but just as importantly can space the floor with the shooting prowess.
Matchup to Watch: Will Hickey v Walter Brown- Two players with similar physical profiles will tussle as Hickey's triple double prowess will mean the entire defense will tilt his way but if Brown can take most of the assignment without the need for extra help the Tuatara offense will be hard pressed to find answers down their star big man.
Stats that Might Matter:
| Stat | Tuatara | Rams |
| Scoring Offense | 91.89ppg (7th) | 95ppg (4th) |
| Scoring Defense | 88.67ppg (5th) | 86.25ppg (3rd) |
| Effective Field Goal % | 52% (6th) | 54% (5th) |
| Field Goal % Defense | 46% (8th) | 44% (5th) |
| Free Throw Rate | 33% (2nd) | 24% (11th) |
| Free Throw % | 72% (5th) | 65% (11th) |
| Three Point Rate | 45% (2nd) | 39% (7th) |
| Three Point % | 34% (6th) | 33% (7th) |
| Turnover Rate | 14% (6th) | 12% (4th) |
| Assist Rate | 57% (6th) | 59% (5th) |
| Offensive Rebound Rate | 23% (10th) | 33% (1st) |
| Defensive Rebound Rate | 78% (1st) | 72% (9th) |
| Block Rate | 5% (2nd) | 10% (3rd) |
| Steal Rate | 9% (9th) | 10% (4th) |
all advanced stats courtesy of spatialjam.com
