NBL Round 5 of Regular Season

There was no lack of interesting games this round. The round ended with favorites losing the games and games ending by tiny margin. Here is the last round review presented by ESL.

The most interesting game of round 5 in the NBL was only two-point a home defeat of 5th ranked Huskies (4-4) to fourth ranked Nuggets (5-3) 73-71. Nuggets outrebounded Huskies 38-27 including 28 on the defensive glass. The former international power forward Samuel Timmins (211-97, college: Washington) stepped up and scored 21 points and 8 rebounds for the winners and Australian forward Geremy McKay (201-96, college: Vanguard) chipped in 12 points and 10 rebounds. American power forward Chris Johnson (210-85, college: LSU) responded with a double-double by scoring 22 points and 11 rebounds. Defending champion moved-up to third place. Huskies at the other side dropped to the sixth position with four games lost. Nuggets are looking forward to face league's second-placed Sharks in Southland in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Huskies will play on the road against Hawks (#4) in Tamatea and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Important game to mention about took place in Stoke. Seventh ranked Giants (4-5) saved a 3-point victory at home edging 4th placed Hawks (4-3) 112-109 on Saturday evening. American guard Hunter Hale (192-97, college: Winthrop) nailed 41 points (!!!) and 7 assists (was perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line) for the winning side and Sam Dempster accounted for 19 points and 5 rebounds. International forward Hyrum Harris (198-96, college: Umpqua CC) came up with 25 points and 8 rebounds (on 11-of-13 shooting from the field) for Hawks in the defeat. Giants maintains seventh place with 4-5 record. Hawks lost third consecutive game. They keep the fourth position with three games lost. They share it with Rams. Giants will play against Jets (#9) in Palmerston North in the next round. Hawks will play at home against Huskies (#6) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
NBL top team - Saints (6-0) had no problems winning another game on Friday. This time they crushed fifth ranked Huskies (4-4) in Wellington 107-76. The best player for the winners was Dion Prewster who scored 34 points (!!!), 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Chris Johnson produced 16 points and 6 rebounds for the guests. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Undefeated Saints have an impressive series of six victories in a row. They maintain first place with 6-0 record. Loser Huskies dropped to the sixth position with four games lost. Saints will meet Rams (#5) in the next round. Huskies will play against Hawks in Tamatea and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
The game in Pukekohe supposed to be also worth to mention about. Fourth ranked Nuggets (5-3) played at the court of 7th ranked Bulls (3-5). Nuggets smashed Bulls 103-82. Samuel Timmins orchestrated the victory with a double-double by scoring 31 points and 16 rebounds. Since the result was very predictable, it gave the chance for the coaches to test many bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Defending champion moved-up to third place. Bulls lost their third game in a row. They dropped to the eighth position with five games lost. Nuggets' next round opponent will be league's second-placed Sharks in Southland and it will be for sure the game of the week. Bulls will play on the road against Jets (#9) in Palmerston North and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
The game in Christchurch was also quite interesting. 4th placed Hawks (4-3) played at the court of seventh ranked Rams (4-3). Rams managed to secure a 8-point victory 87-79 on Sunday. Deshon Taylor stepped up with a double-double by scoring 33 points (!!!), 10 rebounds and 6 assists for the winners. Rams' coach Mick Downer used a ten-player rotation and allowed the starting five to rest. Rams moved-up to fourth place, which they share with defeated Hawks. Hawks lost their third game in a row. Rams will face league's leader Saints in Wellington in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Hawks will play at home against Huskies and it may be a tough game between close rivals.

In the last two games of round 5 Sharks destroyed Mountainairs on the opponent's court 114-72. Jets unfortunately lost to Sharks in a home game 88-100.
The most impressive stats of the last round was 19 points and 12 rebounds by DeAndre Daniels of Jets.

Bulls - Nuggets 82-103

The game in Pukekohe supposed to be also worth to mention about. Fourth ranked Nuggets (5-3) played at the court of 7th ranked Bulls (3-5). Nuggets smashed Bulls 103-82. Nuggets dominated down low during the game scoring 54 of its points in the paint compared to Bulls' 28. They outrebounded Bulls 52-29 including a 35-22 advantage in defensive rebounds. The former international power forward Samuel Timmins (211-97, college: Washington) orchestrated the victory with a double-double by scoring 31 points and 16 rebounds. Australian forward Geremy McKay (201-96, college: Vanguard) contributed with 23 points and 8 rebounds for the winners. American forward Zane Waterman (203-95, college: Manhattan) answered with 21 points and 6 rebounds and power forward Denhym Brooke (203-96, college: Hawaii-Hilo) added 17 points, 5 rebounds and 4 blocks in the effort for Bulls. Since the result was very predictable, it gave the chance for the coaches to test many bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Defending champion moved-up to third place. Bulls lost their third game in a row. They dropped to the eighth position with five games lost. Nuggets' next round opponent will be league's second-placed Sharks in Southland and it will be for sure the game of the week. Bulls will play on the road against Jets (#9) in Palmerston North and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Bulls: Z.Waterman 21+6reb+3ast, D.Brooke 17+5reb+1ast, I.Davidson 10+2reb+1ast, W.Dylan 7, N.Fee 7+1reb+2ast, J.Selby 7+4reb+1ast
Nuggets: S.Timmins 31+16reb+3ast, I.Moss 24+8reb+1ast, G.McKay 23+8reb+2ast, R.Rodger 8+7reb+3ast, J.Aitcheson 6+4reb+3ast, M.Pafe 5+4reb+1ast

Saints - Huskies 107-76

NBL top team - Saints (6-0) had no problems winning another game on Friday. This time they crushed fifth ranked Huskies (4-4) in Wellington 107-76. Saints outrebounded Huskies 47-18 including a 17-6 advantage in offensive rebounds. The best player for the winners was the former international swingman Dion Prewster (195-90, college: SF Austin, agency: BIG) who scored 34 points (!!!), 6 rebounds and 6 assists. American guard Kerwin Roach II (193-96, college: Texas) chipped in 15 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Four Saints players scored in double figures. American power forward Chris Johnson (210-85, college: LSU) produced 16 points and 6 rebounds and guard Zach Riley (193-3) added 9 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists respectively for the guests. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Saints have an impressive series of six victories in a row. They maintain first place with 6-0 record. Loser Huskies dropped to the sixth position with four games lost. Saints will meet Rams (#5) in the next round. Huskies will play against Hawks in Tamatea and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Huskies: C.Johnson 16+6reb+1ast, T.Fahrensohn 14+1reb, R.Zach 9+5reb+4ast, S.Murphy 9+2reb+3ast, N.Barrow 8+1ast, N.Dontae 6+1reb+2ast
Saints: D.Prewster 34+6reb+6ast, T.Samuel 16+4reb+4ast, K.Roach II 15+8reb+4ast, T.Smith-Milner 13+7reb+1ast, T.Kenneth 10+4reb+1ast, R.Gill 9+11reb+2ast

Giants - Hawks 112-109

Important game to mention about took place in Stoke. Seventh ranked Giants (4-5) saved a 3-point victory at home edging 4th placed Hawks (4-3) 112-109 on Saturday evening. Giants shot the lights out from three nailing 14 long-distance shots on high 58.3 percentage. American guard Hunter Hale (192-97, college: Winthrop) nailed 41 points (!!!) and 7 assists (was perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line) for the winning side and swingman Sam Dempster (194-90) accounted for 19 points and 5 rebounds. International forward Hyrum Harris (198-96, college: Umpqua CC) came up with 25 points and 8 rebounds (on 11-of-13 shooting from the field) and American guard Devondrick Walker (196-92, college: A&M-Commerce) added 25 points and 5 assists respectively for Hawks in the defeat. Both teams had five players each who scored in double figures. Giants maintains seventh place with 4-5 record. Hawks lost third consecutive game. They keep the fourth position with three games lost. They share it with Rams. Giants will play against Jets (#9) in Palmerston North in the next round. Hawks will play at home against Huskies (#6) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Hawks: H.Harris 25+8reb+3ast, D.Walker 25+2reb+5ast, E.Rusbatch 23+6reb+1ast, D.Raukawa 16+1reb+2ast, J.Janssen 13+6reb+5ast, R.Vague 7+3reb
Giants: H.Hale 41+1reb+7ast, S.Dempster 19+5reb+3ast, T.Ingham 17+5reb+2ast, N.Trathen 12+5reb, D.Ingram 11+4reb+3ast, A.Rissetto 7+4reb+2ast

Mountainairs - Sharks 72-114

Very expected game in New Plymouth where 10th ranked Mountain Airs (1-6) were crushed by third ranked Sharks (6-3) 114-72 on Saturday. Sharks outrebounded Mountain Airs 44-29 including 31 on the defensive glass. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 28 assists. Dominique Kelman-Poto (201-94, college: Adelphi) stepped up and scored 22 points and 7 rebounds for the winners and American guard Courtney Belger (187-89, college: Quincy) chipped in 14 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Four Sharks players scored in double figures. Naturalized American forward Marcel Jones (203-85, college: Oregon St.) responded with 17 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists and the former international power forward Tai Wynyard (208-98, college: Kentucky) scored 13 points. Since the result was very predictable, it gave the chance for the coaches to test many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. The victory was the fourth consecutive win for Sharks. They moved-up to second place. Mountain Airs lost their third game in a row. They stay at the bottom position with six games lost. Sharks will face Nuggets (#3) in Dunedin in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Mountain Airs will play at home against Huskies (#6) and hope to win that game.
Top scorers:
Mountainairs: M.Jones 17+9reb+4ast, T.Wynyard 13+4reb+2ast, F.Baxter 9+1reb+1ast, D.Carlin 9+6reb+2ast, A.Bailey-Nowell 8+4reb+3ast, H.Walker 7+2reb+1ast
Sharks: T.Gillooly 22+4reb+1ast, D.Kelman-Poto 22+7reb+3ast, B.Inger 21+6reb+1ast, C.Belger 14+7reb+7ast, J.Helu 9+2reb+1ast, J.Cunningham 8+10reb+4ast

Huskies - Nuggets 71-73

The most interesting game of round 5 in the NBL was only two-point a home defeat of 5th ranked Huskies (4-4) to fourth ranked Nuggets (5-3) 73-71. Nuggets outrebounded Huskies 38-27 including 28 on the defensive glass. The former international power forward Samuel Timmins (211-97, college: Washington) stepped up and scored 21 points and 8 rebounds for the winners and Australian forward Geremy McKay (201-96, college: Vanguard) chipped in 12 points and 10 rebounds. Four Nuggets players scored in double figures. American power forward Chris Johnson (210-85, college: LSU) responded with a double-double by scoring 22 points and 11 rebounds and guard Zach Riley (193-3) scored 9 points and 7 assists. Defending champion moved-up to third place. Huskies at the other side dropped to the sixth position with four games lost. Nuggets are looking forward to face league's second-placed Sharks in Southland in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Huskies will play on the road against Hawks (#4) in Tamatea and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Huskies: C.Johnson 22+11reb, B.Ruscoe-Taiaroa 11+3reb+1ast, M.Chris 10+3reb+1ast, R.Zach 9+1reb+7ast, N.Dontae 8+2reb+2ast, T.Fahrensohn 8+2reb
Nuggets: S.Timmins 21+8reb+1ast, I.Moss 14+7reb+3ast, G.McKay 12+10reb+2ast, J.Aitcheson 12+6reb+1ast, M.Pafe 5, R.Rodger 5+4reb+4ast

Rams - Hawks 87-79

The game in Christchurch was also quite interesting. 4th placed Hawks (4-3) played at the court of seventh ranked Rams (4-3). Rams managed to secure a 8-point victory 87-79 on Sunday. American guard Deshon Taylor (188-96, college: Fresno St.) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 33 points (!!!), 10 rebounds and 6 assists for the winners and his fellow American import forward EJ Singler (198-90, college: Oregon) chipped in 14 points and 7 rebounds. Four Rams players scored in double figures. Rams' coach Mick Downer used a ten-player rotation and allowed the starting five to rest. International swingman Ethan Rusbatch (196-92, college: Lincoln Trail) responded with 23 points and American guard Devondrick Walker (196-92, college: A&M-Commerce) scored 18 points and 5 rebounds. Rams moved-up to fourth place, which they share with defeated Hawks. Hawks lost their third game in a row. Rams will face league's leader Saints in Wellington in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Hawks will play at home against Huskies and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Hawks: E.Rusbatch 23+3reb+2ast, D.Walker 18+5reb+2ast, R.Vague 14+8reb+3ast, J.Janssen 9+9reb+1ast, H.Harris 8+6reb+4ast, D.Raukawa 7+4reb+6ast
Rams: D.Taylor 33+10reb+6ast, E.Singler 14+7reb+3ast, B.Constable 10+6reb+1ast, Q.Bailey 10+7reb, S.Smith 6+1reb+1ast, E.Jack 5+2reb

Jets - Sharks 88-100

Very predictable result in Palmerston North where third ranked Sharks (6-3) defeated 9th ranked Jets (1-6) 100-88 on Sunday. Guard Alonzo Burton (193-93) stepped up and scored 27 points for the winners and American guard Courtney Belger (187-89, college: Quincy) chipped in 15 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Sharks' coach Rob Beveridge allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. American forward DeAndre Daniels (206-92, college: UConn) responded with a double-double by scoring 19 points and 12 rebounds and naturalized American power forward Shane Temara (205-95, college: N.Texas) scored 20 points and 8 rebounds. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. The victory was the fourth consecutive win for Sharks. They moved-up to second place. Loser Jets keep the ninth position with six games lost. Sharks will face Nuggets (#3) in Dunedin in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Jets will play at home against Bulls (#8) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Jets: D.Knight 22+2reb+3ast, S.Temara 20+8reb+3ast, D.Daniels 19+12reb+1ast, J.Bezzant 18+4reb+5ast, N.McCullough 7+4reb+2ast, L.Finn 2+3reb+2ast
Sharks: A.Burton 27+4reb, B.Inger 19+3reb, C.Belger 15+7reb+5ast, D.Kelman-Poto 14+9reb+3ast, T.Gillooly 9+6reb, J.Cunningham 6+4reb+3ast



Tags : SAMUEL TIMMINS, OTAGO OCEANAGOLD NUGGETS, NEW ZEALAND BASKETBALL