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Finally for the first time since the three game finals format began in 2007 we are going to a Game Three after the Exodus Saints won Game Two big against the Waikato Pistons 98-69.
Pistons could not stop the Saints with six players scoring in double figures led by none other than Eric Devendorf who bounced back from his shooting woes in Game One to have a game high 24 points (2/2 3pt FG).
Saints point guard Lindsay Tait had a double double of 12 points and 13 assists while off the bench Erron Maxey also had a double double of 17 points and 10 rebounds.
After being outrebounded in Game One the Saints controlled the boards in Game Two out rebounding the visitors 43-36. Pistons Alex Pledger was the only Pistons with double figure rebounds with 11 to go with his 12 points.
After being down 16 in the first quarter the Pistons were unable to get back in the game as the Saints won the next two quarters 51-34 allowing both coaches to empty their benches in the final period.
Pistons import Rashaad Tucker top scored for his side with 18, Thomas Abercrombie held to 14 points and two rebounds. Wellington will be very pleased with their defensive effort holding Pistons to 35% shooting and 15% from beyond the arc. One of the Pistons leading scorers Hayden Allen was held to eight points shooting 1/14 from the field.
Now it will be back to the drawing board for the Pistons who will want to forget about tomorrow and look to have a better start which will give them confidence.
For the Saints they can ill afford complacency against a side the quality of the Pistons, in particular Allen who will not have a repeat performance of tonight.
Game TwoWednesday, June 30
At TSB Bank Arena
Live on Sky Sport 3
Referees - Tim Brown, Dallas Pickering, Andy Thackray
1Q: 34-18
HT: 58-36 (24-18)
3Q: 85-52 (27-16)
FT: 98-69 (13-17)
Saints v Pistons Boxscore (24 KB html)
Lithuania received a couple of setbacks this week ahead of the FIBA World Championship for Men with Rimantas Kaukenas and Marjonas Petravicius ruled out of the tournament.
Doctors have told the Armani Jeans Milano centre he cannot play because of the back injury that plagued him this season.
The 30-year-old, who missed the latter part of the Lega A campaign and the entire Lega A playoffs with the injury, was the starting centre on the Lithuania team that won just once last summer at the EuroBasket in Poland.
“It’s sad that he will probably not be able to help the national team,” said Lithuania coach Kestutis Kemzura, who also confirmed the 32-year-old Kaukenas won’t play.
“Yes, he [Kaukenas] already gave the answer. Not a very good one for the national team, but we have to respect it.
“Kaukenas will not play because of family-related matters.”
Kaukenas may not have made the team anyway after a disappointing campaign at Real Madrid which saw him dropped from the squad late in the regular season.
Lithuania received a wild card to play at the FIBA World Championship and will compete in Group D against the Tall Blacks, Canada, Lebanon, France and Spain.
Waikato Pistons have guts out a great win in Hamilton defeating the Exodus Saints 80-74 to win game number one thanks to their star player Thomas Abercrombie who scored 32 points.
Abercrombie was nothing short of sensational also grabbing 10 rebounds and blocking five shots to go with his 32 points. The small forward scored an incredible 25 points in the first half to give the home side a 10 point lead at the half.
The Pistons dominated the boards with three of their players grabbing 10 or more rebounds, while outrebounding Wellington 45-36.
Saints did get back into the game in the second half and took their first lead of the game with under four minutes left in the game when Casey Frank (14 points) hit a three. Two free throws from Eric Devendorf gave the Saints a four point lead with two and a half left.
But the Pistons showed resolve when Rashad Tucker who had 7 points 13 rebounds and 8 assists hit an unlikely three in the corner to cut the lead to one and then a break away layup from Alex Pledger (12 points, 10 rebounds) gave Waikato a one point lead with forty three seconds remaining.
Saints had an opportunity to regain the lead but Abercrombie played outstanding defense on Eric Devendorf forcing to take a tough shot. Devendorf had one of his worst shooting performances in the NBL shooting a dismal 3/19 from the field for 13 points.
For the visitors Lindsay Tait top scored with 16 while Erron Maxey had 12 off the bench.
Then with seven seconds the Pistons hit a three from none other than Tony “The Bear ” Ronaldson who was playing off one leg, showing a lot of heart even playing.
Now the series shifts down to Wellington tomorrow night at TSB Bank Arena where the Saints have only lost there once this year, but they will not want to repeat 2008 when in the same situation the Pistons won.
Since the three game finals has been introduced there has been no game three, which is not a good sign for the Saints if they want to win championship number six.
NBL Finals Game OneTuesday, June 29
At Hamilton Boys High School, Hamilton
Referees - Tim Brown, Dallas Pickering, Gavin Whiu
1Q: 27-16
HT: 48-38 (21-22)
3Q: 59-54 (11-16)
FT: 80-74 (21-20)
Pistons v Saints Boxscore (24 KB html)
Martin Davidson, NZPA
The Waikato Pistons are sweating on the fitness of influential captain Tony Ronaldson as they go hunting for a hat-trick of National Basketball League (NBL) titles against the Wellington Saints.
Coach Dean Vickerman remains cautiously hopeful the former Australian international will have a role to play in the best-of-three finals series which tips off in Hamilton tomorrow night before shifting to the capital for the second and third games on Wednesday and Thursday.
He will give Ronaldson as much time as needed to prove his fitness after he injured a knee during the second quarter of their semifinal win over Nelson last Friday.
“He told me he is improving. He’s a tough kid,” Vickerman said of the 38-year-old power forward who is due to retire after the series. “If he can warm up and play we will play him. It could be he won’t be right until the second game but we will keep trying to get him right to play a part in the series.
“This is the finish of his career and he doesn’t want to do it sitting on the bench.”
Vickerman did not attempt to mask Ronaldson’s importance to the two-time defending champions, who have lost twice to top qualifiers Wellington this season.
“He’s our captain, he’s our leader, he makes us stay organised. His presence is really important, but in saying that we played the second half against Nelson pretty well without him.
“Whether he’s there or not we will still be competitive.”
With or without the former New Zealand Breaker, Waikato know they are in for a battle against the Pero Cameron-coached Wellington, who Vickerman said had lit up the league this year.
Cameron’s influence cannot be over-stated as he has moulded the Wellington side into shape after a patchy start to the season, and they enter the finals firing after winning 12 of their past 13 matches.
Vickerman is highly impressed with how Cameron, the former Waikato icon in his rookie season as a coach, has guided a Wellington team posing multiple threats in the form of American import Eric Devendorf, who Waikato jettisoned early in the season, Lindsay Tait, Nick Horvath and Casey Frank.
“He’s going to be a great coach. He’s shown this year that he can pull a group of talented players together. That’s one of his best qualities, he’s very inclusive and he makes people become a major part of his team.”
The finals series will showcase a sharp contrast in styles, with Wellington the league entertainers with an up tempo game and Waikato more pragmatic and deliberate.
“They’re the best offensive team in the league and we’re the best defensive team. Hopefully we can slow the game down a little bit, while they will want to speed it up,” Vickerman said.
“They’re absolutely loaded with talent. They have four imports, two of them naturalised, they have two Tall Blacks and a former Tall Black in Troy McLean. We just have to try to match all that.
“We have to limit their opportunities, take away their fast break baskets and make sure we execute with precision when we have scoring opportunities.” Cameron’s intimate knowledge of the Waikato play sheet has forced Vickerman to implement subtle variations to his own tactics.
“He knows our stuff pretty well so we do have to make a number of counters. He has his ways of defending what we do, so you do have to make adjustments and tinker with your offence.”
NBL Finals Game OneTuesday, June 29
At Hamilton Boys High School, Hamilton
Live on Sky Sport 3
Referees - Tim Brown, Dallas Pickering, Gavin Whiu
Waikato Pistons will look to win their fifth NBL Championship when they host the first final of a best of three series against the Exodus Saints who are a familiar opponent when it comes to finals having met each other four times since 2001.
History has been in favour for Waikato who won the 2001 and 2008 championships against the Saints and has only lost to them once in a finals series (2003).
One former Waikato player who was a major part in all their championships is Tall Black legend Pero Cameron who ironically will be on the opposite team as Head Coach of the Saints in his debut season. Cameron played over 150 games for the Waikato franchise beginning his career their back in 1992 as a young 17 year old.
2009 coach of the year Dean Vickerman is in his second year with the Pistons, beginning his coaching in the NBL back in 2002 for the Saints. Vickerman has amassed a 31-7 record with the Pistons in two seasons, including the 2009 championship.
2010 could also be the year that the Pistons win a three peat, which they had an opportunity to do back in 2003 only to fall short in a 97-88 overtime loss to none other than the Saints. The only player that is left from that Waikato team in this year’s Pistons side is Puke Lendon who will have to play a big part in this year’s finals with the injuries of Mike Homik who will not be playing and Tony Ronaldson who has a knee injury that may keep him out.
Lendon was the named the Most Valuable Player in the 2008 finals series against the Saints and had a season high 14 points this year against them in Round13.
If Ronaldson does not play it will be a severe blow to the Pistons who have relied on his leadership and ability to spread the floor with his outside shooting. The former Australian Boomer has averaged 14 points in the two games against the Saints and has shot the ball at 67% from the outside in those games.
2008 was exactly the same as this year, Saints winning the regular season and Pistons placed second.
In that finals series the Pistons won Game One in Te Awamutu 95-78 and then Game Two 84-79 at TSB Arena which is only one of three losses the Saints have had there since then.
When it comes to form the Saints have been on a roll of late winning 12 of their last 13 games, including two against the Pistons. The last time the two teams met was only a couple of weeks ago when they played in the final round of the regular season to decide who would win the regular season.
Saints won in an unlikely 78-74 game in which they were down as many as 15. Pistons were without their big man Alex Pledger and their import Rashaad Tucker who suffered an injury in the first half.
Hayden Allen top scored for the Pistons in that game with 15 and was also the top scorer in the Pistons 74-62 semi final win over the Fico Finance Nelson Giants with 28 points.
Allen and the Pistons will look to put the defensive clamps on Lindsay Tait who had a game high 22 in the win over them and has played some of his best basketball against Waikato averaging 20 points and 10 assists in the two wins.
Saints will be quietly confident having beaten the Pistons without the league’s leading scorer Eric Devendorf who has yet to play his former team that released him mid season. Devendorf scored a league high 49 points on debut for the Pistons in their opening round win over the Giants and has gone on to average 25.6 points per game shooting the three pointer at a 59.6%.
Since the departure of Devendorf, second year swingman Thomas Abercrombie has lifted his game offensively averaging just over 20 points a game, also leading his team in assists, steals and blocks. The 2009 forward of the year will again be odds on favorite to win the award again and is a top candidate for the Most Valuable player award.
Abercrombie is averaging just under 17 a game against the Saints this season and has had some good battles against a Tall Black team mate Leon Henry who has had his best season in the NBL starting in all of the Saints games averaging 10.3 points.
In a three game series with no rest in between the games bench of both teams could be the difference and for both teams they have experience with Lendon, Ray Cameron and Gerard Bowden for the Pistons and for the Saints the likes of Troy McLean, George Le’afa and Damien Ekenasio who were all in the 2003 Saints championship teams and between them have nearly played a combined 600 NBL games.
In the Semi Final win against the Hawks bench played a major role for the Saints with their import Erron Maxey who had 24 points, scoring 12 in the final period. Maxey is very familiar with his role off the bench having won the sixth man award in the Australian League last with the Gold Coast Blaze.
Since 2007 when the three game finals series began none have had to go to a third game, therefore the odds are grossly against the team who loses game one.
2010 Bartercard NBL Grand Finals Media Guide (572 KB) pdf
NBL Finals Game OneTuesday, June 29
At Hamilton Boys High School, Hamilton
Live on Sky Sport 3
Referees - Tim Brown, Dallas Pickering, Gavin Whiu
Wednesday, June 30
At TSB Bank Arena
Live on Sky Sport 3
Referees - Tim Brown, Dallas Pickering, Andy Thackray
Thursday, July 1
At TSB Bank Arena
Live on Sky Sport 3
Referees - Tim Brown, Dallas Pickering, Andy Thackray
Tony Bird, Taranaki Daily News
The Harbour Breeze made the best possible start to their Women’s Basketball Championship with a come-from-behind victory in the final of the opening tournament in New Plymouth on Saturday.
The defending champions bagged a maximum 20 points from the first of three tournaments to decide the 2010 title winner.
Harbour Breeze went through unbeaten in five games, including a 70-64 win against Otago Goldrush in a hard-fought final.
The teams that met in last year’s final emerged top of their pools again.
The final was a game of two halves – Otago upstaging North Harbour and playing the smarter basketball in the first half, before Harbour clawed their way back into the game in the third quarter and finished strongly.
Late in the second quarter, Otago turned up the heat stretching their lead to 13 points with Harbour appearing rattled.
Whatever Harbour Breeze coach Angela Perrott-Hunt said to her team at halftime, it woke the team from their slumber.
After the restart, the tempo lifted, with both teams adopting a take-no-prisoners physical approach, forcing the referee to stop the game and talk to both captains.
Inside four minutes of the third spell, Harbour, hustling well and taking every opportunity to come their way, shot 11 points to two to level the scores 42-42.
Otago got back on track helped by shots from outside the arc by captain Patrice McKenzie and Bellla McCallum of New Plymouth.
Harbour led 57-55 heading into the final stretch.
Otago started the last 10 minutes well going out to a 64-61 lead with six minutes left and again looked on track to take the win.
But Harbour Breeze came back again, lifting in intensity to secure a six-point win.
After the game, Perrott-Hunt blamed complacency for her team’s lack lustre start.
“All respect to Otago, they came out and played hard. Typical South Island girls, they’re relentless and they really showed us up in that first half and we had to come out and do something about it.”
Perrott-Hunt is in her first year as head coach of the Harbour Breeze and expected her team to improve in the next two tournaments.
“It’s a really nice way to start, but, we’ve got a lot of things to work on.
“We’re getting there and I think with each tournament we’ll get stronger and stronger.”
Perrott-Hunt singled out former Tall Fern Noni Wharemate as Harbour’s player of the tournament.
“I think I’m right in saying she is a class above everyone one else all-round in the women’s tournament.
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“She’s just got such great vision, and is both physically and mentally strong.”
The Taranaki Trojans ended the New Plymouth tournament with a good win to finish third, comfortably beating Palmerston North Storm 66-49.
The next championship round will take place at Waitakere on July 22-24.
NBL Playoffs games and box scores . . .
NBL Finals Game OneTuesday, June 29
At Hamilton Boys High School, Hamilton
Referees - Tim Brown, Dallas Pickering, Gavin Whiu
1Q: 27-16
HT: 48-38 (21-22)
3Q: 59-54 (11-16)
FT: 80-74 (21-20)
Pistons v Saints Boxscore (24 KB html)
Wednesday, June 30
At TSB Bank Arena
Live on Sky Sport 3
Referees - Tim Brown, Dallas Pickering, Andy Thackray
1Q: 34-18
HT: 58-36 (24-18)
3Q: 85-52 (27-16)
FT: 98-69 (13-17)
Saints v Pistons Boxscore (24 KB html)
Thursday, July 1
At TSB Bank Arena
Live on Sky Sport 3
Referees - Tim Brown, Dallas Pickering, Andy Thackray
1Q: 23-28
HT: 41-44 (18-16)
3Q: 62-55 (21-11)
FT: 82-79 (20-24)
Saints v Pistons Boxscore (24 KB html)
NZ Force Harbour Breeze continued their domination of the Women’s Basketball Championship, defeating Oceana Goldrush for maximum points in this year’s opening round in New Plymouth.
The two teams that met in last year’s final emerged top of their pools again and Harbour, under new coach Angela Perrott-Hunt, repeated their success 70-64 in a physical contest.
The next round will take place at Waitakere on July 22-24.
Saturday, June 28
9am
Seventh/eighth playoff - Wellington Women’s Academy 71 Hutt Valley 63
Ninth/10th playoff - NZ Force Cougars 60 NZ U16 74
11am
Third/fourth playoff - Taranaki Trojans 66 Palmerston North 49
Fifth/sixth playoff - NZ Women’s Academy 61 Waikato Wizards 74
1pm
Final - Oceana Goldrush 64 NZ Force Harbour Breeze 70
Competition Points
NZ Force Harbour Breeze 20, Oceana Goldrush 18, Taranaki Trojans 16, Palmerston North Storm 14, Waikato Wizards 12, NZ Force Womens Academy 10, Wellington Womens Academy 8, Hutt Valley Flyers 6, NZ Force Cougars 6
2010 WBC Draw (Round One) (pdf 19kb)
2010 WBC Rosters (Round One) (pdf 17kb)
Waikato Pistons move one step closer to a three peat after defeating the Fico Finance Nelson Giants 74-62, while the Exodus Saints has survived in a thriller beating the 0800 Easy LPG Bay Hawks 98-92 making it a rematch of the 2008 Finals.
The Pistons trailed by nine at the end of first quarter, but they won the second and third quarters by a margin of 47-28. Hayden Allen having a game high 28 points, Thomas Abercrombie and Alex Pledger the only other Piston players to score in double figures with 14 and 16 respectively.
It was a low scoring affair, both teams shooting only 35%, while the Giants shot a poor 4/25 from the beyond the arc. Giants best defender Mika Vukona did not play because of an injury sustained in the Southland Sharks game which was a huge blow.
As they say defense wins championships and the Pistons will be feeling confident after holding the Giants leading scorer Phill Jones to seven points shooting 3/14 from the field. Giants Michael Harrison top scored with 18 adding 17 rebounds and six blocks. Mike Fitchett the only other Giant with double figures scoring 18.
Pistons dominating the boards out rebounding the visitors 52-39, import Rashad Tucker grabbing a game high 14 rebounds.
In Wellington the Saints have had to hold off a valiant Hawks team that refused to quit, Josh Pace again leading his side with 30 points and 10 assists.
In the fourth the Saints looked like they might pull away when they had a nine point lead, but Hawks would cut the lead to three multiple times. Erron Maxey left his finest till last when he scored 12 of his 24 in the final period. Pace again hitting unbelievable shots in the fourth scoring 13 in the quarter.
Eric Devendorf returned from injury scoring 22 which included 11/14 from the charity stripe, Lindsay Tait adding 13 points and 8 rebounds and Casey Frank grabbing 14 rebounds.
Hawks big man Jon Rogers had a tough game with 16 points and and 10 rebounds and Chris Daniel shot the ball well of the bench scoring 16 points shooting 5/7 three pointers.
It was a very physical encounter with the Hawks committing 31 fouls to the Saints 19. Saints going to the line an incredible 45 times making 36.
Now the rivalry between Waikato and Wellington continues when they meet each other in the finals for the fourth time since 2000, last time in 2008 when the Pistons clean swept the Saints 2-0.
Saints coach Pero Cameron has been involved in all those finals, but it has been all with Waikato. What a finals series it will be.
Friday, June 25At TSB Arena, Wellington
Exodus Saints 98 (Erron Maxey 24, Eric Devendorf 22, Nick Horvath 13, Lindsay Tait 13) 0800 Easy LPG Bay Hawks 92 (Josh Pace 30, Jon Rogers 16, Chris Daniel 16), FinalReferees - Dallas Pickering, Andy Thackray, Raewyn Willocks
1Q: 19-21
HT: 47-41 (28-20)
3Q: 68-61 (21-20)
FT: 98-92 (30-31)
Saints v Hawks Boxscore (24 KB html)
At Hamilton Boys High, Hamilton
Waikato Pistons 74 (Hayden Allen 28, Alex Pledger 16, Thomas Abercrombie 14) Fico Finance Nelson Giants 62 (Michael Harrison 18, Mike Fitchett 18), FinalReferees - Tim Brown, Melony Wealleans, Gavin Whiu
1Q: 14-23
HT: 41-38 (27-15)
3Q: 54-49 (13-11)
FT: 74-62 (20-13)
Giants v Pistons Boxscore (24 KB html)
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