Basketball: Boucher departs with Star billing

* NBL Final Hawks 68 Stars 69

Auckland star Dillon Boucher can head west, way west, to Perth with a record eighth NBL title in his kit bag.

Boucher, who was named MVP of the dramatic final against Hawke's Bay on Friday night, was cut from the New Zealand Breakers at the end of last season and will now ply his trade with the Perth Wildcats in the Australian NBL next season.

But he gave a classic example of how his defensive intensity will be missed by the Breakers as he dragged a struggling Auckland team over the line at Napier, winning 69-68.

"It's an individual milestone, but it has been a team effort to get me where I am," Boucher said. "Every team I've ever won with has been a great team with great players."

The final was, for long periods, low on quality but high on drama.

Auckland were already celebrating their victory when informed there was still a second on the clock which led to a bout of handbag throwing between the two sides.

When play restarted, Auckland guard Lindsay Tait missed two free throws, the last one deliberately, and Hawke's Bay hurled it down court.

Paora Winitana, who had witnessed his brother (successfully) proposing to his fiancee at midcourt during halftime, hurled a hook shot prayer from a similar spot and made it... a split second too late.

Naturalised American Casey Frank was Auckland's offensive threat, while Australian centre Derek Moore was best on court for the visiting Hawke's Bay side.

Auckland were looking vulnerable in the first half, but the experienced Boucher put them back on track.

"I pulled the guys together at halftime and revved them up," the Tall Blacks player said. "For Paora especially, with everything else going on, it would have been a dream finish for them to win.

"Nothing personal, but I didn't want that dream to be theirs. I wanted it to be ours.

"When that proposal was happening, I pulled the guys together and told them we weren't here to be entertained by a circus - we were here to win a title."

For Hawke's Bay veteran American Willie Burton it was another case of so near yet so far.

The 43-year-old has been playing around the league since the 1980s but has yet to win a title. He will now have to wait until he's 44 to do claim that honour.

Hawke's Bay coach Shawn Dennis was gracious in defeat.

"The bottom line is that to win a championship, it comes down to a game of mistakes and the team that makes the fewest wins. Unfortunately for us, we were beaten in that stat.

"It's just such an empty feeling. I mean, at the end of the day, who remembers who comes second?"

- HERALD ON SUNDAY