The Southland Sharks' hopes of claiming top spot in the National Basketball League have taken a major hit after a shock 94-91 defeat to the Manawatu Jets.
In truth, though, it was a defeat at the hands of one man – import point guard Daishon Knight, who put in aphenomenal display, recording 45 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists in the best individual performance of the year.
Knight shot a superb 15/21 from the field, with his 45 points the second highest tally by a Jet in the modern (since 2000) NBL era. The highest? Knight's 47 points against the Canterbury Rams, recorded just two days earlier.
His superb stretch ensures the Jets move off the bottom of the ladder with their third win of the season – a remarkable accomplishment for a team who have just two players who would make the rotation of a top four side – and their victory over the Sharks was the biggest upset of the season.
The Sharks had a seven-point lead early in the fourth quarter, but they couldn't contain Knight, who turned provider for the game's deciding play – dishing to Theo Johnson who nailed the game-winning triple.
It drops the Sharks into third on the table with an 11-4 record, and they need to win their remaining three games, while hoping the Wellington Saints lose their last two, if they are to earn top spot going into the playoffs.
At the moment, the Sharks' likely opponents in the Final Four are the Nelson Giants, who accounted for the Supercity Rangers 97-82 this afternoon to move to 12-3.
Both the Sharks and the Giants are chasing the 14-2 Saints, who thrashed the Taranaki Mountain Airs 106-65 to retain their buffer atop the table. One more win will lock in top spot, and almost certainly a playoff clash with the Bay Hawks, who claimed a vital 84-78 victory over the Rams to take a firm grip on the fourth and final playoff spot.
