Basketball: Henare keeps his nerve

By PETER JESSUP

There was plenty of hair courtside after Auckland stole the local derby from the North Harbour Kings, Paul Henare sinking a free-throw for a 78-77 win with tenths of a second left on the clock.

Thinning team part-owner Ian Shaw and coach Tab Baldwin said afterwards it was not how they liked to take games. Both conceded it should have gone to Harbour.

Henare proved last year's Olympic experience did not hurt as he calmly slotted the winner while the Kings were walking the court exhorting a big crowd at the North Shore Events Centre to make the noise that would throw him off.

It was the game of the round and everything a local rivalry should offer.

The lead changed throughout. The Kings had it with five minutes to go when Auckland's big centre Ben Pepper fouled out.

Up stepped junior Lindsay Tait. His efforts, plus those from fellow former Avondale College graduate Lawrence Dickie's off the bench, were the difference between two otherwise very even teams.

That and Auckland's composure when down five points with 24s left, and opposing captain Brendan Cathie-Pongia landing two three-pointers. But he missed one of two late free-throws that could have sealed things. It was a late turning point.

Tait scored, Henare levelled and was given the foul as well.

"I called to him and said I'd get the team into a huddle, but Paulie didn't want it. He said he wanted to focus, and with our best free-throw shooter on the line I knew we'd be fine," Auckland skipper Dillon Boucher said.

They picked Henare up and carried him back to the corner where the team was whooping and Baldwin was looking at the floor and shaking his head in disbelief.

Henare said, with a smile ear to ear: "They out-rebounded us all game, and we picked up for those last four minutes. We took the boards, had a couple of steals, and that's what won it for us. We were lucky."

The last-second pressure did not get to Henare.

"I told myself it was something I've done thousands of times. Before I had the ball I could hear the noise, but once I had it in my hands it was like blackout - I could have been there on my own practising."

Harbour coach Tracy Carpenter was bitterly disappointed but pleased with the effort from a half-sick team, six of the 12 suffering from the flu during the week.

"We played with aggression and took it to them," Carpenter said. "But they had the depth and energy at the end."

Daryl Cartwright top-scored for Auckland with 16, Tait had 14, Henare 11. For Harbour, import Larry Gomes made 21, the captain 16 and Brad Riley 14.

Waikato's Clifton Bush scored a season-high 39 as the Titans dumped the Palmerston Jets 104-89 in a lopsided encounter at Hamilton.

Bush also took 15 rebounds to dominate the game.

The top-scorer for the visitors was Kent Mori with 21.

Waikato remain unbeaten.

Wellington stole the game from Nelson on their court, winning 75-73. Tony Brown got the late points.

Canterbury beat Otago 118-110 to complete a weekend of away wins.

* Burton Shipley, National leader Jenny Shipley's husband and member of the Basketball League management team, had the chance to win the crowd of 1500 at the Auckland-North Harbour game a free meal from sponsors Burger King.

But his shot from halfway fell a metre short.