Basketball: It's a battle of the tall men

By PETER JESSUP

The two tallest men in the national league clash tomorrow when Palmerston Jet Ed Book and his side face Auckland and their Australian giant Ben Pepper at Unitec.

Both 2.11m centre/forwards like to score, Book averaging 13 after five games and Pepper 17.

Both go hard for the boards, with Book averaging 9.2 rebounds a game, Pepper 10.4.

There is interest also in Tall Black guard Paul Henare's performance against his predecessor, the Jets' Kent Mori.

Henare has lifted his attack in recent games to push more for the basket, and Mori is always dangerous from distance.

Auckland coach Tab Baldwin has been working to lift his side's offence this week and is looking to the rest to back up Pepper's efforts because cohesion is still coming in patches.

While Auckland have to be favoured to take their home game, across the bridge, North Harbour will go in underdogs against Wellington.

The Saints won the first-round game in Wellington a fortnight ago, producing a powerhouse second quarter unmatched by the Kings in the rest of the game.

Harbour coach Tracy Carpenter rated their southern matches against the Jets and Wellington as producing six good quarters from eight. He is working on extending the effort.

He also is looking for the locals to step up to the level of the Kings' import Brian "Junkyard Dog" Gomes.

"Gomes is playing very well," Carpenter said. "Now what we need is the team following that lead and feeding him."

Gomes had been a bonus on defence and would be needed tomorrow night against the scoring power of the Saints' Terrence Lewis, who top-scored in the North-South game last weekend, import Chris Webber, and veterans Tony Brown, Peter Pokai and Larry Perkins.

"They have real depth and I think that may trouble us," Carpenter said.

The Kings have only two wins from five matches.

In Hamilton, the unbeaten Waikato Titans should extend their streak against the Canterbury Rams, who have two from five. The Rams play Hawkes Bay on their way home on Sunday. Otago host Nelson to complete the round.