Basketball: Stars crushing win ends debate over final venue

Auckland ended the debate on whether Wellington should host the national league final with a crushing 83-65 semifinal win over the Saints in Wellington yesterday.

"We had some stuff taped up on the changing room wall about the game being in Wellington. We took that concern away from them," said Stars coach Kenny Stone said after the match.

"All week that's all we have heard about, 'Oh poor Wellington, they should host the final'.

"There was not a lot of talk about the semifinal."

Wellington officials and players had been openly critical of the league's decision last week for the final to be played in Nelson because Walter Nash Stadium in Lower Hutt was not up to standard.

Coach Mike McHugh conceded the venue debate and his own absence last week, when he was on duty with the New Zealand women's team, may have played a part in Wellington's flat performance yesterday.

"Maybe those things contributed. We may well have been a bit too confident. But there is a very thin line between healthy confidence and over-confidence ... I'm not going to blame anything like that.

"The focus needed to win a semifinal just wasn't there today from us and it was from them. You have to compliment the opponent. They prepared well, executed well and deserved to win."

Auckland travel to Nelson on Sunday for the final after the Giants beat Hawke's Bay 69-51 in Napier on Saturday.

Wellington, the 2003 champions, had rightly been favoured going into yesterday's game after twice beating Auckland on their way to the playoffs.

But it was all Auckland as guard Lindsay Tait showed why he is the brightest prospect in New Zealand.

Wellington led 15-6 early, but lost the lead to an Aaron Olson three-pointer late in the first quarter and never got close again.

The home team trailed by as many as 24 points in the fourth quarter.

Stone said Auckland's plan was to shut down Wellington's running game and apply pressure on their outside shooters.

His players implemented it to perfection.

Wellington's outside threat never eventuated as George Le'afa and Troy McLean struggled to find the basket.

- NZPA