Basketball: Stone on spying mission

By PETER JESSUP

Auckland Stars NBL coach Kenny Stone was at the North Harbour Heat-Canterbury Rams game last night looking for clues to the game-plan of a Rams side he is not familiar with.

Harbour won their first match of the season when they downed Canterbury 86-80. They trailed 49-46 at halftime.

With Clifton Bush no longer a restricted player and able to join the top line-up, and with new imports Australian Damian Matacz and American Kenny Walker, the Rams carry a big forward line that will hold height advantage against the Stars tonight.

Stone expects their style to change as a result.

Auckland's chances at the ASB Stadium may come down to the work from their guards, Lindsay Tait giving them an advantage in structure.

Stone said the team was still short on combinations and execution, but they were "not too far away".

The Waikato Titans are all fit for their trip to Palmerston North today, although Pero Cameron has had to nurse the calf injury he has had for some time.

Coach Ken Strother is wary of the Manawatu Jets' guard line-up and their collective ability to score from wide out. Conversely, he hopes the Jets will have so much trouble coping with 120kg Cameron and Ben Hill, and his son Daniel, 125kg, all three of them 1.9m, that the game will open up for Mike Chappell.

Taranaki host Hawkes Bay tonight and Otago are in Wellington, then play Nelson tomorrow.