Basketball: Top four tight in points tally

THE top four teams in the basketball league have a scoring tally within five points - an unusual statistic in a sport full of them.

The defensive spread is not quite as tight, with 58 points separating the Hawkes Bay Hawks' 1346 points conceded to the 1404 let in by the Nelson Giants.

The Hawks will host the first playoff tomorrow week at the Pettigrew Green Arena in Taradale. The Wellington Saints will host the second playoff on the Sunday, June 20, at the Events Centre in Wellington.

Their opponents will be either the Auckland Stars or the Nelson Giants, depending on the outcome of this weekend's games.

Each of the top four teams have suffered at least five losses in what has been a topsy-turvy season, with the Canterbury Rams and Taranaki Mountain Airs starting slowly then coming right to finish mid-table and spoil the chances of others, not least the Waikato Titans.

The early-season favourites never recovered from the loss of Geordie Cullen to injury. Replacement Andrew Goodwin did not slot in quickly.

Cullen delivered an average 25 points to the Titans plus plenty of rebounds, before a leg injury against Taranaki ended his season.

The Titans' sixth man, Mason Le Pou, went out about the same time with a broken wrist. They lost their last five games by single-digit scores.

"We couldn't replace Geordie's explosiveness. Had he been there to the end I don't believe we'd have lost any of those games and we'd still be top of the table," said Waikato Basketball boss John Davey.

He did not believe coach Ken Strother's withdrawal from Sunday games because of his Mormon beliefs was a factor. Assistant Steve Agnew is a good coach, Davey said.

Pero Cameron is back for next year and Cullen is on a handshake deal, with contracts to be finalised.

Davey expects most of the players to return.

"This has been the best NBL ever," he said. "The standard is way better than what many of the Australians expected."

Auckland coach Kenny Stone is still hoping for a home final, presuming they win their semifinal and the other result goes their way.

A win over Nelson tonight would give momentum going into finals and a mental advantage should they meet the Giants again.

All the Stars players are available tonight. Their best assets are the consistent Aaron Olson, Casey Frank and particularly Lindsay Tait, the best point guard in the competition, shading Paul Henare of the Hawks, who left the court injured on Wednesday night.

The Saints have moved up a gear since Boomer squad-member Ben Knight was replaced by Cairns forward Marcus Timmons. He has shot to the head of the league power rankings.

If Henare is out, the Hawks are in trouble, and Nelson have the most leaky defence of the four.

An Auckland-Wellington final could be on the cards.


Top-of-table For Against Points

Hawkes Bay 1451 1346 24

Wellington 1456 1364 24

Auckland 1452 1392 22

Nelson 1454 1404 22


Weekend matches

TONIGHT
Jets v Otago

TOMORROW
Hawks v Otago
Nelson v Auckland
North Harbour v Wellington
Taranaki v Canterbury

SUNDAY
Waikato v Canterbury