Basketball: Top three jump to lead of six points

Nelson, Canterbury and defending champions Waikato have put a six-point break on the field after wins in the NBL at the weekend.

All three have 12 points, well clear of the Palmerston North Jets, Auckland and North Harbour.

The Waikato Titans were too classy away to the Palmerston North Jets,, winning 98-83.

The result was never in doubt once Waikato had gone out to a 31-18 lead after the first quarter.

They were still 13 points clear going into the final period.

The Titans made steals almost at will as the Jets' inability to control the ball cost them dearly.

Clifton Bush, a former Titan, bagged a game-high 31 points for the Jets, and guard Hayden Allen, with 16, was Waikato's best performer.

New Zealand captain Pero Cameron did not take the court for Waikato after straining a calf muscle at a Tall Blacks training camp.

In Napier, New Zealand guard Phill Jones spearheaded Nelson to a 104-96 win over the Hawkes Bay Hawks.

Jones showed his class in helping the league leaders back from a nine-point deficit in the first quarter into the front early in the second quarter.

He scored a game-high 26 points in his side's sixth win from seven NBL games.

Resident American and new Tall Black Ed Book, with 17 points, and import Quincy Gause, with 23, also played key roles in a game in which the home side were in front after the first quarter (28-22) and at halftime (58-55), but trailed 78-75 after the third quarter.

A Judd Flavell three-pointer with 1m 20s on the clock was a crucial moment, as was a poor foul call on the Hawks' Willie Burton in the next play.

Recalled Tall Black Rob Hickey was the outstanding Hawkes Bay player with 24 points and nine rebounds. Shaun McCreedy also had a strong game with 15 points.

Ron Grady led the Otago Nuggets to a 94-86 win over the North Harbour Kings in Dunedin, bagging 32 points and seven rebounds as the Nuggets recorded just their second win of the season.

It completed a grim weekend for the Kings, who were cleaned out 119-97 by Canterbury on Friday night.

Fellow American Kenny Perkins was in fine form for Otago, collecting 15 rebounds and five blocks.

The Nuggets led 25-24 at the end of the first quarter and 48-40 at halftime.

With Grady in good shooting touch from the perimeter and Perkins battling inside, Otago maintained their intensity to the end of the game for a morale-boosting victory.

Daniel Ryan contributed 24 points for the Nuggets and Mark Bracewell had 13 points and four rebounds.

New Tall Black Paora Winitana led North Harbour with 24 points and nine rebounds.

- NZPA