Basketball: Waikato's clobbering machine delivers

Waikato Titans coach Jeff Green promised a rugged return to the NBL for Taranaki, and his side didn't disappoint.

Waikato, the defending champions, gave Taranaki a 70-point flogging, 147-77.

The Taranaki Mountain Airs were never in the hunt.

"We wanted to make a statement," Green said. "We just kept pushing on. It wasn't good for the home fans. It was more a matter of the guys staying with it mentally. In tough games, you don't want to fold."

Waikato led by 25 at halftime, 65-40. A 13-point run at the start of the third quarter put them in total control.

Waikato finished the game with only one of their starting line-up - Glen Joe - on court.

Green said the Waikato goal had been to keep Taranaki under 80 points and to score 150.

"We set ourselves goals and we managed one. We should have scored 150."

But Green was pleased with his team's defence.

"A lot of people say we're not good defensively, but we are. Our defence created a lot of steals and a lot of easy baskets."

Asked about finishing with his bench, Green was quick to react: "I haven't really got a bench. I've got 10 guys who would start in any other team in the league. I can start any combination."

Taranaki coach Warren Osborne said Waikato were a very good side.

"We made a lot of mistakes, and that was a credit to their defence," he said.

"But we also made too many unforced errors, and that was a problem for us."

* Wellington's Saints did their best to look a gift horse in the mouth as they battled to a 91-79 home victory over the Nelson Giants.

Playing a weakened Nelson line-up, the home side took until the final quarter to make sure of a decisive and deserved victory.

Nelson, last year's losing finalists, have lost three members of the squad that played that game.

They also came to town without Tall Black star Phill Jones, who is playing overseas, and injured Tall Black guard Judd Flavell.



It left them with only eight fit players, two with little or no league experience.

But a 30-point game from Tall Black Ed Book kept them in touch with the Saints for three-quarters of the match. * In Palmerston North, the Manawatu Jets were made to battle for every point before beating an aggressive Hawkes Bay 90-73.

Although the Jets were favourites, Hawkes Bay made all the early play, opening up a 12-point lead midway through the first quarter and leading 27-19 at the break.

The Jets pegged the visitors back in the second quarter, and were behind 41-42 at halftime, and 56-60 at the third quarter. They finally took control in the final spell.

As the pressure mounted, Hawkes Bay began accumulating fouls down the stretch, sending the Jets to the free-throw line and allowing them to make the game safe.

After disappointing last season, Hawkes Bay showed they won't roll over this season.

Centre Pero Vasiljevic and forward Adrian Majstrovich never gave a centimetre, jostling the Jets physically and verbally.

Majstrovich played 35 minutes and top-scored for his side with 17 points, followed by guard Paora Winitana (16).

Guard Paul Henare provided nine assists and snared 13 points.


- NZPA