After six weeks, the National Basketball League (NBL) is starting to see some separation in the standings.
On Sunday, the Wellington Saints remained atop the league with a 107-82 rout of the Manawatu Jets in Palmerston North, while the Otago Nuggets protected their home court in a 107-94 result over the Nelson Giants in Dunedin.
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The Saints almost had two players finish with triple-doubles, led by Australian forward Lat Mayen with 26 points (10/15 FG, 5/6 FT), 10 rebounds, nine assists and four steals.
Tall Blacks guard Izayah Le'afa put up 13 points (3/15 FG, 2/10 3pt, 5/6 FT), eight boards, seven assists and three steals, while former national teammate Taane Samuel had 16 points (7/9 FG) and five rebounds off the bench in his first game back with the Saints.
Australian guard Ben Ayre scored 15 points (6/14 FG) and three assists, Kiwi big Tohi Smith-Milner 12 points (4/8 FG, 3/3 FT) and import forward Malik Benlevi eight points, eight boards and two steals.
Young Kiwi forward Liam Judd had a game-high 30 points (11/18 FG, 6/9 3pt) for Manawatu, to go with nine rebounds, three assists and three steals. American guard Mustapha Heron finished with 15 points (7/16 FG), six boards and four assists, and Campbell Scott 11 points (5/12 FG) and four rebounds.
The game was never close after the opening minutes. The Saints were up 13 points at quarter-time and quickly stretched out by 20 early in the second period.
A 15-0 run, with Mayen and Samuel each scoring six points, saw the Saints surge ahead by 37 with 1:40 remaining in the third quarter. Manawatu finished strong as the bench emptied to avoid the most lop-sided loss of the season.
The Saints won convincingly despite shooting just 17 percent on three-point attempts, thanks to 60 points in the paint, a healthy rebounding edge, and 20 second-chance points and 20 points off turnovers.
In Week 7, the Saints (6-1) host the Giants (3-5) at TSB Arena on Sunday (tip-off 6.30pm), while the Jets (1-7) head to Auckland to meet the Tuatara (7-2) on Saturday (tip-off 7.30pm).
The Nuggets got a much-needed win at the Edgar Centre, improving to 4-3 to keep pace with the Saints, Auckland Tuatara, Taranaki Airs, Canterbury Rams and Franklin Bulls in a distinct top-six.
Australian wing Ben Henshall scored a team-high 31 points (12/17 FG, 5/9 3pt), with 10 rebounds and four assists, closely followed by American forward Kimani Lawrence with 30 points (14/19 FG) and eight boards.
Import guard Zaccheus Darko-Kelly stuffed the stat-sheet with 15 points (6/13 FG, 3/7 3pt), eight rebounds and seven assists, while former Tall Blacks guard Tai Webster also had 15 points (6/11 FG, 3/5 FT) and four boards and ANBL development player Jack Andrew nine points and 10 rebounds.
For the Giants, Australian forward Dan Grida posted 31 points (13/23 FG, 4/5 FT) and seven rebounds, while Tall Blacks forward Dan Fotu had 22 points (9/21 FG, 2/4 3pt), eight boards and four steals.
Kiwi guard Alex McNaught scored 11 points (5/8 FG), with five assists, with import guard Kobe Langley providing 10 points (4/10 FG, 2/6 3pt), four assists and five steals, and Sam Dempster nine points off the bench.
In a back-and-fourth first half that featured 16 lead changes, no team led by more than five points. The Nuggets surged to a 10-point lead early in the third period but the Giants fought back to lead 86-84 with 8:34 remaining.
However, Otago sealed the win with a 17-4 run, including threes from Henshall, Darko-Kelly and Darcy Knox, over the next four minutes.
Up next, the Nuggets (4-3) travel to Tauranga to face the Mid-North Whai (2-5) on Wednesday (tip-off 7.30pm), while the Giants are also on the road at the Saints.
Wellington Saints 107 (Lat Mayen 26, Taane Samuel 16, Ben Ayre 15, Izayah Le'afa 13, Tohi Smith-Milner 12) Manawatu Jets 82 (Liam Judd 30, Mustapha Heron 15, Campbell Scott 11). 1Q: 30-17, HT: 56-34, 3Q: 81-48
Otago Nuggets 107 (Ben Henshall 31, Kimani Lawrence 30, Tai Webster 15, Zaccheus Darko-Kelly 15) Nelson Giants 94 (Dan Grida 31, Dan Fotu 22, Alex McNaught 11, Kobe Langley 10). 1Q: 32-31, HT: 52-46, 3Q: 82-76