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There can only be one true New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL) champion in the eyes of the mighty Wellington Saints.
The 2019 champions, after opting out of their title defense season last year, dethroned the league’s 2020 titlist Otago Nuggets with a 102-85 rout at the TSB Bank Arena in Wellington on Monday, July 12.
With the win, the Saints have formally clinched the league’s top seed with a 14-2 record, while the fifth-seeded Nuggets drop out of playoff contention with a 9-8 slate.
Slasher Kerwin Roach, Jr. filled up the stat sheet with game-highs of 27 points, 5 steals and 3 blocks to go with 4 rebounds and 4 assists.
Former La Salle big man Taane Samuel once again flashed his vast improvement from long range with 23 markers and 5 boards on 5-of-9 shooting from three, while Fil-Kiwi ex-FEU captain Ken Tuffin chipped in 8 points, 3 boards and 3 steals.
After the Nuggets strived to keep within striking distance for the first three quarters, the Saints’ feared second half scoring spurts finally emerged in the payoff period, where they used a 22-9 run capped by a Troy McLean layup at the 2:26 mark to erect an insurmountable 20-point lead, 98-78.
Although Isaiah Moss scored five quick points right after, it was too little, too late, as McLean drove to the cup one more time for the 100-83 gap before the rest of the Wellington starters were benched for good.
Gerasimos Mckay led the Nuggets’ failed final stand for title contention with 25 points on 11-of-16 shooting while Moss backstopped the rally with 23 markers on an 8-of-15 clip.
With their playoff seed now secured, the Saints can just cruise to the elimination round finish line with a back-to-back set of non-bearing games left on their schedule.
They will first face Tuffin’s former FEU teammate Joseph Nunag and the Franklin Bulls on Friday, July 16, before wrapping up with a possible first round playoff preview match on Saturday, July 17 against the fourth-seeded Auckland Huskies. – Rappler.com
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