The Otago Nuggets shooting guard shook off early foul trouble to play a starring role in the tense 90-83 win against the Nelson Giants at the Edgar Centre tonight.
He came alive in the third quarter with a series of steals and fast breaks to help keep the home side in front against a tenacious Giants outfit.
He poured in 22 second-half points to take his match tally to 31 points, five steals, seven rebounds and two assists.
But despite his best effort the game was locked 83-83 with the best part of 90 seconds remaining.
The Nuggets' game plan was pretty simple at that point. Give the ball to the hot hand.
Harris got it in the corner and knocked down an important three-pointer.
Matthew Bardsley, who was a bundle of energy all night, grabbed a defensive rebound down the other end moments later and Harris finished with a drive along the baseline and a lay-up.
The Nuggets added a couple more points but those two plays sealed the win.
It was a big win for the home team. They were without star centre Sam Timmins and had to find another way.
''It was just good to grind out a win without our big fella,'' Harris said.
''Any game we win without him is a plus for us.''
The scout on the Giants offence was superb because the Nuggets grabbed 11 steals in the game. Harris got five of them.
''We knew what we had to do and all the guys worked in tandem which helps. My success was just a product of that.''
The early signs were not positive for the home team. The big guy Kavion Pippen strolled his way into the paint for a bucket and drew a foul.
He was going to take a lot of stopping without Timmins guarding the rim.
Pippen swatted away a hook shot from Todd Withers to prove he would be a problem at the other end as well.
The Nuggets' solution was to get Withers to drop it in from distance.
He pinged a couple of three-pointers to keep the Nuggets in touch.
JaQuori McLaughlin cut to the hoop through some heavy traffic to land a basket. But the breakthrough came late in the quarter when the Nuggets found Jack Andrew under the hoop for back-to-back baskets.
The Nuggets led 22-20 at the break but Pippen got his blood pumping again with block on Harris.
But the speed with which the Nuggets moved the ball was returning increasing dividends.
Put most of that down to McLaughlin. His class shone through, and he kept getting to the free throw which proved awfully valuable as well.
Withers was putting on a show too. He goose-stepped his way passed a bigger opponent and somehow got the ball over outstretched arms and into the bucket.
The Nuggets built on their 47-43 halftime lead with Harris nabbing a couple of turnovers and finishing off both times.
No-one was keeping him out of the game, except maybe Avery Woodson.
The pair engaged in a personal duel. Harris banged in 13 points in the period, while Woodson drained a buzzer-beater to take his tally for the third quarter to 15.
The Nuggets nursed a 70-65 lead with 10 minutes remaining.
Harris started the fourth period like he did the third, with a steal and lay-up.
But it was the way he finished the game which the 900 spectators will remember the most.
Otago Nuggets 90 (Michael Harris 31, Todd Withers 18), Nelson Giants 83 (Avery Woodson 21, Kavion Pippen 18).
Quarter scores: 22-20, 47-43 (25-23), 70-65 (23-22), 90-83 (20-18).
