Harris leads way as Nuggets down Bulls

Nuggets shooting guard Michael Harris drives to the basket while being defended by Bulls forward Isaac Davidson during their NBL clash in Dunedin yesterday. PHOTOS: PETR MCINTOSH

Michael Harris is good for 20 points most nights.

But some nights he is good for a lot more.

Last night was one of those.

The Australian shooting guard banged in a career-high 35-points to guide the Otago Nuggets to an 86-72 win against a quality Franklin Bulls outfit at Edgar Centre.

He has a couple of ways to skin you.

The 23-year-old will either slide by you with furious pace and bank a lay-up, or he will flick off a three-pointer before you can get a hand up.

He is deadly when he is doing both, coach Brent Matehaere said.

"The team goes pretty well when Harris is shooting the ball like that," he said.

Brent Matehaere.

"That was outstanding. But it was the defensive end where we locked up.

"Gerard [Martin, Nuggets assistant coach] had a great defensive game plan and the guys came out and executed it.

"That took a lot of effort to go out there and defend a good basketball team."

Todd Withers got hot late and drilled in a trio of triples to register 20 points.

Matthew Bardsley brought his trademark hustle.

He nabbed four steals and slotted six points in a decent stint off the bench.

Harris was brilliant but the Nuggets defence was up there as well.

Tyrell Harrison top-scored for the Bulls with 12, and Dan Fotu and Jayden Bezzant chipped in with 12 apiece.

The game was evenly poised until the Nuggets stretched a four-point halftime lead into a 10-point margin early in the third.

A crowd of 2680 was entertained early.

Withers came up with a steal from the first possession of the game and Harris coverted from the corner for two.

He nailed another from the top of the key. That one was worth three.

Nikau McCullough got a shot in from a very awkward angle.

All was well.

But the Bulls can play too. Fotu got a bucket underneath and the extra for the foul.

Rickey McGill cut to the hoop for a basket to bail out the visitors following some tight defence.

But no-one was stopping Harris. He used his pace to get on the outside of his opponent and banked back-to-back driving lay-ups in heavy traffic.

Bardsley followed that with a couple of drives of his own.

But Isaac Davidson hit a three in the final moments of the opening stanza to level the score 22-22.

The second quarter was back and forth. Harrison floated in a couple for the visiting side, and McGill forced his way to the rim.

But Harris landed a three-pointer and it was back to all square again.

Bardsley ghosted his way along the baseline for a lay-up. He does that.

But what the Nuggets really needed was for Withers to start dropping in threes.

And on cue he landed one late in the half.

Then, with seconds remaining, he got under the hoop for a lay-up and the and-1.

The Nuggets took a 45-41 lead into the halftime break.

The home team got a series of stops to pull away early in the third.

Webster got himself more involved. Sam Timmins got himself more involved.

Harris had some help suddenly. Arguably, he did not need it. He calmly dropped in his fourth three-pointer of the game.

He started the fourth quarter with his fifth three-pointer, and moments later a drive to the hoop netted yet more points.

Withers helped out with a late scoring burst. Bardsley kept hustling.

Game over.

All that was needed was one more flourish from Harris. And he delivered with the familiar burst of speed as he sliced to the basket for another lay-up.