The classy guard posted a match-high 40 points. That is not a tally many reach.
But Canterbury had too much firepower across the court and registered a comfortable 96-85 win.
The Nuggets camp struggled with illness in the lead up to the game and they laboured early.
MJ Walker (18 points) hit a three from the top of the key to send an early warning. The American guard poured in 29 points in his last outing against the Nuggets.
Walter Brown tore away on a fast break and popped the ball in, and Taylor Britt (17 points) wriggled through the defence with his lightning feet to extend the lead to 16-7. That was some move.
The Nuggets were misfiring at the other end. The free throw shooting was horrific, they could barely grab a rebound and star forward Kimani Lawrence picked up two early fouls.
Then Takiula Fahrensohn drilled back-to-back three pointers to give the Rams a 33-10 lead at the break.
It cannot have been much fun to be in the Nuggets’ huddle.
Webster responded for the Nuggets. He landed back-to-back threes from the corner.
Lawrence bumped off Lachlan Olbrich (13 points, 16 rebounds) and banked in a hook shoot, and Zaccheus Darko-Kelly found his range from outside.
The Nuggets had gone on a 15-point unanswered scoring blitz to wipe out most of the deficit.
What was said in that huddle, you wonder.
But Lawrence picked up a third foul and took a seat, and Canterbury rallied. Walker slotted a couple more threes which helped.
Webster rolled in a late bucket to close the half with the Nuggets trailing 50-41.
The former Tall Black has been in the bad books lately. He copped a one-game suspension for some foul play in the win against the Wellington Saints and picked up a second technical foul in the match against the Rams in Dunedin last week and was ejected.
But he straightened up his halo, played some basketball and had 20 points at the break.
Britt accelerated his way to the hoop for an early brace of buckets in the third and Brown drained a three.
That put the Nuggets firmly back into catch-up mode again.
Lawrence fired up and rolled in some baskets. But the Rams dominated the period and took a chunky 77-61 lead into the final 10 minutes.
Walker made the assist of the game — a behind the back cracker to Kenyon Buffen jnr who slammed it down.
Lawrence fouled out shortly after and that was the Nuggets done.
They host the Nelson Giants on Sunday and they need a win to snap a three-game losing streak.
In the Rapid League game, the Nuggets recovered from a slow start to win 34-26. Josh Aitcheson starred with 14 points and seven rebounds.
The scores
Canterbury Rams 96 (MJ Walker 18, Taylor Britt 17)
Otago Nuggets 85 (Tai Webster 40, Kimani Lawrence 18)
Quarter scores: 33-10, 50-41, 77-61.
