Last year's beaten finalists barely got out of second gear but still managed to dispatch the home side 88-78.
While it is tempting to throw your hands up in the air and succumb to the depression which follows another predictable loss for the Nuggets, there were signs the battling franchise is making some progress.
Despite having a veneer-thin roster, which, for the most part, is as green as cabbage, the Nuggets dug deep and stayed with the Hawks for a large chunk of the match.
They survived on youthful enthusiasm and the production of their two American imports.
Lemar Gayle was outstanding racking up 34 points and Antoine Tisby, who got into foul trouble, tallied 21 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal.
Darryl Jones was the next highest scorer for the Nuggets with five points.
The Hawks spread the scoring with American imports Kevin Smith and Kareem Johnson scoring 24 and 14 points respectively.
Swingman Paora Winitana chipped in with 16 points.
Nuggets coach Don Sims said early turnovers and inexperience cost his side.
"We had 25 turnovers and that is way too many," he said.
"But we hustled and stayed after them.
"We've got a young team and we made some mistakes.
But you've got to be in the fire before you can learn how to put it out.
"The experience that they are getting is invaluable and it will pay off down the line."
Sporting a fresh tattoo on his upper arm, Nuggets centre Tisby imposed his presence on the game early, grabbing an offensive rebound and putting it in the hole for two points.
The Hawks pressed the Nuggets guard line forcing a turnover, but Gayle drained consecutive three-pointers to give the home side a 12-6 lead midway through the first period.
Veteran forward Clifton Bush made a delightful assist with his first touch, floating a pass over the defence to Johnson, who stuffed the ball in the rim for the Hawks.
Locked 19-19, the sides continued to trade baskets.
Even Tisby and big Calum McLeod were lured out of the paint, at one point, and forced to scrap for possession in the midcourt.
The pair looked like two over-sized seagulls flapping around.
Gayle had a busy quarter, jigging his way to the hoop and floating in a couple of baskets.
By half-time he had compiled 20 points, but the Hawks went on a 11-5 run to take a 45-39 lead.
Sitting on three fouls, Tisby made a bold block on Callum Baynes in the open minutes of the crucial third quarter.
But there was a sense of inevitability about the way the Hawks were able to stretch their lead, which, at one stage, ballooned to more than 10 points.
Trailing 58-66 with less than a minute remaining in the spell, Tisby swished a long two.
The Nuggets got the ball back because of an off the ball foul and Gayle made the visitors pay, landing a three pointer to reduce the gap to just three points with 10min remaining.
But any feathers which had been ruffled were smooth down the stretch.
The Hawks secured the win, outscoring the Nuggets 22-15 in the final quarter.
Hawkes Bay Hawks 88 (Kevin Smith 24, Paora Winitana 16, Kareen Johnson 14), Otago Nuggets 78 (Lemar Gayle 34, Antoine Tisby 21) Quarter 19-19, half-time 45-39, three-quarters 66-63.
Hawks 88
Nuggets 78
