Stat can't be true
The statistics do not make for great reading for the Nuggets. The Giants have dominated the fixture, winning 36 of the 48 games between the sides. Nelson won 17 games in a row from 2003 until Otago finally snatched a 97-93 win in overtime in 2012. That game had to be shifted to an adjacent court when Giants centre Michael Harrison broke the backboard with a slam dunk.
Payback
The teams have more recent history, of course. The Giants knocked the Nuggets out of the playoffs last season with a convincing 87-72 win in the semifinal.
Josh Pace starred with 25 points and 11 rebounds. Nuggets Mark Dickel and Brendon Polyblank started that game and will be hoping for a little revenge in the rematch.358 and countingVeteran shooting guard Phill Jones (40) is in his 20th (and last) NBL season and is closing in on Willie Burton's record of 361 games.
He certainly does not appear to be playing like he is counting down the days until retirement. He top-scored with 25 points in the 100-81 win over Taranaki on Saturday night and remains a threat from the outside.
Jones played 10 games for the Nuggets during a brief stint with the franchise in 1999.
Crunch match
The Giants (6-2) and the Nuggets (4-2) both shape as playoff contenders again. The winners of this match will get a significant leg-up. For the Nuggets, it is also an opportunity to bury what was a disappointing display against the Taranaki Mountain Airs last week. For the Giants, a win will move them into a share of the lead with the Hawkes Bay Hawks.
The game plan
The home team will be looking to generate plenty of defensive pressure and score quickly in the transition. The Nuggets have possibly the best defender in the league in Troy Payne. He leads the league with 3.3 steals a game and is a strong rebounder. Dickel is averaging a league-high 11 assists per game and no-one is better placed to exploit the fast break than the speedy point guard. Centre Warren Carter has the pace and the silky skills suited to that style of game.
Stop shooting
The Nuggets are not going to win this game with their outside shooting. They are the worst three-point shooting team in the league with 21 successful attempts from 107 attempts. Carter (1/20) and Micah Lepaio (0/14) are the worst offenders. If the Nuggets are forced into shooting from the outside, then let's hope it is Sam King (7/19) or Dickel (5/13) taking the shot.
Pace
We're not talking acceleration, we're talking Josh Pace. The Giants small forward has been named in the all-star five for the last two years. His battle with shutout defender Payne should be fascinating. Payne is the last bloke you want to play Snap against. He poaches a lot of ball with those fast hands, but Pace is a proven game-winner and has great back-up in fellow import Jamal Boykin.
The Nuggets struggled with the physical game of Sulieman Braimoh last week and will face a similar challenge from Boykin. He is averaging 21.5 points and eight rebounds. The Giants, though, are perhaps more reliant on their imports than they have been in previous seasons.
Polyblank
The former Tall Black was not happy with the way he performed last season. He got himself fit during the off-season and has turned back the clock with some strong and consistent performances. Polyblank is averaging 19.6 points a game. He is a robust defender and experienced campaigner, and he looks for the ball when the game is on the line.
NBL
Nuggets v Giants
When: Tonight, 7pm.
Where: Edgar Centre.
Nuggets: Mark Dickel, Micah Lepaio, Troy Payne, Brendon Polyblank, Warren Carter, Sam King, Tony Tolovae, Steve Robinson, Richard Rodger, Pita Sowakula, Damon Cleverley, Olly Smith.
Giants: Josh Pace, Jamal Boykin, Phill Jones, Josh Bloxham, Brooke Ruscoe, Sam Dempster, Angus Riley, Ashton McQueen, Justin Wehner.
The statistics
Games: 48
Nuggets' wins: 12
Giants' wins: 36
High score: 122 (Giants, 1992)
Low score: 54 (Nuggets, 2003)
Nuggets' biggest win: 33 points, 2013
Nuggets' biggest loss: 42 points, 2003
