What the Brian Conklin is going on?
The Otago Nuggets must have taken a time machine to get to Invercargill because the team which took the court bore a striking resemblance to the one which racked up 33 consecutive losses just a few years ago.
The Nuggets have been the form team in the league this season but handed over the mantle rather sheepishly to the Southland Sharks, who smashed them 115-67 at Stadium Southland last night.
Yes, you read that right, the Nuggets lost by 48 points. Thought we would bury that news a bit further down to soften the blow.
It was brutal watching if you were an Otago fan. But most of the capacity crowd of 2100 lapped up every basket with raucous applause. There was no mercy. There was nowhere to hide.
The only thing the Nuggets could get to drop was a hint - a hint they might not be tracking quite so nicely after all.
In stark contrast, coach Paul Henare has got his team humming at just the right time. They have won their last five games and the Sharks took a big step towards securing a place in the playoffs.
Conklin, by the way, outplayed his opponent Antoine Tisby on the way to a game-high haul of 27 points and 10 rebounds.
Up and comer Reuben Te Rangi had a fine night with 19 points, and Kevin Braswell was instrumental in the massive win with 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Sharks small forward Leon Henry gets the award for shot of the night. He beat the third quarter buzzer to land a monster three-pointer from beyond half way. That play summed up the evening as much as any other moment.
The Sharks could do no wrong and the Nuggets, well the statistics speak volumes.
The visitors shot a woeful 32% from the field and 36% from the free throw line. They were out rebounded, out muscled and, worst of all, out passioned ... not that there is a stat for passion. Oh, and the Nuggets transitional defence was non-existent.
Nuggets coach Alf Arlidge struggled to explain his side's dismal performance.
''We leaked too many points early when they came out fired up,'' Arlidge said.
''We talked about it in the shed. But in the second quarter I don't think we went to the free throw line once. We talked about being aggressive to the hole but we didn't do that.
''The rest of it was fine. We rebounded fine ... it was just our defence on our second rotation once they had penetrated, which was very soft.''
If this was a wake-up call, it was one at 2am when you are pulled from a very deep sleep and left dazed and confused.
The Nuggets have qualified for next month's playoffs in Napier, so not all is lost. And they will have a chance to redeem themselves in Dunedin next Sunday when they host the Wellington Saints - the only team the Nuggets have not beaten this year.
In the other match last night, the Waikato Pistons beat the Hawkes Bay Hawks 69-64. The game between the Wellington Saints and the Super City Rangers has been rescheduled for Tuesday, because of yesterday's severe weather conditions.
NBL: The scores
Southland Sharks ... 115
Brian Conklin 27, Reuben Te Rangi 19, Kevin Braswell 17
Otago Nuggets ... 67
Akeem Wright 14, Luke Aston 12, Mark Dickel 10
Quarter scores: 1st 30-16, 2nd 60-30, 3rd 90-44
