The Otago Nuggets get an A for effort.
But they did not get the W for the win.
The Franklin Bulls maintained an edge throughout and posted a 95-87 victory in Auckland last night.
Tae Hardy was class. The Bulls guard poured in 35 points, made 10 assists and grabbed seven rebounds in a match-winning effort.
Till Gloger muscled his way into the paint for 21 points. Marcel Jones added 17 points from the bench.
The Nuggets fought desperately and clawed their way back several times.
Jose Perez led the way with 20 points and Matthew Bardsley made an impact off the bench. He brings a lot of defensive hustle.
Jaylen Sebree (16 points) and Don Carey jun (15 points, 10 assists) had their moments.
The Nuggets just needed a little bit more from the America duo.
Carey first shot connected with air and lots of it.
The Nuggets guard followed that up with a tough make from the corner.
He can be unpredictable but Perez, not so much. He barged his way into the paint and drew a foul. That is what he does.
Hardy did what he does too. He accelerated into the paint and slipped in a lay-up.
He was just getting started. He banged in a mid-range jumper over Sebree and drilled a triple moments later.
His tally climbed rapidly. His range got longer. He was seemingly unstoppable.
But the Nuggets closed to within three thanks to a three-point buzzer-beater by Perez.
They did well to battle back in the opening period.
Cameron stepped in front of Perez early in the second quarter. That is like stepping in front of a fridge when it is rolling down a hill. But he was rewarded with a charging call on Perez.
Gloger sent Sebree the wrong way and banked in an easy lay-up.
The Nuggets stayed in the fight. Sebree slammed in a dunk to cut the margin to one.
The Bulls eased away again.
The Nuggets rallied again.
Perez went down again. This time he got a flop warning.
But a late flurry saw the Bulls extend their lead to 51-46 by halftime.
Hardy opened the scoring in the third, finishing off a fast break. Gloger reeled in a bullet pass from Wena Okwera and popped in a lay-up.
Nuggets forward Jonathan Janssen hit an important three to trim the lead just as they were on the cusp of letting the game slip away again.
Bardsley cut to the hoop and slammed in a duck to inject some energy into the effort in his 99th game for the Nuggets.
Sebree inbounded the ball off the bum of Hardy and drove along the baseline for a basket.
That was cheeky — boom boom — but the margin blew out to 13.
Jones speared in a flat three and popped in a free lay-up moments later.
The Nuggets responded with an 11-point run and got back into the contest with 10 minutes to play.
But their defence was tiring, the desperation giving way and the tenacity fading.
Midway through the final period they trailed by 11 and this time they could not get back in range.
The Bulls beat the Nuggets 38-34 in the Rapid League game. Payton Hughes knocked down seven triples in a 25-point haul.
NBL
The scores
Franklin Bulls 95 (Tae Hardy 35, Till Gloger 21)
Otago Nuggets 87 (Jose Perez 20, Jaylen Sebree 16)
Quarter scores: 32-29, 51-46, 74-69, 95-87.
