A depleted Otago Nuggets team did well to stick around.
In the end, there was just not quite enough firepower to counter the talent-laden Wellington Saints.
Without their two Kiwi stars, Sam Timmins and Nikau McCullough, away with national teams, the Nuggets had to fight to hang around most of the way in Wellington yesterday.
Ultimately they fell short 100-88, succumbing to a team that had five players reach double-digits in scoring.
It was certainly a much-improved performance on the horrid loss to the Auckland Tuatara a week ago.
Imports Tray Boyd and Keith Williams had 27 points each for the Nuggets, while Todd Withers added.
But 20 points from the rest of the roster — 12 of those in the fourth quarter with the game effectively out of reach — was not enough against a talented Saints outfit.
Forward Xavier Cooks showed all his class for the hosts.
The Australian NBL finals MVP dominated both ends, posting 26 points on 11-of-17 shooting, to go with 14 rebounds, six assists, six steals and four blocks.
Taane Samuel added 20 points on eight-of-12 shooting, while import Reggie Upshaw had 19 points on eight-of-15 in his first game in New Zealand.
The loss leaves the Nuggets teetering on the edge of the top six, while the Saints pull to within one win of them in what is shaping as being a scrap for those spots.
Ultimately that is all that matters.
But there was enough to like from the Nuggets’ display.
They shot well early and led for much of the first quarter on the back of hot hands from Withers and Boyd.
Withers had three triples in the first quarter, while Boyd recorded 10 points in that first quarter.
But the Saints were equally threatening, Cooks and Samuel helping them out to a 28-26 lead.
They threatened the pull away early in the second half, as Mike Smith found his scoring touch and gave them a 39-28 lead.
But Williams found his way to the line to get going, the forward going on a stretch to pull them back to 41-37.
That became 53-47 at halftime, before the Saints went on another run.
This time it was Tom Vodanovich doing the damage, again opening a double-digit margin.
Again, the Nuggets pulled back.
They reduced the deficit to three midway through the quarter, but the Saints hit back and Cooks made it 78-67 at the of the third quarter.
The Nuggets were still in the game at that point, but a 9-1 run from the Saints to open the fourth quarter effectively shut them out.
Cooks again showed his quality to get Wellington out to 85-69, which became 90-73 a few minutes later.
The Nuggets hung around as Josh Aitcheson and Jack Andrew chipped in late, keeping the margin around 10 — but they were unable to pull back to genuinely position.
On Saturday night the Nelson Giants beat the Southland Sharks 89-81, on the back of 24 points from forward Trey Mourning.
National Basketball League
The scores
Saints 100
Xavier Cooks 24, Taane Samuel 20
Nuggets 88
Tray Boyd 27, Keith Williams 27
Quarter scores: 28-26, 53-47, 78-67.
