Latest news with #OtagoNuggets
Otago Daily Times
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Rams show Nuggets no mercy
What does hope look like when it has been shredded in a blender? Well, like the long faces that headed into home dressing rooms at the Edgar Centre last night. The Otago Nuggets trailed the Canterbury Rams 55-29 at the break. The game was over. Or was it? Of course it was over. It was a clash between the best team in the National Basketball League and easily the worst and that was very, very obvious. The 113-59 final score was a painfully honest reflection of the gulf in class between the traditional rivals. The 54-point loss was the heaviest defeat in their history. Their previous largest losing margin was a 47-point shellacking by the Southland Sharks in 2013. Australian guard Sean Macdonald top-scored with 27 points and CJ Penha added 19 from the bench. Jonathan Janssen was the best of the Nuggets players. He posted a double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds. There were early troubling signs. Rams guard Taylor Britt got free passage along the baseline for a basket. Someone dropped off their defensive assignment and he was not the last. Macdonald drilled a couple of early three-pointers and the Rams took an 8-0 lead. Janssen finally got the Nuggets on the board with a putback and Jaylen Sebree landed a triple. Other than that it was painful to watch for the home fans. The Nuggets made a series of bumbling efforts close to the hoop and some complete misreads on defence. Where is the exit? Cannot have been the only one thinking that. The Rams claimed twice as many rebounds and posted almost three times as many points in a lopsided 27-10 opening period. Macdonald stuck another three for the two-time defending champions early in the second quarter. Walter Brown grabbed an offensive board and popped it in. That was too easy. So was the cut Macdonald made to the cup for another bucket moments later. Maybe the fire alarm will go off now? Cannot have been the only one thinking that. The Nuggets rallied towards the end of the half but still trailed by 26 points. The third quarter was sloppy. The Rams lacked some of the urgency they displayed earlier and the Nuggets were able to disrupt their pattern more successfully. Max Darling drilled late back-to-back threes to stretch the margin to 38 points with 10 minutes remaining, though. Make it stop. Cannot be the only one thinking that. The game carried on, of course. The Rams spent a chunk of the fourth quarter taunting Sebree and he promptly fouled out of the game. Call that a win for the visitors. Darling brought up 100 for the Rams with a lay-up. The Rams beat the Nuggets 42-36 in the Rapid League game.
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Nuggets handed heaviest loss in franchise history
What does hope look like when it has been shredded in a blender? Well, like the long faces that headed into home dressing rooms at the Edgar Centre tonight. The Otago Nuggets trailed the Canterbury Rams 55-29 at the break. The game was over. Or was it? Of course it was over. It was a clash between the best team in the National Basketball League and easily the worst and that was very, very obvious. The 113-59 final score a painfully honest reflection of the gulf in class between the traditional rivals. The 54-point loss was the heaviest defeat in their history. Their previous largest losing margin was a 47-point shellacking by the Southland Sharks in 2013. Australian guard Sean Macdonald top-scored with 27 points and CJ Penha added 19 from the bench. Jonathan Janssen was the best of the Nuggets players. He posted a double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds. There were early troubling signs. Rams guard Taylor Britt got free passage along the baseline for a basket. Someone dropped off their defensive assignment and he was not the last. Macdonald drilled a couple of early three-pointers and the Rams took an 8-0 lead. Janssen finally got the Nuggets on the board with a putback and Jaylen Sebree landed a triple. Other than that it was painful to watch for the home fans. The Nuggets made a series of bumbling efforts close to the hoop and some complete misreads on defence. Where is the exit? Cannot have been the only one thinking that. The Rams claimed twice as many rebounds and posted almost three times as many points in a lopsided 27-10 opening period. Macdonald stuck another three for the two-time defending champions early in the second quarter. Walter Brown grabbed an offensive board and popped it in. That was too easy. So was the cut Macdonald made to the cup for another bucket moments later. Maybe the fire alarm will go off? Cannot have been the only one thinking that. The Nuggets rallied toward the end of the half but still trailed by 26 points. The third quarter was sloppy. The Rams lacked some of the urgency they displayed earlier and the Nuggets were able to disrupt their pattern more successfully. Max Darling drilled late back-to-back threes to stretch the margin to 38 points with 10 minutes remaining, though. Make it stop. Cannot be the only one thinking that. The game carried on of course. The Rams spent a chunk of the fourth quarter taunting Sebree and he promptly fouled out of the game. Call that a win for the visitors. Darling brought up 100 for the Rams with a lay-up. The Rams beat the Nuggets 42-36 in the Rapid League game.
Otago Daily Times
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Same script, different opponent for Nuggets
See previous match reports. They are basically all the same this season. The Otago Nuggets battled hard then faded in the final stretch against [insert name]. Tonight it was Nelson Giants who pulled away late to record a 94-82 victory on their home court to help keep their playoff prospects alive. It was the Nuggets' 12th consecutive loss. They only have 35 minutes of good basketball in the tank it seems. The game was in the balance with five minutes to play. The Nuggets had closed to within two points. But they have struggled to keep their composure or match the intensity their opponents have been able to bring when the game has been on the line. The Giants pushed the ball inside to Jeremy Combs for some easy points and they eased away to win by 12. The American power forward bagged a double-double of 25 points and 11 rebounds. Hayden Jones (19 points) hit some clutch shots. Alex Robinson jun facilitated with 11 assists, and Andrew Jones added 17 points. Jonathan Janssen led the way for the Nuggets with 26 points and 15 rebounds. Don Carey jun (22 points, eight assists) faded in and out of the game as he does. He was brilliant in patches and invisible in others. Janssen opened the scoring from the free throw line after he strolled past Callum McRae and picked up the foul. Matthew Bardsley drilled a rare three to stun the home team. He seldom takes shots from that range but was left all alone, so he went for it. There were not too many other highlights in the first quarter for the Nuggets. Combs weaved his way to the basket for a bucket despite the Nuggets assigning two defenders. Fellow American Andrew Jones popped in a three-pointer to give the Giants a five-point lead midway through the first. Sam Dempster hit a late three to extend the gap to 25-15 at the end of the period. Carey was rewarded for some hustle early in the second. He cut to the hoop, got the basket and added the extra for the foul. He picked off a steal, lobbed in a step-back three-pointer and threaded a couple of lovely assists through to Josh Aitcheson and Jaylen Sebree. Carey erased all of the margin almost single-handedly in a 14-4 run. Janssen swung in a hook shot to help his side edge in front briefly. But Hayden Jones hit a mid-range jumper to snatch a 43-41 lead at halftime. Andrew Jones swatted away a three-point shot from Sebree and he enjoyed that. So did the crowd. He tossed up an alley-oop to Combs moments later and he slammed it down. McRae proved an easy target under the rim and he dropped a couple more into the cup to help give the Giants a 69-60 lead with 10 minutes remaining. The Nuggets clawed their way back once again. Janssen popped it through the strings for three to lift his tally into the 20s. They pinned the margin back to two points midway through the final stretch. But the drought-breaking victory slipped away leaving only a strong sense of deja vu. The Giants won the Rapid League game 38-26. NBL Nelson Giants 94 (Jeremy Combs 25, Hayden Jones 19) Otago Nuggets 82 (Jonathan Janssen 26, Don Carey jun 22) Quarter scores: 25-15, 43-41, 69-60, 94-82.
Otago Daily Times
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Deja vu as Nuggets collapse again
See previous match reports. They are basically all the same this season. The Otago Nuggets battled hard then faded in the final stretch against [insert name]. Tonight it was Nelson Giants who pulled away late to record a 94-82 victory on their home court to help keep their playoff prospects alive. It was the Nuggets' 12th consecutive loss. They only have 35 minutes of good basketball in the tank it seems. The game was in the balance with five minutes to play. The Nuggets had closed to within two points. But they have struggled to keep their composure or match the intensity their opponents have been able to bring when the game has been on the line. The Giants pushed the ball inside to Jeremy Combs for some easy points and they eased away to win by 12. The American power forward bagged a double-double of 25 points and 11 rebounds. Hayden Jones (19 points) hit some clutch shots. Alex Robinson jun facilitated with 11 assists, and Andrew Jones added 17 points. Jonathan Janssen led the way for the Nuggets with 26 points and 15 rebounds. Don Carey jun (22 points, eight assists) faded in and out of the game as he does. He was brilliant in patches and invisible in others. Janssen opened the scoring from the free throw line after he strolled past Callum McRae and picked up the foul. Matthew Bardsley drilled a rare three to stun the home team. He seldom takes shots from that range but was left all alone, so he went for it. There were not too many other highlights in the first quarter for the Nuggets. Combs weaved his way to the basket for a bucket despite the Nuggets assigning two defenders. Fellow American Andrew Jones popped in a three-pointer to give the Giants a five-point lead midway through the first. Sam Dempster hit a late three to extend the gap to 25-15 at the end of the period. Carey was rewarded for some hustle early in the second. He cut to the hoop, got the basket and added the extra for the foul. He picked off a steal, lobbed in a step-back three-pointer and threaded a couple of lovely assists through to Josh Aitcheson and Jaylen Sebree. Carey erased all of the margin almost single-handedly in a 14-4 run. Janssen swung in a hook shot to help his side edge in front briefly. But Hayden Jones hit a mid-range jumper to snatch a 43-41 lead at halftime. Andrew Jones swatted away a three-point shot from Sebree and he enjoyed that. So did the crowd. He tossed up an alley-oop to Combs moments later and he slammed it down. McRae proved an easy target under the rim and he dropped a couple more into the cup to help give the Giants a 69-60 lead with 10 minutes remaining. The Nuggets clawed their way back once again. Janssen popped it through the strings for three to lift his tally into the 20s. They pinned the margin back to two points midway through the final stretch. But the drought-breaking victory slipped away leaving only a strong sense of deja vu. The Giants won the Rapid League game 38-26. NBL Nelson Giants 94 (Jeremy Combs 25, Hayden Jones 19) Otago Nuggets 82 (Jonathan Janssen 26, Don Carey jun 22) Quarter scores: 25-15, 43-41, 69-60, 94-82.
Otago Daily Times
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
No sugar-coating Nuggets' task
Otago Nuggets coach Mike Kelly. PHOTO: ODT FILES How many ways can you keep saying the same thing? Otago Nuggets coach Mike Kelly has been grappling with that problem this season. His team is struggling. Big time. And particularly on defence. It has been an enduring topic. The Nuggets are on an 11-game losing streak and it is a little hard to see where the next win is coming from. They play the Giants in Nelson tonight and Kelly is not sugar-coating his team's prospects. Team morale is low. Confidence is in short supply. And they are missing some of the X-factor other teams can draw down on when the game is on the line. They are not short on tenacity, though. They have plenty of character. And they will scrap until the end. Kelly's challenge is to harness those traits and turn it into a win. "I'm not happy with losing," he said. "But I think you can only keep on improving. To just say we need to improve more and we've got to fix things faster is difficult to do. "I think we've put ourselves in a situation where we are competing and getting in a position to win games. "But we just haven't been able to finish off and I think some of that is that other teams have great personnel and our ability to finish off has to improve on both ends of the floor. "When other teams up their pressure, it becomes more difficult." The Nuggets rely too heavily on too few players on offence, and that has been just as much of an issue as the defence in many ways. When your scoring options are limited — and they have dipped since the departure of Jose Perez — your opponents can tighten their defence and double team the likes of Don Carey jun and Jonathan Janssen, who are both critical to the Nuggets posting a good score. Kelly admits the run of losses has seen his side's morale slip. "I think so. Everybody gets frustrated. "There is definitely a feeling of, how do we get this done? "In saying that, the guys have not stopped fighting and bring it to the training sessions every day, so that is what gives me hope. "And we have seen continued improvements. So the guys are working hard and scrambling and thinking that that win is right around the corner." To get the win in Nelson tonight, they will need to find a solution to keep Jeremy Combs away from the hoop without fouling him. The American power forward is averaging 24.1 points a game and shapes as a key figure for the Giants. Callum McRae is another player the Nuggets will need to monitor. The 2.12m centre poses a tough defensive assignment for Janssen, who is more comfortable shooting the ball from the outside than battling in the paint. He has performed the role admirably, but he will be giving up a considerable size advantage.
