Latest news with #RapidLeague
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
Battling Nuggets fade again in final stretch
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]. Last night 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 joined in 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 The scores 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
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.
