The Taranaki Airs and Wellington Saints have secured home playoff games on the final day of the National Basketball League (NBL) regular season.
The Airs pulled away from the Nelson Giants for a 108-90 win at TSB Stadium on Sunday, while the Saints surged clear in the fourth quarter to beat the Southland Sharks 88-78 in the Capital.
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Results saw the Airs and Saints both finish at 13-7, one game ahead of the Franklin Bulls. Taranaki took third due to a superior points percentage.
Despite the loss in New Plymouth, the Giants claimed the sixth and final postseason berth via the points percentage tiebreaker after a three-way tie at 8-12 with the Bay Hawks and Tauranga Whai.
In the first round of the playoffs, the Airs will host the Giants again on Wednesday night (tip-off 7.30pm), while the Saints will welcome the Bulls to TSB Arena on Friday night (tip-off 7.30pm).
The defending and regular season champion Canterbury Rams, who finished 17-3, await the winner of the Airs-Giants game on Saturday (tip-off 3pm) in Christchurch, while the Auckland Tuatara will face the Saints-Bulls winner on Wednesday, July 24 (tip-off 8pm).
Tall Blacks guard Flynn Cameron hit six triples to lead the hot-shooting Airs with 22 points (8/13 FG, 6/10 3pt) and three assists, while NZ Breakers development player Carlin Davison finished one assist from a triple-double, ending with 20 points (8/13 FG), 10 rebounds, nine assists and two steals.
Derone Raukawa put up 19 points (5/8 FG, 4/5 3pt, 5/5 FT), Breakers signing Mitch McCarron 16 points (5/9 FG, 2/4 3pt, 4/4 FT), five boards and eight assists, Quintin Bailey 12 points (5/7 FG, 2/2 3pt) and import Elijah Minnie 11 points (4/10 FG) and 10 rebounds.
For the Giants, Tall Blacks squad member Dan Fotu put up 26 points (9/16 FG, 2/4 3pt, 6/8 FT), six boards, three assists and two steals, while Australian forward Dan Grida and Breakers development guard Alex McNaught each posted 17 points.
Taranaki scored 11 straight points to lead by nine in the first quarter, then went on a 12-1 run to start the third period to go up by 15 points.
Nelson scored 10 straight points, including back-to-back threes from Sam Dempster, to get within nine with 3:20 remaining, but the Airs secured the victory with a 9-0 run soon after.
Taranaki shot 44 percent (17-of-38) on three-point attempts, while the Giants, who were without imports Kobe Langley and Theo Akwuba, hit just 25 percent (5-of-20), but did score 52 points in the paint.
Import guard Terry Henderson Jr led the Saints with 23 points (7/12 FG, 2/5 3pt, 7/9 FT) and three steals, while Izayah Le'afa returned from Tall Blacks duty to put up 18 points (5/12 FG, 4/9 3pt, 4/5 FT) and eight assists.
Tohi Smith-Milner contributed 15 points (4/11 FG, 6/7 FT) and four boards, and Hyrum Harris 14 points (4/8 FG, 2/3 3pt, 4/5 FT), nine rebounds, four assists and two steals for the 12-time champions.
For Southland, import guard Caleb Asberry lit it up with 25 points (8/16 FG, 3/6 3pt, 6/7 FT), five boards and three assists, while Kiwi big Callum McRae recorded a double-double with 19 points (6/9 FG, 7/8 FT) and 14 rebounds.
The Saints led by 13 early in the third quarter before the Sharks went on a 16-4 to pull within one and eventually take a two-point lead entering the fourth. It was all the Saints from there, with a 21-5 run putting them up 14 with 2:55 to run.
Taranaki Airs 106 (Flynn Cameron 22, Carlin Davison 20, Derone Raukawa 19, Mitch McCarron 16, Quintin Bailey 12, Elijah Minnie 11) Nelson Giants 90 (Dan Fotu 26, Dan Grida 17, Alex McNaught 17, Nic Davidson 10). 1Q: 26-19, HT: 51-47, 3Q: 80-66
Wellington Saints 88 (Terry Henderson Jr 23, Izayah Le'afa 18, Tohi Smith-Milner 15, Hyrum Harris 14) Southland Sharks 78 (Caleb Asberry 25, Callum McRae 19, Cooper Robb 17). 1Q: 24-22, HT: 47-38, 3Q: 61-63