The Tauranga Whai have surged to their second home win of the National Basketball League (NBL) season.
The Whai hit 13 three-pointers in their 97-82 victory over the Night 'n' Day Otago Nuggets in Week 2 of the Sal's NBL at Mercury Baypark in Mount Maunganui on Wednesday night.
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Former Tall Blacks guard Kruz Perrott-Hunt put an equal-team-high 25 points (9/18 FG, 4/11 3pt), five rebounds, four assists and two steals, while import point guard Chris Jones matched him with 25 points (7/16 FG, 10/11 FT), six boards, three assists and three steals.
Australian forward Sean Bairstow, an NZ Breakers player, almost had a triple-double, finishing with eight points, nine rebounds and eight assists, alongside two steals.
Two local products, power forward Carter Hopoi and shooting guard Xanda Marsters, also scored in double-digits. Hopoi added 16 points (6/9 FG, 2/2 3pt) and Marsters 16 points (4/8 FG, 4/8 3pt, 4/4 FT), four boards and four assists off the bench.
For the Nuggets, their three imports - Jose Perez, Donald Carey Jr and Todd Withers - combined for 67 of their 82 points.
Perez accounted for a game-high 26 points (7/15 FG, 12/17 FT), 10 rebounds and three assists, while guard Carey Jr put up 23 points (7/21 FG, 3/12 3pt, 6/7 FT), five boards and four assists in his first NBL game.
Recently-added Withers, a key part of the Nuggets' 2022 NBL championship team, had 18 points (5/16 FG, 3/6 3pt, 5/5 FT) and eight rebounds.
The Whai (2-1) remain at home to host the Auckland Tuatara (0-1) on Tuesday (tip-off 7pm), while the Nuggets (0-2) head to Napier to take on the Hawke's Bay Hawks (2-0) on Friday (tip-off 7.30pm).
The Whai swept the night, with a 39-26 victory in the Sky Broadband Rapid League game. Marsters put up 13 points and Te Tuhi Lewis 10, while Christian Martin had 12 points for the Nuggets.
Tauranga Whai 97 (Kruz Perrott-Hunt 25, Chris Jones 25, Carter Hopoi 16, Xanda Marsters 16) Otago Nuggets 82 (Jose Perez 26, Donald Carey Jr 23, Todd Withers 18). 1Q: 21-20, HT: 55-48, 3Q: 77-65