Basketball hotshots to play in Tauranga

They've helped take the Breakers to a maiden Australian NBL championship - and soon some of the biggest names in basketball downunder will be strutting their stuff in Tauranga.
Hot on the heels of the Breakers' historic finals win over the Cairns Taipans last month, stars Tom Abercrombie, Alex Pledger and BJ Anthony will be in action for the Waikato Pistons when they take on the Taranaki Mountainairs next Saturday.
To be played at Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre, the fixture is a big boost for the sport locally, says Tauranga City Basketball general manager Mark Rogers.
"This is very likely a first - I certainly can't remember a national league match being played in Tauranga before. We've been working with the Pistons for quite a while to get them over here and we're pretty pleased to be staging a full-season game."
A crowd favourite for his alley-oops and other spectacular plays, forward Abercrombie was named MVP after last month's NBL grand finals, and towering 2.13m centre Pledger was a mainstay in the Breakers' run to the title. All three visiting hotshots are also Tall Blacks.
Runners-up last year to Wellington Saints, the Waikato side sits fourth in the nine-strong competition after four rounds. With their big guns back in the frame, they're well placed to make the top-four playoffs and have games in hand over table leaders HBS Bank Hawks (14pts) and Exodus Saints (12pts).
While the Bay has no team - therefore no direct involvement - in the national championship, Rogers reckons fans will seize the chance to cheer on the stars from over the Kaimais.
"We're hoping to see the same kind of support we got when the Breakers development side with [NBL luminaries] CJ Bruton, Paul Henare and Josh Bloxham guesting played a local Tauranga team here last year. The Queen Elizabeth stadium holds 1200 people and that match was a sellout."
The Pistons appearance also slots nicely into the local scene, Rogers says.
"It's great that the Breakers are doing so well - they're lifting basketball's profile right across the country. And the Pistons match is really good timing for us in Tauranga, our local competition gets under way this week ... Tom Abercrombie is probably the second-highest profile NBL player at the moment. It's fantastic that people will be able to see the Pistons, with all their top players, in the flesh."
The Pistons now have guard Jason Crowe back on board after two seasons Stateside. A major force in the team's 2008 national title win, Crowe replaces fellow American Sylvester Seay.
The curtain-raiser will feature a women's clash, with a Tauranga City side going up against Taranaki Trojans, giving local players a valuable chance to gauge themselves against national-level opposition.
Waikato Pistons vs Taranaki Mountainairs, Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre, Saturday May 21. Doors open 4pm, national league game starts 7pm. Tickets from Sport Bay of Plenty and Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre.