Jordan Ngatai in action for the Hawks earlier this season. He top-scored for the side with 21 points in the latest home defeat on Saturday. Photo / NZME
Jordan Ngatai in action for the Hawks earlier this season. He top-scored for the side with 21 points in the latest home defeat on Saturday. Photo / NZME
The dismal home record of the Taylor Hawke’s Bay Hawks in the 2023 Sal’s National Basketball league continued when the side started a four-match home-court end to the season with a 94-87 defeat by the Otago Nuggets on Saturday night at the Pettigrew Green Arena, Taradale.
It leftthe Hawks with losses in all six home matches, a 10th loss in 15 games overall now demanding a miracle of major proportions for the Hawks to have any hope of making the top-six playoffs later this month, and even some magic at least to avoiding ending the 10-team competition in last place - in a season which started with two wins on the road at Easter.
The Hawks looked the goods early when they led from just 17 seconds into the game when Hyrum Harris popped a two-point lay-up, the hosts leading through the end of the first quarter, up 25-16, and 45-39 at halftime.
But the tide was turning, with the Nuggets taking the lead twice in the third quarter in search of revenge for a loss to the Hawks in Dunedin last month, the home side clinging onto the advantage and up only 63-62 going into the last 10 minutes.
But the match slipped out of the grasp when Michael Harris scored a free throw double for Otago to make it 84-83 with a minute 31 seconds left on the clock, the Nuggets ending the night in second place on the ladder, one win behind leaders the Auckland Tuatara - one of the Hawks’ remaining opposition.
The Hawks play the Wellington Saints next Saturday, the Tuatara on July 9 and the Manawatū Jets on July 15.
Only Jordan Ngatai topped 20 points for the Hawks, and just by a single point, but it wasn’t much better for the Nuggets, Todd Withers scoring 23 and Harris also 21.
