Basketball: Hawks need more than local playoffs

NBL playoffs

Third-time bingo in hosting the playoffs in a "provincial setting" except someone forgot to tell the National Basketball League the Hawke's Bay franchise team doesn't feel so lucky about their chances this season.

In fact, the Tab Baldwin-coached HBS Bank Hawks need something in the vicinity of a miracle to make the business end of the competition.

Ironically, the Hawks were top qualifiers last year under coach Paul Henare but had to compete in Wellington where they found themselves on the seat of their oversized shorts to the hosts in the semifinals.

The NBL on Thursday confirmed it "is excited to announce" the Pettigrew-Green Arena in Napier will be the new venue for the 2013 Final Four competition next month.

"After two years of hosting the Final Four weekend in Wellington, the Bartercard NBL board felt it was time to showcase basketball in a different region," chairman Sam Rossiter-Stead said.

"This a great chance for fans and families to travel away for the weekend, enjoy some great Hawke's Bay weather and watch the top four teams battle it out."

Franchise general manager Paul Trass says the permutations mean the Hawks have to win all their games and rely on others to go their way, too.

"It's an NBL decision. Wellington didn't want the finals so it was the best choice," Trass says, adding the Bay following may not be that strong but only the players can change that, albeit facing insurmountable odds.

The semifinals will be held at the home turf of the HBS Bank Hawks on Saturday, July 13, and the winners will then face off in the grand final the following day.

With Sky TV complicating a format that favours the top qualifiers with their reluctance to cover just the grand final, it has this year committed to televising all games live - semifinal 1, tip off 5.30pm; semifinal 2, tip off 8pm and Sunday grant final from 7.30pm.

Tickets go on sale via Ticketek.co.nz on Monday, June 17.