Henare left for the Deep South last year amid failed attempts to secure a second NBL title for the Hawks, who didn't look like making the cut at all this winter under multiple title-winning coach Tab Baldwin in his first year with a new Hawke's Bay franchise.
Tonight, little separated the sides although the Anthony "Alf" Arlidge-coached Nuggets set the tempo but only had themselves to blame for going off the boil in the final quarter, to slump 18-9 after leading in the other three.
Even socialites Sally Ridge and daughter Jamie, dating Nelson guard Josh Bloxham, if social media is anything to go by, were threading worry beads, nervously glancing at the electronic scoreboard throughout the game but they broke into smiles and cheers at the final buzzer.
Damningly, the lack of depth on the Otago bench was another telling factor, proving Taranaki coach David Bublitz and Waitakere Rangers counterpart Aik Ho right.
On the flip side, Bublitz, however, didn't give the Sharks a look-in but Ho rightly predicted the Giants could wake up from a slumber.
Waikato coach Doug Courtney picked Nelson to win the title but had Saints in the grand final.
Baldwin gave the Sharks a look-in and picked them to cut the net off the hoop if they made the grand final.
Manawatu Jets counterpart Mike Kalavros, speaking from Greece, didn't rate the Saints and rightly pointed out if Lindsay Tait didn't show up they didn't have a back-up point guard.
Tonight Pace's dream season continued, claiming yet another double-double of a game-high 25 points and 11 rebounds. He won an NBL title with the Giants in 2007, his maiden season in the NBL.
Phill Jones got into the act with 12 points and 10 rebounds while Bloxham added 17 points with crucial three-pointers.
"We've got ourselves here so now we've got to show up tomorrow to try to finish it off," said the US import who has signed with ex-Hawks coach Shawn Dennis and the Townsville Crocodiles in the ANBL next season.
Pace said Nelson didn't panic but Otago failed to measure up in the final spell.
They fancied their chances against any team, having won and lost to just about all.
"Wellington were favourites so they went down and Otago were, too, and they've gone down."
Having played for Henare in the Hawks and with him, too, Pace said the grand final would be a humdinger.
For Otago, Brendon Polyblank scored 17 points while import Akeen Wright claimed a double-double of 15 points and 14 rebounds.
Statistics (Otago first):
1st quarter: 23-22. 2nd: 44-38 (21-16). 3rd: 63-59 (19-21). Final: 72-87 (9-18).
