Hawks and Jackson Ball the talk of the NBL as he drains another 36 points to take them to two from two

The Big Barrel Hawke’s Bay Hawks are hopeful of the first sell-out of the 2025 Sal’s NBL as they and star teenager Jackson Ball become the talking point of the national men’s basketball competition, just one weekend into the four-month season.

The hopes for Friday’s match against the Otago Nuggets come after two wins in two other home games, Saturday’s 103-100 nailbiter over reportedly revitalised 2024 league tail-enders the Manawatū Jets and last Wednesday’s opening-match 112-78 win over a makeshift team fielded by new franchise the Indian Panthers.

Both games were played at the Rodney Green Arenas, which Hawks general manager Jarrod Kenny, now able to concentrate on the job without having to be called on to play, says has a capacity of about 1200.

“Anything under 7-800 is small,” he said, but added that after two wins and the ascendancy of Ball, with 76 points already and maximum league MVP points, the side are hopeful of attendances returning to pre-Covid levels.

“This is exciting,” he said. “It was under 700 on Saturday afternoon, but man, were they loud.”

The Nuggets, trying to emulate their 2020 and 2022 title wins, have been part of an odd start to the season, in which they and other main-centre franchises the Auckland Tuatara, the Wellington Saints and defending champions the Canterbury Rams have all been beaten in the opening week.

Jacob Murphy had a busy night for the Big Barrel Hawks on Saturday, with 18 points in the Rapid League curtain-raiser and 19 in the NBL match, both wins over the Manawatū Jets. Photo / Bay Hawks

Saturday’s outing in Taradale was a match-within-a-match between Ball and 36-year-old New Zealand and Australian leagues veteran Corey Webster, playing for a sixth New Zealand NBL club after transferring to the Jets from the Tuatara.

The Nuggets suffered a humiliating home-court loss by 28 points to the Southland Sharks, and are en route to Napier on Wednesday play the Whai.

Ball came out ahead of the man twice his age, shooting five three-pointers from nine attempts in his 36-point haul, Webster succeeding with three from eight in his tally of 32.

Hawks import Darnell Cowart shot 25 points, while Jacob Murphy shot 19 for the Hawks, having earlier shot 18 in the Rapid League curtain-raiser, in which the Hawks followed up a first-match loss by beating the Jets 37-29.

The Hawks have yet to factor in three players still with the Illawarra Hawks, who along with Bay Hawks coach Sam Gruggen are traversing the best-of-five Australian championships playoffs, down 2-1 after three matches against Melbourne United and with the title hopes on the line in game four on Wednesday.

Friday’s night out starts with the Rapid League match at 6.30pm and a 7.30pm start for the main game, after which the Hawks head off for their first away game of the season, against the Franklin Bulls on Sunday.