Basketball: Saints rally to sink Giants

Phil Jones of the Giants. Photo / Getty Images

The Nelson Giants let an 11-point halftime lead slip to fall to a 85-83 defeat at the hands of the Wellington Saints in the National Basketball League tonight.

The Giants appeared to be on course for their seventh straight win over the defending NBL champions after building a 48-37 lead at the interval but wilted in the second half as the competition leaders rallied.

The Saints cut the deficit to two points by the end of the third quarter and they edged ahead with seven minutes to go and held on down the stretch to notch a nervous win.

Tall Black guards Corey Webster and Lindsay Tait showed the way for the Saints with 18 points each while Casey Frank hauled down 10 rebounds, the last of which an invaluable offensive board with just three seconds left.

Nelson centre Daryl Dora scored 22 points for the hosts and Cairns Taipans guard Phill Jones added 17, but they missed the input of Mika Vukona in the closing stages after he fouled out with two minutes left.

Earlier tonight in Dunedin, Waikato hammered the Otago Nuggets 100-58 with five Pistons getting into double figures. New Zealand Breakers Beny Anthony (21) and Thomas Abercrombie (20) led the scorers with United States guard Jerry Smith also helping himself to 20 points.

Towering 2.16-metre tall centre Alex Pledger chalked up a double-double with 11 points and 16 rebounds.

Nuggets, who last weekend ended a three-year, 33-match losing streak by beating the Manawatu Jets, slipped back into losing ways with Scott O'Gallagher contributing 19 points and Tall Black Craig Bradshaw adding 15.

- NZPA