The Auckland Stars meet Hawkes Bay in the major semifinal of the National Basketball League at Trusts Stadium on Friday night, and Nelson host Waikato in the knockout game on Sunday.
The Stars won the regular season title, hosting rights and a second life when they beat Waikato 61-58 in
Auckland.
The Stars and Hawks finished with 13 wins and five losses, Auckland winning on a countback of scores.
The Hawks proved their right to be in the playoffs with three wins on the road last week against Taranaki 90-74, Wellington 93-89 and the Giants 72-61 in Nelson.
The win over the Giants was the most significant, coming last of the three and against another finals team, while both the Airs and Saints knew their season was over regardless of the result.
In beating Wellington in overtime the Hawks had 26 points and 17 rebounds from Derek Moore, 18 points and 16 rebounds from Dusty Rychart, and 17 rebounds from new Breaker A. J. Majstrovich, the front line carrying them home after an 83-all tie after 40 minutes. In contrast it was guards Paora Winitana and Paul Henare, 15 and 14 points, who led the win against the Giants.
The Hawks have a top starting five. The question on Friday night will be whether their bench is up to maintaining the momentum because the Stars' bench certainly will.
It was Auckland's guards Aaron Olson, 14 and Lindsay Tait, 12, who led their scoring on Friday night. Titans' import Kantrail Horton had the last say with a three-point attempt that might have tied things but it wasn't to be.
Waikato will be favourites to win in Nelson because of their depth of experience, though it is never easy to win finals games at the Trafalgar Centre which is sure to sell out.
The Taranaki Airs ended their season mid-table after leading all the way in a 104-103 win over neighbours Manawatu who have had an indifferent year. The Otago Nuggets also led all the way and were threatened late but hung on for their second win of the season, 72-70 over North Harbour.
