KEY POINTS:
Disrupted by the late withdrawal of import Tashaan Forehan-Kelly due to an eligibility mix-up, the Auckland Stars crashed to defeat at the hands of the Wellington Saints in their NBL season opener at ASB Stadium last night.
Forehan-Kelly was scratched just an hour before tip-off when it emerged
he does not have a FIBA licence. The game's governing body had refused to issue the licence as Forehan-Kelly has yet to be released by his US club.
Despite the disruption, the youthful Stars managed to stay in touch with the much bigger, more experienced Saints.
If it hadn't have been for a succession of missed lay-ups - with few Stars blameless - the Aucklanders may have found themselves in front going into the final quarter.
Instead, they trailed by three and, when the Saints went on a 13-3 run to start the final quarter, the game was as good as over.
It was almost as if the Saints had been chugging on cruise control, teasing the Stars by keeping them close before opening the throttle and blasting off.
Stars coach Kenny Stone refused to blame Forehan-Kelly's late withdrawal for the defeat.
"It didn't help but the guys who were on the floor gave their all," said Stone. "We played well for three quarters and then just ran out of gas.
"It is difficult to lose at any time but, overall, I'm not too unhappy. I thought some of our young guys off the bench stepped up and we've got something to build on."
There were some positives for the Stars.
Despite arriving in the country less than 48 hours earlier, import Danny Lambert got on court and immediately looked a class act, slotting a three-pointer with his first touch.
The Californian, who scored 16 first-half points and totalled nine rebounds before fouling out early in the fourth quarter, looked to have a well-rounded game.
And Lindsay Tait didn't look far shy of the form that earned him the 2005 league MVP award, running the show imperiously at point guard.
But the Stars were always battling to contain the physical presence of the Saints' 2.06m Australian import Andrew Rice - on temporary duty with the Wellingtonians while Nick Horvath rehabs from a wrist injury - and the 2.02m Adrian Majstrovich, who dominated proceedings with 14 rebounds and 22 points.
The Saints led 51-49 at half-time and by three at the three-quarter mark but were never able to kick clear of the dogged Stars ... until the fourth-quarter when it was one-way traffic.