Basketball: Unpredictability reigns in NBL

The NBL was again racked by upsets and bizarre finishes at the weekend as the Heat overturned the Titans 58-54 in a game that set low-scoring records, the Canterbury Rams the only side playing with consistency.

Auckland beat Taranaki 93-83 away and the coming week looms as a crucial one for the Stars, Titans and Heat, as well as Taranaki and Manawatu, as they all roll through double-headers in round five.

Auckland play Harbour at Waitakere Stadium on Wednesday and back up against Manawatu on Friday, the Heat hosting the Jets on Saturday.

Friday night's shocker began a run of five games in 11 days for the Titans, with Taranaki in Hamilton on Wednesday then away games against Canterbury on Saturday, Otago on Sunday and Taranaki on Wednesday April 20.

It's a daunting prospect but coach Tim McTamney is resigned to the fact all teams have to go through it.

He blamed complacency for the home loss to the Heat, which reversed the result of the previous weekend.

He said his side deserved to lose what was a physical game.

"In the first half Pero [Cameron], Ben Hill and Greg Lewis were scoring inside but in the second we were guilty of taking too many perimeter shots and we weren't just cold, we were frigid.

"We didn't go inside enough and when we did we turned it over," McTamney said.

"It was probably the ugliest game I've ever seen in the national league," he said of Harbour's rough defence, "and we did a good job of helping them with it."

After leading 40-27 at halftime, they scored just four points in the last quarter, equalling the league's all-time low for one period. Lewis and Kantrail Horton top-scored for the Titans with just 12, Horton suffering an ankle injury that will be checked today but is not thought to be serious.

The Heat's American, Matt Lottich, was their top-scorer with 19 and Hayden Allen got 18.

McTamney expects the Titans to come right after settling their imports Horton and Lewis, whereas the Rams had a long build-up with Ryan Prillman and Mike Gardener, who were again their best in an 83-80 win over Nelson Giants. Canterbury are now four-from-five, the loss to Harbour in the second of a double-header in Auckland.

Prillman scored 20 and grabbed 17 rebounds and Gardener scored 22 and made eight assists against the Giants on Saturday, Nelson needing overtime to beat lowly Otago 99-92 on Friday.

It was 83-83 at the end of normal time with import Jacob Holmes stepping up to total 37 points for the game, the highest score this season.

Auckland earned a solid win in Taranaki, closing down guards Willie Banks (six points) and Brad Davidson (nine) from the outside.

"Their big guys hurt us but all-round we beat them," said Stars coach Kenny Stone. Lindsay Tait top-scored for Auckland with 25; Link Abrams got 29 for the Airs.

The Stars enjoyed a good all-round contribution, Aaron Olson back at shooting guard for around 15 minutes. Highly rated rookie Dylan Perfect-Tait was on briefly but landed crucial three-shots to break Taranaki's zone defence.

Stone said he had felt they were developing some consistency after beating Nelson away last weekend, but then they fell to Wellington.

"This is a big week for us and it will tell a lot about the direction we're going," he said of the contests to come against the Heat, then Jets.

Wellington succumbed 64-82 to a more committed Hawkes Bay side, Willie Burton returning to the game age 43 and three years after retiring. He didn't score in eight minutes on court but provided three assists and three rebounds.

Paora Winitana landed four of six three-shot attempts for 24 points, imports Dusty Rychart had 16 and Derek Moore 14. For Wellington, Troy McLean scored 22 but Ben Knight and their other forwards were well contained.