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John Davidson/Photosport
Corey Webster and the Canterbury Rams
At Trusts Arena, Auckland: Canterbury Rams 114 (Corey Webster 24, Tevin Brown 23, Troy Baxter Jr 19, Max Darling 17, Walter Brown 12, Galin Smith 10), Otago Nuggets 103 (Tai Webster 29, Sam Timmins 28, Michael Harris 27, Todd Withers 16). 1Q: 23-33; HT: 50-49; 3Q: 83-78
The Canterbury Rams will take their shot at a first New Zealand NBL title since 1992 when they meet the Auckland Tuatara in Sunday’s grand final at Trusts Arena in Auckland.
The Rams, who won a fortuitous play-in game over the Hawke’s Bay Hawks on Thursday night, rode their luck again on Saturday at Trusts as they prevailed in a semifinal shootout over defending champions the Otago Nuggets.
Once again the Rams benefited from the rub of the green down the stretch as the big calls, and the big shots, fell their way in a tight final quarter. The Nuggets had worked back from an eight-point deficit and took the lead with 2:39 remaining on a Tai Webster tip-in.
But from there it was all the Rams as Corey Webster and Tevin Brown combined to close out the game for the Cantabs.
The two southern semifinalists put on an offensive masterclass, both doing a good job of finding their hot hands, if not in locking down on the defensive side of the ball. The Rams shot 56% from the floor and 48 from deep, while the Nuggets converted at a 51% clip overall and 43 from beyond the arc.
The Rams were paced by 24 points and 6 dimes from Corey Webster, who made 9 of 18 shots and 4 of 7 from deep, and 23 points (on 7-of-15 shooting), 6 rebounds and 4 assists from import Brown 19. Troy Baxter Jr added a faultless 19 points, on 6-of-6 shooting (4 of 4 from deep), while Max Darling had 17 points (including 3 triples), 4 boards and 3 assists, Walter Brown 12 points, 5 rebounds and 4 dimes and Galin Smith 10 points.
John Davidson/Photosport
Tevin Brown poured in 23 points for the Rams in their NBL semifinal victory over the Otago Nuggets.
The Nuggets got heavyweight contributions from their big three of Tai Webster (29 points on 11-of-19 shooting and 9 assists), Sam Timmins (28 points on 10-of-14 shooting and 12 boards) and Michael Harris (27 points, including 5 of 10 triples). Todd Withers also chipped in with 16 points, 5 boards and 4 steals, but the southerners got zero points off an ineffective bench.
It was the Nuggets who made the fast start, leading 33-23 at the end of a hot-shooting opening quarter, behind 12 first-period points from Tai Webster and 10 from Harris. The defending champs made 12 of their 20 shots for the spell and six of nine from deep to punish the Rams for some soft defending.
But the Cantabs picked up their play in the second stanza behind a 13-point outburst from Corey Webster (including a trio of triples) who showed that anything his little brother could do, he could manage just as well. Webster at one stage rattled off nine straight points as the Rams hit the lead midway through the quarter and took a one-point advantage (50-49) into the changing-rooms courtesy of a 27-16 period.
The Nuggets were well paced by their star trio of Webster, Harris and Timmins who combined for 41 first-half points, but a well-balanced scoring spread and a 55% shooting clip kept the Rams well and truly in the contest at the major break.
The Rams edged ahead by five (83-78) at three-quarter time and held their cool, and got the calls, down the stretch as the short Nuggets rotation hit the wall.
The Tuatara breezed into the final with a 92-67 victory over crosstown rivals the Franklin Bulls in the Friday night semifinal, behind 28 points from Jarrad Weeks and 23 from Reuben Te Rangi.
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