NZNBL Wrap (June 4, 2024)

Tuesday, June 4, 2024

The New Zealand National Basketball League is stacked with NBL talent.

The best efforts of Sydney’s Izayah Le’Afa weren’t enough to see the Wellington Saints register a pair of wins this past week, as the guard scored a combined 62 points across his side’s win over the Whai, and defeat to Auckland.

Le’Afa starred with 27 points and eight assists in the Saints’ 12-point win over Tauranga, as fellow NBL24 representatives Ben Ayre and Tohi Smith-Milner both also surpassed the 20-point mark in the win.

The efforts of Le’Afa and Smith-Milner were not enough to overcome a ladder-leading Auckland side. Ayre – who is usually the sharpest weapon in Wellington’s offensive arsenal – failed to fire against the Tuatara, and 35 points and nine assists from Le’Afa was not enough to lead the Saints to back-to-back wins.

The Kiwi guard played all 40 minutes of the clash, while Smith-Milner added another 28 points of his own.

Uncontracted free agent Corey Webster scored 29 points in the win for Auckland, while Cam Gliddon also added 20 points.

A host of top-level NBL talent was on display as the Taranaki Airs hosted the Otago Nuggets, but it was Breakers development player Carlin Davison who proved to be the match-winner for the home side.

Davison ended the clash with a team-high 27 points and 10 rebounds, and he also grabbed four steals in the victory.

His Airs teammate Sam Froling also scored 27 points in the 10-point win, and Mitch McCarron fell just one assist short of a double double.

Ben Henshall marked a return to form for the Nuggets with a game-high 31 points, while Dontae Russo-Nance continued his strong run in the absence of Tai Webster with 13 points, seven rebounds and four steals.

The Nuggets returned to the winner’s list later in their second clash of the round with an 11-point victory over Manawatu in which Henshall and Russo-Nance both scored 17 points in support of import Kimani Lawrence’s 27-point outing.

Keanu Rasmussen (Hawkes Bay) – 14PTS, 4REB, 1AST vs Nelson | 17PTS, 4REB, 1AST vs Canterbury

Tohi Smith-Milner (Wellington) – 21PTS, 9REB, 1BLK vs Whai | 28PTS, 9REB, 1STL vs Auckland

Josh Roberts (Hawkes Bay) – 10PTS, 16REB, 4BLK vs Nelson | 9PTS, 12REB, 1BLK vs Canterbury

Dan Grida (Nelson) – 18PTS, 9REB vs Hawkes Bay
Sam Froling (Taranaki) – 27PTS, 7REB, 3AST vs Otago
Lachie Olbrich (Canterbury) – 8PTS, 9REB, 3AST vs Hawkes Bay

Flynn Cameron (Taranaki) – 14PTS, 5REB vs Otago
Rob Loe (Auckland) – 14PTS, 5REB, 3AST vs Wellington

Dan Fotu (Nelson) – 17PTS, 8REB, 2STL vs Hawkes Bay
Carlin Davison (Taranaki) – 27PTS, 10REB, 4STL vs Otago
Mitch McCarron (Taranaki) – 11PTS, 5REB, 9AST vs Otago
Max Darling (Canterbury) – 13PTS, 8REB, 1STL vs Hawkes Bay
Cam Gliddon (Auckland) – 20PTS, 7REB, 3STL vs Wellington
Dom Kelman-Poto (Franklin) – 13PTS, 3REB, 1STL vs Southland

Ben Henshall (Otago) – 31PTS, 6REB, 4AST vs Taranaki | 17PTS, 7REB, 5AST vs Manawatu
Dontae Russo-Nance (Otago) – 13PTS, 7REB, 4STL vs Taranaki | 17PTS, 4REB, 6AST vs Manawatu
Jack Andrew (Otago) – 16PTS, 8REB, 2BLK vs Taranaki | 8PTS, 8REB, 4BLK vs Manawatu