Basketball: Contribution from all 'really the key'

Mark Dickel
Mark Dickel
It was clear at the weekend how much the Otago Nuggets missed Troy Payne's contribution.

What is not so transparent is how long it will take the Nuggets to adapt to their new game plan.

The Nuggets crashed to their fourth consecutive defeat, losing 89-73 to the Wellington Saints at the Edgar Centre on Saturday night.

It was arguably the Nuggets' worst performance of the season but player-coach Mark Dickel has asked fans to be patient.

He made the tough decision to cut Payne last week and his replacement, Brandon Bowdry, arrived from Los Angeles on the morning of the game.

The jet-lagged swingman took his spot in the starting five but looked lost. That was to be expected, of course, but Dickel is confident the 26-year-old will adjust quickly.

''Trying to integrate a new player was always going to be tough,'' Dickel said.

''I mean, the poor guy, he didn't know anything we were running. I'm sure Brandon is going to fit in well. He is clearly going to add a new dimension once he gets his legs under him. I think he is someone who can score 25 or 30 pretty regularly.''

Bowdry ended up with a decent haul of 17 points, but 14 of those came in the last quarter when the Saints had put on their bench.

Dickel was easily the best of the Nuggets. The 37-year-old was throwing himself around the court and came close to a triple-double with 15 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.

Brendon Polyblank, as he has done all season, muscled the ball into the paint and top-scored with 19 points, while Nuggets centre Warren Carter continued his recent run of improved performances with a solid 17-point effort.

''We got good performances out of Brendon and Warren for the most part. But it is just not easy. We are kind of always searching to get those guys a bit more rest but it is difficult.''

The Nuggets bench contributed just five points, whereas the Saints had 20 points from their bench.

''We are going to need everybody to try to contribute a bit more. We are giving them all a chance, so it is just a matter of one of them putting their hand up.''

Sam King was making a big impact from the bench earlier in the season but he appears to be struggling with his confidence levels. Tony Tolovae has not delivered on his potential and starting guard Micah Lepaio is struggling. The Nuggets' depth has really been exposed during the past month.

''It is not all doom and gloom. Wellington played really well and ... they had four or five guys contributing,'' Dickel said.

''That is really the key. How can we get that fifth guy contributing for us? It is not enough for them to come off the bench and play good defence any more. We have a different dynamic and we need them contributing.''

Corey Webster and Brandon Bowman each had a game-high 23 points for the Saints, and Jordan Ngatai (12 points) and Lindsay Tait (10) also played key roles.

The Nuggets were competitive in the first half but the game slipped away in the third quarter, when they were outscored 31-12.

The Nuggets sorely missed Payne's defensive intensity. Had he been on court, Webster might not have had such an easy run. The Tall Blacks guard landed a trio of three-pointers and was nine-of-15 from the field.

Ngatai was the surprise package, drilling a trio of three-pointers in the second period. Bowman was also excellent, and looks a good acquisition for the Saints.

Also on Saturday, the Southland Sharks pulled off an amazing comeback, overcoming a 30-point third-quarter deficit to beat the Taranaki Mountain Airs 83-81. Yesterday, the Waikato Pistons beat the Nelson Giants 88-69, and the Super City Rangers beat the Canterbury Rams 101-86.


NBL
The scores

Wellington Saints 89
Corey Webster 23, Brandon Bowman 23, Jordan Ngatai 12

Otago Nuggets 73
Brendon Polyblank 19, Warren Carter 17, Brandon Bowdry 17

Quarter scores: 20-16, 43-38, 74-50.


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