The Otago Nuggets got the job done against an understrength Southland Sharks side in Invercargill tonight 95-68.
After last season, the team will take any win they can get.
But it was not always pretty.
The first quarter was a tough watch.
They could not stop Sam Timmins, who recorded a monster double-double of 30 points and 11 rebounds.
But the Nuggets — who went 3-17 last season — made some adjustments and slowed his production.
Then Buay Tuach took over. The Nuggets' small forward drilled 28 points.
Isaac Miller-Jose made a strong contribution from the bench with 10 points and eight rebounds.
Michael Henn came alive late and added 13 points.
The Sharks were missing a lot of firepower.
Will Leger (knee) and Max Darling (ankle) were ruled out with injury, while Caleb Asberry, Tobias Cameron and Brayden Inger are still finishing off playing stints overseas.
Despite that, the home team made a stronger start and that was down to one man — former Nuggets centre Timmins.
The big man was unstoppable in the paint and strolled his way to the hoop for 14 points.
The Nuggets switched out Henn early and put Isaac Miller-Jose on him, but it did not make a jot of difference.
Zach McKenzie and Tyson Thata-Paese landed a three-pointer each to keep the Nuggets in touch.
They started the second quarter trailing 20-18. They made up some ground when Timmins took a brief stint on the bench.
The Nuggets had five weeks together, but somehow produced a rusty opening 10 minutes that was more befitting of a team that had just met each other.
They made some good changes, though. They threw another body at Timmins and that proved more successful.
But the biggest difference was at the other end. They poured in 34 points.
Tuach connected with back-to-back triples and a dunk to help the visitors take a 52-42 lead into the break.
Sharks guard Rylan Jones (20 points) had the last say in the half, though. He waltzed past his marker and floated a driving lay-up.
Tuach pulled off a perfect pirouette on his way to the hoop for the opening basket of the second half.
Timmins rolled in back-to-back hook shots, but the game was drifting way from the Southlanders.
Tuach made a steal under the rim and popped it in.
He provided most of the highlights in a dour quarter, which the Nuggets won 16-8.
The Sharks made a mini run at the start of the fourth period. Jones drilled an early triple and Timmins banked a lay-up.
Those two were keen to close the 18-point deficit. They needed more help from their teammates, and they did not get it.
Nuggets rookie Toby Hunt drilled a buzzer-beater to seal the win and collect his first points in the National Basketball League.
In the Rapid League game, the Nuggets beat the Sharks 41-26. New signing Toby Hunt top-scored with 10 points.
■ The Taranaki Airs edged the Manawatū Jets 91-85 in the opening game of the NBL season in Palmerston North on Thursday night. American import Xavier Green starred with 30 points and 12 rebounds.
The score
Otago Nuggets 95 (Buay Tuach 28, Michael Henn 13)
Southland Sharks 68 (Sam Timmins 30, Rylan Jones 20)
Quarter scores: 18-20, 52-42, 68-50, 95-68
