NZNBL Wrap (July 16, 2024)

NBL stars featuring in the NZNBL have just completed the 2024 regular season, with Playoffs just around the corner and four teams are set to go head-to-head from tomorrow night. 

Sitting on top of the ladder is Illawarra Hawks' man Lachie Olbrich and the Canterbury Rams, followed by Auckland in second place. United's Flynn Cameron and Breakers' new signing Carlin Davison finished at third with the Taranaki Airs, while Bullets big-man Tohi Smith-Milner and new Sydney signing Izayah Le'Afa ended the regular season at fourth. 

The Franklin Blues came in at fifth, with the Hawks' Dan Grida leading the Nelson Giants to sixth place and securing the final spot to reach the next stage. 

Olbrich's last regular season showing did not disappoint with a double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds over Sam Timmins and Dom Kelman-Poto's Franklin Blues. Timmins and Kelman-Poto put up a strong fight to gain a two-point win over the top-of-the-ladder Rams. 

Timmins scored 11 points and 8 rebounds, while the Breakers' Kelman-Poto tallied 4 points and 3 rebounds. 

Cameron had New Zealand's NBL25 signing Mitch McCarron back by his side for the Taranaki Airs. Alongside McCarron's new NBL teammate Davison, the trio worked to claim a 106-90 victory over Grida's Giants. 

Cameron racked up 22 points and 3 assists, and McCarron delivered 16 points with 5 rebounds. Davison produced a double-double (shy of a triple-double) of 20 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists. 

Taipans' Josh Roberts put up a total of 15 points and 4 rebounds for the Hawkes Bay Hawks, with teammate Keanu Rasmussen delivering 26 points, with 7 rebounds and 6 assists over Auckland. 

Keanu Rasmussen (Hawkes Bay) – 26PTS, 7REB, 6AST vs Auckland 

Tohi Smith-Milner (Wellington) – 15PTS, 4REB, 2AST vs Southland

Josh Roberts (Hawkes Bay) – 13PTS, 11REB, 1AST vs Auckland

Dan Grida (Nelson) - 17PTS, 6REB, 1AST vs Taranaki 
Lachlan Olbrich (Canterbury) - 19PTS, 12REB, 3BLK vs Franklin 

Flynn Cameron (Taranaki) - 22PTS, 1REB, 3AST vs Nelson 
Rob Loe (Auckland) - 27PTS, 12REB, 5AST vs Hawkes Bay

Cam Gliddon (Auckland) – 25PTS, 6REB, 4STL vs Hawkes Bay 

Carlin Davison (Taranaki) - 20PTS, 10REB, 9AST vs Nelson
Dom Kelman-Poto (Franklin) – 4PTS, 3REB, 2AST vs Canterbury | 10PTS, 8REB, 2AST vs Otago
Max Darling (Canterbury) – 6PTS, 4REB, 2AST vs Franklin
Mitch McCarron (Taranaki) - 16PTS, 5REB, 8AST vs Nelson

Jack Andrew (Otago) – 6PTS, 4REB, 2STL vs Franklin 

Reuben Te Rangi (Auckland) - 5PTS, 1REB, 3AST vs Hawkes Bay 

Izayah Le'Afa (Wellington) - 18PTS, 3REB, 8AST vs Southland 
Sam Timmins (Franklin) – 11PTS, 8REB, 2AST vs Canterbury | 20PTS, 10REB, 4AST vs Otago

Walter Brown (Canterbury) – 18PTS, 3REB, 3AST vs Franklin