Basketball: Airs advance easily in NBL playoffs

NZ Sports Wire

Photo by: John Velvin.

The Taranaki Airs have easily moved into the National Basketball League (NBL) final four.

For the second time in four days, the third-seeded Airs topped the Nelson Giants at New Plymouth's TSB Stadium, this time surging in the second and third quarters for an 87-74 win on Wednesday night.

The Airs' reward is a matchup against the defending and regular season champion Canterbury Rams at Christchurch's Cowles Stadium on Sunday (tip-off 3pm).

Quiet in recent games, Taranaki's lone American Elijah Minnie was the difference-maker off the bench.

The 6-foot-9 forward went off for a game-high 30 points (12/15 FG, 4/6 3pt) in just 25 minutes, adding eight rebounds and four blocks to his stat-line, as he was a big part of every Airs scoring burst.

Minnie had nine points in a 20-2 run straddling the first-quarter break that turned a nine-point deficit into a nine-point lead, and scored four points, including an exclamation point alley-oop dunk, as the Airs ended the half on a 9-0 run to lead by 12.

The 29-year-old then accounted for seven points - part of a 12-point quarter - in a game-turning 20-4 stretch in the back-half of the third period, which saw the Airs go from nine up to 25 ahead.

Supporting Minnie were Carlin Davison with 18 points (7/12 FG, 4/4 FT) and 12 rebounds and Flynn Cameron with 11 points (2/8 FG, 6/7 FT), eight boards, three assists and two steals, while Tobias Cameron and Derone Raukawa each had nine points, and Australian Mitch McCarron six points, seven rebounds and six assists.

For Nelson, Tall Blacks forward Dan Fotu top-scored with 19 points (6/12 FG, 6/8 FT), seven boards and two steals, and Australian Dan Grida put up 17 points (6/15 FG, 5/5 FT), seven rebounds and two blocks.

Next up in the playoffs, the fourth-seeded Wellington Saints host the No 5 Franklin Bulls at TSB Arena on Friday (tip-off 7.30pm), with a semifinal spot against the second-seeded Auckland Tuatara at stake.

Taranaki Airs 87 (Elijah Minnie 30, Carlin Davison 18, Flynn Cameron 11) Nelson Giants 74 (Dan Fotu 19, Dan Grida 17, Alex McNaught 13, Kobe Langley 13). 1Q: 21-20, HT: 42-30, 3Q: 69-46