NZNBL 2024

Nuggets Back on the WINNERS list

Ben Henshall and Kimani Lawrence starred as the Night ‘n Day Otago Nuggets bounced back from a three-game losing run to prevail 107-94 over Nelson at the Edgar Centre on Sunday.

Henshall (31 points) and Lawrence (30) combined for a whopping 61 points in a dominant one-two punch for the Nuggets in their 50th win since returning to the Sal’s NBL competition.

Australian young gun Henshall posted a double-double, finishing with 10 rebounds and four assists to go with his equal game-high points tally, while American import Lawrence fell two rebounds shy of joining him.

The pair shot at 70 and 74 per cent from the field respectively, with Henshall draining a game-high five triples in a confidence-boosting performance from the teenage Boomers representative.

Guard Zaccheus Darko-Kelly (15 points, eight rebounds and seven assists) and big man Jack Andrew (10 rebounds, nine points and three blocks) also returned to form after battling illness over the past week.

After dropping a career-high 40 points against Canterbury on Thursday night, Tai Webster contributed 15 and four assists.
It was a much-improved performance from the home side, with their shooting and rebounding especially impressive.

But it still took until late in the final term to put the game to bed against a brave Giants outfit.

It was 90-apiece with a touch under seven minutes to go when Lawrence made an important floating jump shot followed by consecutive three-pointers from Henshall, Darko-Kelly and bench player Darcy Knox in a game-defining 11-0 run.

Lawrence scored 11 final-quarter points to secure the Nuggets’ fourth win of the season.