Posted on Saturday, July 4th, 2026
Game Preview: Nuggets vs Saints
The Night ’n Day Otago Nuggets return to the Edgar Centre with their postseason position still uncertain, while the Mills Albert Wellington Saints arrive chasing the top of the table as they look to defend their title.
The Saints have won two straight and remain firmly in the upper echelon of the ladder, but this road trip south comes with some key absences as Carlin Davison (Tall Blacks) and Izayah Leafa (injury) are both unavailable. That removes two of Wellington’s best ball movers and toughest defenders, but the Saints still have enough talent on tap to take this road fixture.
Otago also have their own absence to navigate, with Ethan Rusbatch listed as questionable with a calf injury. If he is hampered or unavailable, the Nugs lose major perimeter gravity, making spacing and execution that much more difficult against what can be a fearsome defensive team.
This match pits a Saints team trying to maintain its push toward the top two and a Nuggets side trying to protect its place in the Final 6. Wellington have the scoring power, but Otago have already shown they can challenge the Saints if they get hot from the perimeter.
When: Saturday 4 July, Rapid League 6.30pm, Sal’s NBL 7.30pm
Where: Edgar Centre, Dunedin
Watch: Sky Sport 3 in New Zealand, ESPN+ in the United States and FIBA YouTube everywhere else
Commentary: Nathan Limm and Kayla Manuirirangi
Last Time They Met
The Mills Albert Wellington Saints defeated the Night ’n Day Otago Nuggets 96-90 in Wellington on June 7.
It was a thriller in the capital, with Otago arriving chomping at the bit to steal one on the road. The Nuggets started brilliantly, pouring in 32 first-quarter points behind a strong shooting performance from Ethan Rusbatch. Otago’s pace, spacing and confidence put the Saints under early pressure.
Wellington responded in the second quarter, outscoring the Nuggets by 10 to bring the game level at 46-46 at the halftime break. From there, the Saints began to exert more control over the play on both sides of the court. Elijah Pepper generated a personal 15-point scoring run to start the third , flipping the momentum and giving Wellington a lead they would not relinquish.
Otago kept up the chase, but the Saints pushed the margin out to 14 in the fourth and did enough late to hold the visitors at arms length eventually defending their home court.
Mills Albert Wellington Saints: Elijah Pepper 33p, 6r, 2a; Carlin Davison 15p, 11r, 3a; Akech Aliir 13p, 8r, 2a
Night ’n Day Otago Nuggets: Ethan Rusbatch 23p, 3r, 2a; Buay Tuach 17p, 1r, 2a; Craig Moller 13p, 14r, 5a
Last Time Out
The Saints defeated the NBS Nelson Giants 111-109 in overtime.
The game tipped off after 24 hour delay due to inclement weather, but Nelson were competitive from the jump and the two sides battled through a tight first half before Wellington seized momentum to create a double-digit margin in third. The Giants erased that deficit before the fourth quarter would arrive, and from there the game stayed tight into the final minutes, where missed Jordan Hunt free throws gave the Giants the ball with an opportunity to wins in regulation. A Hyrum Harris steal would force extra time, a foreboding sign for a Giants team that had experienced a difficult travel schedule to get to the weather ravaged capital.
The Saints found enough big plays late, but Nelson had a final chance to steal it down the stretch. Liam Judd came up big as the Giants scraped back into the contest, as a Donte Ingram trip to the free throw line went 1-2, giving the Giants the ball down 1 with 8 seconds left. The G-men went back to the Gatling well, but the last attempt to win the game did not fall, sealing a thrilling victory that saw the Saints escape with a key result.
Mills Albert Wellington Saints: Donte Ingram 26p, 7a, 4r; Braydon Iuli 18p, 2r, 2s; Jordan Hunt 16p, 8r, 8a
NBS Nelson Giants: Shane Gatling 33p, 4r, 5a; Tohi Smith-Milner 19p, 10r, 4a; Liam Judd 16p, 2r, 1a
The Nuggets defeated the Airs 90-77.
It was a low-scoring first quarter as both teams took time to warm up, but Otago settled first and built a 16-11 lead after the opening term. The Airs were stronger in the second quarter, scoring 18 points, but the Nuggets answered with 23 of their own to keep control heading into halftime.
The third quarter followed a similar pattern, with Otago’s defence limiting clean looks and the Nuggets taking advantage whenever the Airs’ pressure did not create turnovers. Taranaki tried to make a fourth-quarter push, but Otago closed the door with a collective effort.
With 27 combined steals between the teams, it was a game defined by defensive pressure and disruption, but the Nuggets handled the chaos better.
Airs: Brandon Stroud 20p, 7r, 4a, 2s; James Moors 14p, 12r, 2s, 2b; Aaron Cook Jr 11p, 4a, 7s
Night ’n Day Otago Nuggets: Buay Tuach 21p, 6r, 4a; Alain Louis 17p, 7r, 6a, 3s; Ethan Rusbatch 16p, 5r, 5a
What to Expect
Projected Starters
Night ’n Day Otago Nuggets
G: Alain Louis
G: Ethan Rusbatch
G: Tyson Thata-Paese
F: Buay Tuach
F: Craig Moller
Mills Albert Wellington Saints
G: Elijah Pepper
G: Braydon Iuli
F: Donte Ingram
F: Hyrum Harris
F: Akech Aliir
The first thing Wellington needs to figure out is how to replace the all-court impact of Carlin Davison and Izayah Le’afa.
The Saints lead the league in scoring over 99 points and dishing the most assists in the league at 25.9 per game, but both Davison and Le’afa have been central to that flow. Le’afa averages 7.6 assists, while Davison produced in every statistical category with 12.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.8 assists. Without them, more of the creation burden shifts to Pepper, Harris, Ingram, Iuli and Hunt.
Pepper remains the first name on the scouting report. He leads the league at 29.0 points per game and has already damaged Otago once this season with a 33-point performance in the first meeting. If he gets downhill and finds rhythm from three, the Saints can still generate elite offence even without their usual backcourt depth.
For Otago, Rusbatch’s status could be a deciding factor. He is their leading scorer and one of their most reliable perimeter threats, but he is listed as questionable with a calf injury. No matter who is available Tuach and Moller will need to find form from deep while Louis will need to create opportunities for his teammates while taking care of the rock.
The Nuggets’ best path is to defend, control turnovers and turn the game into a halfcourt grind. They are fifth in steals, fourth equal in turnover margin and second in three-point percentage defence, so they have the tools to make Wellington uncomfortable. If they can pressure the ball without giving up easy looks they will be in great shape to protect their homecourt.
Wellington’s needs energy and activity. Even without Le’afa and Davison, the Saints still have multiple avenues to offence, both in transition and the halfcourt. If Harris, Ingram, Aliir and Hunt can keep connected around Pepper’s scoring, they can continue to play at the pace and efficiency that has made them one of the league’s best attacks.
Matchup to Watch: Elijah Pepper v Otago’s Perimeter Defence
Pepper is the league’s most explosive scorer, averaging 29.0 points per game, and he has already shown he can take control of this matchup. His 33-point performance in the first meeting included a decisive personal scoring burst that flipped the game in Wellington’s favour.
Otago will need a full-team answer. Tuach, Thata-Paese, Rusbatch, Miller-Jose and Bardsley may all spend time trying to slow him down, but the key will be limiting the easy ones. Pepper can score in transition, punish switches, get to the line and hit deep threes, so the Nuggets have to make every touch difficult.
If Pepper gets into rhythm early, Wellington’s offence can survive its missing playmakers. If Otago can make him work through bodies and force the Saints into late-clock offence, the Nuggets can keep this close enough to give themselves a chance.
Matchup to Watch: Craig Moller v Hyrum Harris, Akech Aliir and Jordan Hunt
Moller’s rebounding is paramount to the Nuggets chances. He is averaging 14.8 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists, and his ability to impact the defensive glass will be vital against a Saints team that ranks third in offensive rebounds per game and first in rebounding margin.
The Saints will throw a strong frontcourt group at him. Harris brings energy, passing and rebounding, Aliir is efficient around the rim and active defensively, and Hunt gives Wellington another strong interior scorer and shot-blocker off the bench.
If Moller controls the glass, with the help of Isaac Miller-Jose, Matthew Bardsley and Zach McKenzie off the bench, Otago can reduce Wellington’s second-chance opportunities and create extra possessions of its own. If the Saints frontcourt keeps him limited on the perimeter while winning the rebounding battle, Wellington’s depth of talent will be hard to match.
Individual Leaders
Category
Night ’n Day Otago Nuggets
Mills Albert Wellington Saints
Leading scorer
Rusbatch 17.9 / Tuach 16.5 / Moller 14.8
Pepper 29.0 / Aliir 14.9 / Ingram 13.1
Leading rebounder
Moller 10.5 / Miller-Jose 6.9 / Tuach 5.8
Harris 7.8 / Aliir 7.4 / Davison 7.2
Leading assists
Louis 6.1 / Moller 2.9 / Tuach 2.3
Le’afa 7.6 / Davison 6.8 / Harris 4.8
Best FG%
Miller-Jose 59% / Bardsley 49% / Tuach 48%
Iuli 61% / Hunt 60% / Aliir 56%
Best 3PT FG%
Tuach 44% / Rusbatch 37% / Moller 31%
Munir 60% / Iuli 44% / Chunga 41%
Blocks
Miller-Jose 0.7 / McKenzie 0.3 / Tuach 0.2
Hunt 1.2 / Aliir 0.7 / Davison 0.5
Steals
Miller-Jose 1.8 / Rusbatch 1.4 / Moller 1.3
Pepper 2.9 / Davison 2.1 / Aliir 1.1
Minutes
Rusbatch 32.8 / Moller 32.3
Pepper 34.0 / Davison 30.3
Stats that Matter
Stat
Night ’n Day Otago Nuggets
Mills Albert Wellington Saints
Points Per Game
86.3 ppg (8th)
99.1 ppg (1st)
Points Allowed Per Game
87.4 ppg (3rd)
89.1 ppg (4th)
Scoring Margin
-1.1 (5th)
+9.9 (3rd)
Field Goal %
44% (7th)
50% (1st)
Field Goal % Defence
46% (6th)
46% (5th)
Free Throw %
67% (10th)
74% (2nd)
3-Point %
32% (7th)
33% (6th)
3-Point % Defence
31% (2nd)
33% (7th)
3-Point FG Made
8.8 (8th)
10.6 (3rd)
Rebounds Per Game
39.5 (9th)
43.8 (3rd)
Rebounding Margin
-2.3 (8th)
+6.6 (1st)
Offensive Rebounds Per Game
9.7 (9th)
11.2 (3rd)
Defensive Rebounds Per Game
26.3 (8th)
29.6 (2nd)
Offensive Rebound %
26% (7th)
31% (3rd)
Defensive Rebound %
72% (8th)
76% (2nd)
Assists Per Game
18.8 (8th)
25.9 (1st)
Steals Per Game
8.5 (5th)
9.1 (2nd)
Blocks Per Game
1.7 (11th)
4.0 (3rd)
Turnover Margin
+1.0 (4th)
-0.6 (6th)
Assist/Turnover Ratio
1.51 (9th)
1.82 (4th)
Last Word
The Nuggets are trying to hold their place in the Final 6 and have already shown they can push Wellington deep into the fourth quarter. A victory on their home court would give them a realistic chance in the chase for the top 4, but they need clarity on Rusbatch’s status, strong shot-making from Tuach, and another composed performance from Louis to manage the Saints’ pressure.
The Saints are chasing a top-two spot and have the league’s best offence, but they need a victory to keep control of their top 4 destiny while doing it without Davison and Le’afa changes the shape of their attack. Pepper can carry an offence, almost by himself, but Wellington will need Harris, Ingram, Aliir, Iuli and Hunt to lift the energy on both ends while carry more of the creation load.
Otago need this to become a defensive grind, with turnovers, rebounding and three-point defence keeping the score manageable. Wellington will want tempo, ball movement and Pepper in space.
If the Nuggets can slow Pepper and win the possession battle, they can make this a genuine home-court opportunity. If the Saints keep their offence humming despite the missing guards, they have enough firepower to take another important road win.