Purchase Tickets Here<\/a><\/p>\nLast Time Out:<\/p>\n
The Whai looked electric on offense in their opener against Hawke\u2019s Bay, riding huge performances from Reuben Te Rangi late and Taine Murray early to lead by as much as 21. But a fierce Hawks comeback pushed the road team down the stretch, cutting the lead to 1 before the Whai settled to secure a 101-95 win. Te Rangi erupted for 35 points and 7 rebounds, while Murray poured in 30 and gave Tauranga a major perimeter threat. Jayden Bezzant (10p, 4r, 7a) and Xanda Marsters steered the team when needed (10p, 5r, 11a )as the Whai built a lead, absorbed Hawke\u2019s Bay\u2019s push before closing the game out. Now, with Te Rangi unavailable, that production has to be replaced elsewhere.<\/p>\n
Taranaki opened the round of school holiday hoops with a 93-84 win that was also over Hawke\u2019s Bay, a game that again showed how dangerous the Airs can be when multiple players contribute, especially with Green going down after just 10 minutes of play. Aaron Cook Jr. controlled the game with 17p, 14a and 4stls, Marcel Jones added 18p and 13r, while Taane Samuel dominated physically with 15p and 4r. The Airs took over in the second half with better execution at both ends while imposing their will on the game with the size and physicality, but they now have to adjust without leading scorer Green, who was key on both ends of the court and will be difficult to replace.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What to Expect:<\/p>\n
Projected Starters<\/p>\n
Tauranga Whai
\nPG: Xanda Marsters
\nSG: Taine Murray
\nSF:\u00a0 Cole Hopoi
\nPF:\u00a0 Jayden Bezzant
\nC:\u00a0 \u00a0Nicolas Tata<\/p>\n
Taranaki Airs
\nPG: Aaron Cook Jr.
\nSG:\u00a0 Riley Tuuta
\nSF:\u00a0 Luka Vea
\nPF:\u00a0 Marcel Jones
\nC:\u00a0 \u00a0 Taane Samuel<\/p>\n
Tauranga\u2019s reshaped starting group will have a different feel without Te Rangi. Murray now becomes the clear headline scorer after his 30-point opener, while Marsters and Bezzant will will be central to everything the Whai do offensively after handing out 18 assists combined in Napier. Nic Tata gives them a finisher with interior size who offers rim protection but will need to lift his load after seeing the court for just over 21 minutes in the opener. Look for Hopoi to absorb more responsibility on both ends in his first start (and game) of the year but it may be Dion Collins off the bench who ends up with the lions share of the minutes. It is not just about replacing the points of Te Rangi, it is about replacing one of the side\u2019s most composed and experienced decision-makers who also knew how to impose himself physically. A lift in 3-point volume would be a bonus, especially for a team shooting an unsustainable 55% from deep, but with the fewest attempts in the league (10 per game) the impact of the perimeter game is wanting.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For Taranaki, the challenge is just as significant. Green\u2019s absence removes a player who had already shown he could take over a game, so the Airs will lean harder on Cook and Jones, with Tuuta likely needing to create a bit of perimeter gravity with his shooting. Cook has already established himself as one of the league\u2019s top creators, while Jones has quietly been excellent as a scorer and rebounder. Samuel will need to continue to impose himself physically but may look to use his quickness when challenged. Vea also becomes critical, particularly if Taranaki wants to control the paint and keep its balance against a team that is down in depth on the wing. Zavier Adam has been an efficient shooter in limited minutes, if he could keep that efficiency while carrying a larger minutes load the Airs would benefit.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This game may come down to which team handles the missing piece better. Tauranga loses its biggest scorer from the opener, while Taranaki loses the leading scorer from its 2-0 start, but they may have the advantage having played most of their second game without him. In both cases, the supporting cast will matter more than usual. For the Whai, that likely means more from Bezzant, Tata and Marsters in the starting lineup and Collins and Jett Thompson off the bench. For the Airs, it likely means Tuuta, Samuel and Vea must turn their contributions into winning ones while Quintin Bailey will need to find some support to come off the bench with him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Matchup to Watch: Taine Murray v Aaron Cook Jr.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Murray has already shown he can blow a game open, lighting up Hawke\u2019s Bay with 30 points and seven made threes with most of the damage done in an explosive first half. Cook, meanwhile, has been the engine behind Taranaki\u2019s 2-0 start, averaging 15.0 points, 11.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game. Murray\u2019s wing size and scoring punch against Cook\u2019s control and creation sets up a fascinating battle. If Murray gets loose early, Tauranga can offset Te Rangi\u2019s absence. If Cook dictates tempo and creates easy looks for others, the Airs may not need one player to replace Green\u2019s full output.<\/p>\n
Matchup to Watch: Nicolas Tata v Taane Samuel<\/p>\n
Tata gives the Whai real size, length and presence around the basket. He is a big unit who can protect the rim, finish inside and anchors the paint at both ends. Samuel, though, has already shown across the opening two games that he can enforce his will in the lane, even when giving up some size. He brings physicality, energy and a willingness to attack the interior, which makes him a difficult matchup despite the length disadvantage.<\/p>\n
If Tata is able to use his frame and reach to control the glass and protect the rim while staying out of foul trouble, Tauranga will feel far more comfortable absorbing the loss of Te Rangi. But if Samuel is again able to impose himself in the paint and turn that matchup into a physical battle on his terms, the Airs will like their chances of staying balanced without Xavier Green.<\/p>\n
Individual Leaders<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\nCategory
\nWhai
\nAirs
\n
\n
\n
\n
\nLeading scorer
\nTaine Murray – 30.0
\nAaron Cook Jr. – 15.0
\n
\n
\nLeading rebounder
\nNicolas Tata – 8.0
\nLuka Vea – 8.5
\n
\n
\nLeading assists
\nXanda Marsters – 11.0
\nAaron Cook Jr. – 11.5
\n
\n
\nBest FG%
\nNicolas Tata – 75%
\nZavier Adam – 60%
\n
\n
\nBest 3PT%
\nTaine Murray – 70%
\nZavier Adam – 60%
\n
\n
\nBlocks
\nNicolas Tata \/ Geordie Hoeata – 2.0
\nQuintin Bailey – 1.5
\n
\n
\nSteals
\nXanda Marsters \/ Jayden Bezzant \/ Nicolas Tata \/ Geordie Hoeata – 1.0
\nAaron Cook Jr. \/ Luka Vea – 2.5
\n
\n
\nMinutes
\nTaine Murray – 36:10
\nAaron Cook Jr. – 35:06
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Stats that Matter<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\nStat
\nWhai
\nAirs
\n
\n
\n
\n
\nPoints Per Game
\n101.0 (3rd)
\n92.0 (4th)
\n
\n
\nPoints Allowed Per Game
\n95.0 (7th)
\n84.5 (3rd)
\n
\n
\nScoring Margin
\n+6.0 (5th)
\n+7.5 (4th)
\n
\n
\nFree Throw %
\n50% (9th)
\n60% (8th)
\n
\n
\n3-Point %
\n55% (1st)
\n37% (4th)
\n
\n
\n3-Point % Defense
\n16% (1st)
\n33% (6th)
\n
\n
\nOffensive Rebound %
\n32% (3rd)
\n8% (11th)
\n
\n
\nDefensive Rebound %
\n63% (11th)
\n81% (3rd)
\n
\n
\nAssists Per Game
\n26.0 (3rd)
\n23.5 (4th)
\n
\n
\nSteals Per Game
\n4.0 (10th)
\n9.5 (3rd)
\n
\n
\nBlocks Per Game
\n4.0 (1st)
\n3.5 (4th)
\n
\n
\nAssist\/Turnover Ratio
\n2.89 (2nd)
\n1.96 (7th)
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
The numbers underline the contrast. Tauranga has been explosive from deep and highly efficient offensively, while Taranaki has been more balanced across two games and stronger in defensive rebounding and creating turnovers. Of note the Whai were the worst defensive rebounding team by percentage (63%) in round 1, but they are coming up against the worst offensive rebounding team in the league by percentage (8%).\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Game Preview: The Northern Group Tauranga Whai (1-0) v Taranaki Airs (2-0) Someone’s “O” has to go when…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":613838,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[574],"tags":[64,63,726,85],"class_list":["post-613837","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-basketball","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-basketball","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/613837","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=613837"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/613837\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/613838"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=613837"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=613837"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=613837"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}