Posted on Sunday, July 19th, 2026
Game Preview: Bulls vs Airs
The race for the sixth and final place in the Sal’s NBL postseason reaches a critical stage today when the Franklin Bulls host the Taranaki Airs at Franklin Pool and Leisure Centre.
The Airs enter at 6-12, one victory ahead of the 5-12 Bulls, with both teams attempting to chase down the sides immediately above them. Taranaki won the first meeting by a single point, but Aaron Cook Jr is unavailable with injury.
Regardless of the results elsewhere this weekend, the mathematics are clear. The winner remains in the chase for six while the loser will be on the outside looking in. Who will keep their finals dream alive in the stockyard today?
Franklin Bulls vs Taranaki Airs
When: Sunday 19 July
Where: Franklin Pool and Leisure Centre, Pukekohe
Rapid League: 5:00pm
Sal’s NBL: 6:00pm
Watch: Sky Sport 3
Commentary: Nathan Limm and Krystal Leger-Walker
Box Score Here
Tickets Here
Player Status Report
The Bulls have named Carter Whitt, Derrin Boyd, Jace Carter, Kael Robinson and Dominique Kelman-Poto as their starting five, with their primary rotation available.
The Airs have named Zavier Adam, Brandon Stroud, Nico Hill, Marcel Jones and James Moors as their starters. Taane Samuel, Quintin Bailey, Luka Vea and Riley Tuuta are among the available options from the bench.
Aaron Cook Jr is unavailable with a hamstring injury. Cooper James and Zavier Pearn have not been selected.
What a Win Means
The Manawatū Jets entered the weekend holding sixth place with seven victories, while the Whai, Airs, Giants and Bulls remained in the chasing group.
If the Airs win
Taranaki improves to 7-12 and move level with the Jets on victories and firmly in the chase for sixth. The Airs would remain capable of reaching eight wins, but their final regular-season game is a difficult road assignment against the Auckland Tuatara.
If the Bulls win
Franklin improves to 6-12 and remains capable of reaching eight victories by winning its remaining games against the Jets and Canterbury Rams.
The Bulls’ next game against Manawatū would then become a direct opportunity to gain ground on one of the teams currently ahead of them. Franklin also holds a sizeable points-percentage advantage over Taranaki entering today, an important consideration if several teams finish with the same number of wins.
If either team loses
The losing team can finish with no more than seven victories and would find themselves on the outside looking in due to points percentage.
That would leave it needing to win every remaining game and rely on results involving the Jets, Whai, Giants and today’s winner. Points percentage is the first tiebreaker, meaning the margin today could eventually become almost as important as the result.
First Matchup
Monday 27 April: Taranaki Airs 91 defeated Franklin Bulls 90
The Airs entered the first meeting following a full week of preparation and made the sharper start, establishing a 26-15 lead after the opening quarter.
Franklin gradually worked its way back into the contest. The Bulls won both the second and third periods 25-21, with Jace Carter creating shots for himself and his teammates as Taranaki’s advantage disappeared.
The teams traded baskets throughout the closing stages before Taane Samuel connected from three to give the Airs breathing room. Derrin Boyd responded to reduce the margin to one, but Franklin was unable to convert the final possession and Taranaki escaped with the victory.
Cook Jr controlled the game with 18 points, five rebounds and 12 assists, while Samuel and Luka Vea each contributed 15 points. Cook’s absence today means the Airs must find another way to reproduce the organisation and creation that proved decisive in New Plymouth.
Taranaki Airs: Aaron Cook Jr 18 points, five rebounds and 12 assists; Taane Samuel 15 points and four rebounds; Luka Vea 15 points and five assists.
Franklin Bulls: Derrin Boyd 27 points, eight rebounds and four assists; Jace Carter 24 points and nine rebounds; Carter Whitt 15 points, six rebounds and eight assists.
Last Time Out
Night ’n Day Otago Nuggets 92 defeated Franklin Bulls 88
The Bulls suffered their fifth consecutive defeat when the Nuggets held on for a four-point victory in Pukekohe.
Franklin won the offensive rebounding battle 19-5 and scored 19 second-chance points, but the Bulls shot 41 percent from the field and only 25 percent from three. Otago made 14 triples at 40 percent, providing the difference in a close contest.
Carter Whitt led Franklin with 22 points, three rebounds, nine assists and three steals. Jace Carter added 20 points, nine rebounds and four assists, while Derrin Boyd also scored 20 points and collected seven rebounds.
Franklin Bulls: Carter Whitt 22 points, three rebounds, nine assists and three steals; Jace Carter 20 points, nine rebounds and four assists; Derrin Boyd 20 points and seven rebounds.
Otago Nuggets: Ethan Rusbatch 21 points and four rebounds; Alain Louis 21 points, three rebounds and six assists; Craig Moller 15 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks.
Nelson Giants 98 defeated Taranaki Airs 73
Taranaki was unable to build on its competitive three-point road loss against Canterbury, falling heavily to Nelson in New Plymouth.
The Airs struggled from the perimeter, making only four of their 24 three-point attempts, while the Giants shot 45 percent overall and connected on 13 triples. Nelson also finished with a 49-48 rebounding advantage and recorded 26 assists.
Brandon Stroud produced 28 points, four rebounds, six assists and four steals. James Moors added 14 points and 16 rebounds, while Marcel Jones finished with 14 points and nine boards.
Taranaki Airs: Brandon Stroud 28 points, four rebounds, six assists and four steals; James Moors 14 points and 16 rebounds; Marcel Jones 14 points and nine rebounds.
Nelson Giants: Kruz Perrott-Hunt 23 points, seven rebounds, three assists and five steals; Tohi Smith-Milner 23 points and seven rebounds; Shane Gatling 13 points.
What to Expect
Franklin’s clearest advantage is its ability to create extra possessions.
The Bulls lead the league with 13.7 offensive rebounds per game and an offensive rebounding percentage of 35 percent. Carter, Robinson, Kelman-Poto and Ellis Biggar consistently attack the glass, helping Franklin remain competitive even when its perimeter shooting is not falling.
That strength targets Taranaki’s greatest statistical weakness. The Airs are last in rebounding margin at minus-5.7 per game and collect a league-low 20 percent of available offensive rebounds. Moors is an elite individual rebounder, but Taranaki needs greater support from Jones, Stroud, Bailey and Samuel.
The Airs’ advantage comes through their defensive activity. Taranaki leads the league with 9.2 steals per game and owns the competition’s best turnover margin. Stroud is one of the league’s leading individual defenders, while the length of Marcel Jones, James Moors and Taane Samuel can create deflections and disrupt passing lanes.
Franklin looks after the ball exceptionally well. The Bulls commit only 11.4 turnovers per game and rank second with a 1.86 assist-to-turnover ratio. Whitt is the engine of that efficiency, leading the league with 9.6 assists per game.
Cook’s absence places additional pressure on Taranaki’s offence. He leads the Airs with 6.8 assists and 2.9 steals per game, so Stroud, Adam and Vea must assume more responsibility as ball-handlers.
Both sides have struggled to score efficiently from the perimeter. Franklin shoots 30 percent from three, while Taranaki is last at 29 percent. Whichever team can generate clean attempts rather than settling for contested jumpers will give itself a major advantage.
Matchups to Watch
Jace Carter vs James Moors
Two of the league’s leading rebounders meet in an indirect matchup that could determine which team controls the possession battle.
Carter averages 20.2 points and 10.9 rebounds and ranks among the competition leaders in offensive boards. He can attack from the perimeter, score through contact and create second opportunities with his activity around the rim.
Moors averages 15.8 points and 10.4 rebounds while shooting 49 percent from the field. His 16-rebound performance against Nelson demonstrated his ability to control the glass even when Taranaki is struggling collectively.
The Airs cannot allow Carter and Franklin’s other forwards to overwhelm Moors with numbers. At the other end, Moors must make the Bulls defend through post touches, screening actions and movement around the basket.
Derrin Boyd vs Brandon Stroud
Boyd is Franklin’s leading scorer at 21.6 points per game and remains capable of taking over a contest with difficult shot-making. He scored 27 points in the first meeting and will again be one of Taranaki’s primary defensive concerns.
Stroud averages 16 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.8 steals. With Cook unavailable, he must contribute at both ends by disrupting Boyd while also carrying a greater share of the Airs’ offensive creation.
Taranaki cannot allow Boyd to establish an early rhythm, but Stroud must remain disciplined and avoid foul trouble in a matchup that places significant responsibility on him.
Individual Leaders
Franklin Bulls
Derrin Boyd: 21.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists
Jace Carter: 20.2 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists
Carter Whitt: 16.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 9.6 assists and 2.3 steals
Dominique Kelman-Poto: 11.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists
Taranaki Airs
Brandon Stroud: 16.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.8 steals
James Moors: 15.8 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists
Marcel Jones: 11.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists
Taane Samuel: 10.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists
Individual Category Leaders
Category
Franklin Bulls
Taranaki Airs
Leading scorer
Derrin Boyd, 21.6ppg
Brandon Stroud, 16.0ppg
Rebounding
Jace Carter, 10.9rpg
James Moors, 10.4rpg
Assists
Carter Whitt, 9.6apg
Brandon Stroud, 4.5apg
Steals
Carter Whitt, 2.3spg
Brandon Stroud, 2.8spg
Blocks
Jace Carter, 0.8bpg
James Moors, 0.8bpg
Field-goal percentage
Dominique Kelman-Poto, 62%
Quintin Bailey, 55%
Three-point percentage
Hunter Savill, 53%
Riley Tuuta, 44%
Turnovers
Carter Whitt, 3.4 per game
Brandon Stroud, 3.1 per game
Made three-pointers
Derrin Boyd, 2.7 per game
Marcel Jones, 2.2 per game
Stats That Matter
Category
Franklin Bulls
Taranaki Airs
Record
5-12
6-12
Maximum wins possible
8
8
Points percentage
94
88
Last five games
0-5
1-4
Points per game
89.3, 6th
83.2, 11th
Points allowed
95.4, 9th
90.1, 6th
Scoring margin
-6.1, 7th
-6.9, 8th
Field-goal percentage
43%, 10th
44%, 9th
Defensive field-goal percentage
51%, 11th
46%, 6th
Three-point percentage
30%, 10th
29%, 11th
Defensive three-point percentage
35%, 9th
33%, 6th
Free-throw percentage
67%, 10th
62%, 11th
Rebounds
41.3 per game, 6th
38.7 per game, 9th
Rebounding margin
+1.4, 5th
-5.7, 11th
Offensive rebounds
13.7 per game, 1st
7.9 per game, 10th
Assists
21.1 per game, 4th
19.3 per game, 7th
Turnovers
11.4 per game
12.8 per game
Assist-to-turnover ratio
1.86, 2nd
1.50, 9th
Steals
8.5, 5th
9.2, 1st
Blocks
2.0, 11th
2.3, 8th
Final Word
There was only one point between these teams in April, and another close contest would be no surprise with their seasons now potentially resting on the outcome.
Franklin has the league’s leading offensive rebounding attack, the competition’s leading assist provider and three players capable of scoring 20 points. The Bulls must turn those advantages into efficient possessions and avoid the defensive breakdowns that have contributed to their five-game losing run.
Taranaki enters without Cook, removing its leading playmaker and most productive ball-pressure defender. Stroud must carry a greater creative load, while Moors and Jones need to prevent Carter and the Bulls from controlling the glass.
The winner remains capable of reaching eight victories and stays firmly involved in the Final 6 race. The loser is capped at seven and will leave Pukekohe needing victories, favourable results elsewhere and assistance from the points-percentage tiebreaker.