The Zuardian
The Southland Sharks will have to get by without star point guard Jarrad Weeks this round, who is away on compassionate leave.
The Southland Sharks can smell finals basketball.
The defending National Basketball League champions looked a team in trouble a month ago, slumping to three straight losses.
Southland have managed to put that poor patch behind them, winning four on the trot to edge them closer to the Final Four.
A victory on their North Island road trip this weekend, against the Manawatū Jets on Thursday, or the Hawke's Bay Hawks on Saturday, would be enough to confirm their berth.
Southland, who hold a 9-5 record, own the tiebreaker over the Tasmanian-based Southern Huskies, in their first season in the NBL, having beaten them in both games in 2019.
HAGEN HOPKINS/GETTY IMAGES
Tom Abercrombie was a standout for the Wellington Saints in their wins over the Hawks and Rams last round.
The Sharks won't be content with winning one match this weekend though. They'll have aspirations to keep their winning run going to try and leapfrog the Hawks or Canterbury Rams in the standings.
No-one wants to finish fourth and cop the unbeaten Wellington Saints (15-0) in a semifinal showdown on July 20 at the NBL's Final Four weekend at Christchurch's Horncastle Arena.
While Southland will be favoured to win Thursday's clash with the lowly Jets (2-12) in Palmerston North, they'll be wary of their opposition.
Manawatū stunned the Sharks 104-100, who were missing injured Tall Black Alex Pledger, in early May in Whanganui, which they won't have forgotten.
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Anzac Rissetto, left, and Sunday Dech celebrate as the Wellington Saints improve to 15-0 after edging the Canterbury Rams on Sunday.
A victory over the Hawks, who have already confirmed their Final Four spot, would be an indication the Sharks are well and truly back on track.
Their recent wins have come over cellar dwellers, the Supercity Rangers (twice), and Taranaki Mountain Airs. They also thumped the Huskies in Invercargill, who are down on confidence.
Southland will have to get by this weekend without star Australian point guard Jarrad Weeks, a member of the New Zealand Breakers, who has briefly returned home on compassionate leave.The Sharks are hopeful of having former Oregon State point guard Roberto Nelson back in their lineup, who has been battling a calf injury. American guard Brandon Lucas, who served as injury cover against Taranaki on Saturday, also remains with the team.
Hawke's Bay will be desperate to return to form with a win against the Sharks after their blowout loss to the Saints at home on Saturday.
The Hawks would have been eager to make a statement and hand the Saints their first loss of the year, but were dominated 99-74.
In other round 12 games, the Rams face the Giants in Nelson on Thursday in a South Island derby before returning home to play the Rangers in Christchurch on Sunday.
Wellington's bid for a perfect regular season continues against the Jets on Sunday in the capital. The Saints finish round play against the Jets, followed by the Rams and Rangers away.
They are seeking to replicate what the Saints team from 2017 did, the only side in NBL history to go through round play unbeaten.
Taranaki make the long trek to Tasmania to take on the Huskies in Launceston on Saturday in their penultimate home game of the season.
AT A GLANCE:
NBL round 12:
Thursday 7pm: Jets v Sharks at Central Energy Trust Arena, Palmerston North
Thursday 7.35pm: Giants v Rams at Trafalgar Centre, Nelson (Sky Sport)
Saturday 7pm: Hawks v Sharks at Pettigrew Green Arena, Napier
Saturday 9pm: Huskies v Airs at Silverdome, Launceston (Stuff)
Sunday 3pm: Saints v Jets at TSB Bank Arena, Wellington (Stuff)
Sunday 5pm: Rams v Rangers at Cowles Stadium, Chch (Stuff)
Standings: Saints 15-0, Rams 11-3, Hawks 11-3, Sharks 9-5, Huskies 6-8, Giants 6-9, Rangers 3-12, Jets 2-12, Airs 2-13
