Giants end losing streak with win over Otago Nuggets
The Nelson Giants have put up an almighty battle to notch their first game of the NBL season.
They beat the Otago Nuggets 98-86 at the Edgar Centre tonight after losing their opening eight games of the season.
The visitors led from the opener and while the Nuggets fought back, they were unable to break through the lead.
Big Jeremy Combs led the way with a double of 25 points and 11 rebounds.
Jose Perez finished with 32 points and 11 rebounds for the Nuggets, while Jonathan Janssen added 16 points.
The Giants found Combs in the paint easily, who scored all of their opening 12 points.
Hayden Jones tripled for the Giants and experienced veteran Sam Dempster added another to extend 21-16.
Jaylen Sebree got down low to stop an easy road to the post. He came up with a block soon after and fired the ball to Mac Stodart to finish off.
Dempster drilled another triple to give the Giants a 28-22 lead at the break.
The Nuggets struggled to box out, giving the Giants several chances with the ball.
The home side eventually stopped the play, thanks again to Sebree's efforts on defence, but were unable to finish.
But it was the Giants who had the better of the quarter and started to split their points.
Alex Robinson banked a deep two, and sent a great ball in to Lachlan Crate who finished with a dunk to extend the visitors' lead to 10 points.
Don Carey Jr drove hard into the paint to hit back, Darcy Knox added another and Janssen spotted the mismatch to deliver.
Perez was called for a technical foul late in the second quarter and the Giants held a 51-39 lead at halftime.
Stodart opened the second half with a three from the top of the arc, off the back of better hustle from the Nuggets.
The Giants put the pressure on around the arc, forcing the Nuggets to swing the ball and battle to find the openings.
Combs added to the visitors' tally from the stripe but Stodart hit back with another big three.
Carey Jr added another triple and Perez finished off a reverse lay-up to close the gap to six.
The Nuggets tightened up defensively and Perez reduced the deficit to four in what was a much better quarter from the home side.
But the Giants fought back and returned their lead to 74-64 at the end of the third quarter.
They came out of the break the better as well, quickly shifting to a commanding 83-65 lead.
Sebree found Janssen under the hoop to close the gap to nine, but Liam Judd banked a triple to restore a 92-78 buffer.
Perez added consecutive triples and Sebree added another, but it was not enough in the end.
The Giants had a 38-35 win in the Rapid League game. NBL The scores
Nelson Giants 98
Jeremy Combs 25, Callum McRae 18
Otago Nuggets 86
Jose Perez 32, Jonathan Janssen 16
Quarter scores: Nelson Giants 28-22, 51-39, 74-64.
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