IMPORT Trey Mourning has dominated on debut in the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL) last night, putting up a massive double-double to lead the Nelson Giants to a 19-point opening night win over the Otago Nuggets. The Giants blew the game apart in the opening quarter to race to an 18-point lead, and whilst the Nuggets were competitive after quarter time, the damage was done and the home side celebrated the 88-69 victory. Mourning was the star of the show, putting up a ridiculous 35 points and 14 rebounds, as well as four assists and a steal.

Otago Nuggets scored the first three points of the match, but soon the Giants were on the board and piled on the next eight. In the blink of an eye, Mourning had notched up double-figure points midway through the opening term, and racking up boards with ease. Though the Nuggets had cut the deficit to 12 points nearing quarter time, back-to-back triples from the Giants saw Tyler Marsh and Jarred Burnett put the lead out to 18 at the first change.

The teams traded blows in the second term with the advantage getting out to as much as 25 points with a couple of minutes to go, before Nikau McCullough scored the last two baskets of the half to make it 21 at the main break. The Nuggets would go on to win the third term 18-15 and score the last seven points of the term after it threatened to blow out further, though any chance of a comeback was soon snuffed out early in the fourth when Mourning made another two shots to put it back up to 21 points. Nelson lost the final term by two, with the final deficit resting at 19 points.

Nelson’s long-range shooting was key with 13 triples at 36 per cent efficiency compared to Otago’s four at 17 per cent. They also dominated the ball-handling statistics with 15 assist to eight, and 18 steals to six, as well as 10 less turnovers (13-23). It showed the Nuggets had plenty of the play but wasted it, scoring 42 of their 69 points in the paint, but were punished by conceding 30 points off turnovers. They did take control in the rebounds despite Mourning’s dominance, racking up 52-38 largely due to Sam Timmins who picked up 17 himself.

Mourning unsurprisingly earned the full 10 votes in the Most Valuable Player (MVP), whilst Timmins’ 18 points and 17 rebounds earned him seven votes. Jarrod West (12 points, seven steals, three rebounds and three assists) was superb defensively, with Nic Trathen (13 points, two rebounds) And Sam Dempster (10 points, seven rebounds, five steals and three assists) both impressive. For the Nuggets, McCullough ended the game with 21 points, five rebounds and two steals, but few others contributed on the scoreboard with Josh Aitcheson assisting off the board with seven rebounds, but only the two points.

The Nelson Giants take on Auckland Tuatara on May 6 for Round 2, whilst the Otago Nuggets will have a chance for redemption this weekend, locking horns with Canterbury Rams tomorrow.