The Nelson Giants have found their answer to three-point king Steph Curry and he was under their noses the whole time.
Sam Dempster, the 31-year-old veteran of the Mike Pero Nelson Giants, hit an incredible nine three pointers in his side’s 95-90 win over the top-of-the-table Auckland Tuatara in Auckland tonight.
Dempster, the Giants' captain who has been known for his strong defensive work in the past, has been a revelation for the Giants from the three-point line this season.
But tonight’s performance was his best yet, scoring a game-high 29 points and dragging his side from a six-point deficit at the first quarter break and down by two at half time to a big win on the road.
The victory draws the Giants level with Hawkes Bay and Auckland at the top of the Sal’s NBL ladder, with the Giants to play the Hawkes in Napier on Sunday.
The Giants had a fast start to the game but had an early 10-point lead ripped apart by the hosts, who went on a 16-0 run to lead by 27-21 at the first quarter break.
Nelson continued its sluggish run in the early minutes of the second quarter but Sam Thompson hauled the Giants back into the game with a 15 point burst in the second quarter to help his side close the gap and go into the half time break down by just two points.
Then Dempster went crazy, draining three pointers at will to give the Giants a massive momentum shift. With the seconds ticking away in the third quarter, Jarrod West hit a massive three-pointer to give the Nelson the lead for the first time since the first quarter.
It was a lead that the Giants wouldn’t give up with Trey Mourning, West, Alex Mcnaught and Thompson all playing a part in the dying minutes to give the Giants the win.
Giants 95 (Dempster 29, Thompson 24, West 16). Tuatara 90 (Schneider 27, Russo-Nance 18, Loe 15)
