The NBS Giants continue to make a habit of going down to the wire at Trafalgar Centre.
Another home game came down to the final shot, with the Giants edging the Wellington Saints 97–95 to claim their opening win of the season in front of a sellout Anzac Day crowd. In a match stacked with standout performances, Liam Judd delivered arguably the best game of his Giants career. He poured in 34 points, knocking down six of his 10 attempts from three-point range, while also producing several momentum-shifting plays at both ends of the floor.
The evening began with a frantic Rapid League opener, where the Saints snatched a 38–36 win courtesy of a buzzer-beating basket. That only heightened anticipation for the main event, including the first appearance of Finnish import Eemi Luukkonen. The 6ft 7in power forward immediately added much-needed presence to the Giants’ front court on defence. Combined with the outside shooting of Alex McNaught and Kruz Perrott-Hunt, the home side stayed within touch early, trailing 30–26 at the end of the opening quarter.
The Giants embraced the three-point shot in the first half, with Luukkonen the only player not to connect from beyond the arc. Eleven three-pointers powered the home side to 53 first-half points, leaving them just one point adrift at the main break.
Long-range shooting continued after halftime, but familiar third-quarter issues resurfaced. Careless ball handling led to costly turnovers, allowing the Saints to score easy transition baskets and open up a 78–69 lead heading into the final 10 minutes. The Giants responded by changing their approach, attacking the paint before turning again to Judd’s hot hand. His blend of ferocious drives, dunking and deadly shooting dragged the home side back into contention and lifted the crowd. With 20 seconds remaining, outstanding late defence and a deafening Trafalgar Centre atmosphere pushed the Giants one point clear. A tough defensive rebound from Liam in the closing moments sealed the result.
The Giants shot an incredible 17-34 from three, a percentage that even surprised the hometown hero.
"Wow, 50 percent from three is pretty phenomenal in any form of basketball. The boys were outstanding tonight; let's hope that continues for the rest of the season."
For the Saints, former Giants swingman Donte Ingram endured a quiet night, finishing with seven points. Centre Akech Aliir, however, was a constant threat. His desperate 30-foot attempt on the final possession drew a collective breath from the crowd before rattling the iron and bouncing clear.
