Shane Gatling came out firing and never stopped as the NBS Nelson Giants kept their play-off hopes alive with an 88-85 win over the Franklin Bulls at the Trafalgar Centre today.
With three key figures missing, the American point guard played a marathon 37 minutes and scored a staggering 56 points, easily the highest of any NBL player this season.
The 28-year-old posted 18 points in the first quarter as the Giants led 30-16 against a side missing its two Tall Black stars Reuben Te Rangi and Taine Murray.
Fellow US import Daniel Saylor was the only other Giant to reach double figures, 12, while the young bench contributed just three points in a match the home side entered in second from bottom place.
Shane dropped eight three pointers and was perfect with his 16 free throws.
“My teammates just kept finding me,” quips Shane, who was surrounded by his grateful Giants for a post-match television recap.
After Daniel and Eemi Luukkonen fouled in the final quarter, what had looked a forgone result got too close for comfort.
The Bulls, who were just one win above the Giants on the ladder, roared home to just miss by three points.
It was just the fifth win in 16 games for the battling Nelson outfit which now faces three of its last four matches on the road.
The Giants have jumped to eighth spot on the ladder, as the teams around them failed to fire this weekend.
