Brendon Egan11:29, Jul 14 2021
Marty Melville/Photosport
Devondrick Walker and the Hawke’s Bay Hawks have found form at the right stage of the season.
OPINION: It’s the final round of the NBL season and the top four is confirmed. The exact finishing order and semifinal match-ups are still to be determined though, setting up an interesting final weekend. BRENDON EGAN looks at the key talking points for round 12.
Finals permutations The hometown Wellington Saints have top spot locked up for the Final Four in Porirua, which will be contested next Thursday and Friday. Southland and Hawke s Bay, who both have a 12-5 record, are likely to meet in one semifinal (two versus three), but it s not quite guaranteed. The fourth placed Auckland Huskies could still potentially jump up, but it would require several scenarios playing out. Auckland must beat the Saints on Saturday and hope both the Hawks and Sharks lose, forcing a three-way tie.
Brendon Egan12:13, Jul 07 2021
Joe Allison/Getty Images
Isaiah Moss and the Otago Nuggets face a defining weekend in the NBL.
OPINION: Two rounds remain in the National Basketball League’s regular season. The Saints, Hawks, and Sharks are all close to securing their final four spots, while the Huskies and Nuggets are jostling for fourth place. BRENDON EGAN looks ahead to round 11.
Do or die for Nuggets Round 11 will make or break the Otago Nuggets’ season. The NBL Showdown champions face a critical weekend, fighting for their finals lives and really need to win both games. The Nuggets (9-6), who are a game behind the Huskies (10-6), could not have scripted a tougher doubleheader, travelling to Invercargill to play the Southland Sharks on Friday. They are then back in action on Monday away to the Wellington Saints. If the Nuggets have final four aspirations, they need to show they can beat the best teams in the league and there is no better platform than this round. America
Marty Sharpe11:45, Jun 23 2021
Andy Jackson/Stuff
New lower speed limit of 30kmh for Napier CBD is being considered. (File photo)
A 30kmh speed limit in Napier’s CBD is one of several proposals put forward for consultation by the local council. Napier City Council has proposed reducing the CBD speed limit of 50kmh and proposes speed limits of 30 or 40kmh around the city’s schools at peak traffic times. These are among the amendments to the Napier Speed Limit Bylaw 2012 which the council is consulting on until July 23. Councillor Keith Price, who chairs the Sustainable Napier committee, said “data collected in the past few years shows that motorists can become complacent about sticking to the speed limit and properly observing their surroundings”.