Rams grab Easter win in overtime thriller

The Otago Nuggets have been beaten by one point by the Canterbury Rams in an overtime thriller in Christchurch. Photo: NBL

It was nearly a resurrection of Easter Sunday proportions for the Otago Nuggets.

They had to settle for the consolation of giving the defending champion Canterbury Rams an almighty fright before slipping to a 108-107 loss in an overtime thriller in Christchurch this afternoon.

Nuggets guard Donald Carey jun had a late opportunity to steal victory at the end of overtime but saw his contested layup lip out as his side fell to a fourth straight loss in the National Basketball League.

While victory would have been considered a shock at the tip, the Nuggets controlled much of the game and arguably should have put it away as they led by 13 points at one stage.

They hustled and harried the Rams, who looked well off their best, but while the Nuggets started to dip towards the end of the game, the home side finally lifted.

Key to the Rams’ resurgence was Tohi Smith-Milner, who paced the victors with 28 points and 10 rebounds, while Kyle Bowen had 19 points and nine rebounds.

Carey poured in 28 points for the Nuggets, Jaylen Sebree had 24 — including 4-5 three-pointers — and Jonathan Janssen had a career night with 23 points and seven rebounds.

The Nuggets made an ugly start when they won the tip but sent it straight to Walter Brown for a gift lay-up after barely two seconds.

Sean MacDonald, the talented Australian guard on debut for the Rams, promptly drained a three with his first shot in the New Zealand league, and when the Rams jumped to a 10-3 lead, Cowles Stadium was rocking.

But much of the rest of the first half belonged to the Nuggets.

They fought back to level terms, went ahead on a delightful assist from Mac Stodart to Carey, and pushed to 21-16 on a Carey three-pointer, forcing the Rams to take a timeout.

After leading 25-23 at the end of the first quarter, the Nuggets kept up the intensity with some hustle plays and second-chance points.

Sebree found his range, hitting from long range to make it 40-35, adding a second bomb for a 47-35 lead, and nailing a third to make it 54-43 at halftime.

The Rams, who were getting some good work out of Smith-Milner (11 points and five rebounds in the first half) but otherwise never really got going, looked a bit shell-shocked.

They at least opened the third quarter with a 7-0 run but it was broken by yet another three from Sebree’s hot hand and a Janssen bomb.

The Nuggets had a 12-point lead halfway through the quarter, the Rams cut it to six with a lift in defensive intensity, and the Nuggets took a 73-65 lead into the final quarter, daring to dream of a famous win.

Matt Bardsley hit an early three then cut to the hoop for an easy score, and the Nuggets led by 11 with eight minutes to play.

When that lead was cut to seven, Christian Martin hauled in two big offensive rebounds for the Nuggets and Jose Perez drew a foul, but the Rams niggled their way back.

A Kaia Isaac three cut the Nuggets’ lead to 79-76 with five minutes to play, and a Brown three- point play tied it up.

There was an ugly moment when Smith-Milner and Sebree got into it, a Smith-Milner elbow to the guts followed by what appeared to be a Sebree punch that arguably should have ended in an ejection.

Macdonald cut to the hoop to put the Rams into the lead, Carey responded with a three, and Bowen carved out two big offensive boards and put-backs to help Canterbury to a two-point advantage with less than a minute to play.

A wild finish included a Carey turnover followed by a botched Macdonald layup, a Carey three, missed and made free throws from Smith-Milner, and a buzzer-beating attempt from Carey that missed.

That set the scene perfectly for the drama of overtime.

The Nuggets beat the Rams 45-29 in the Rapid League game.

Stodart poured in 15 points for the Nuggets, who moved to 7-2 in the curtain-raiser competition.

The scores

Canterbury Rams 108

Tohi Smith-Milner 28, Kyle Bowen 19, Sean Macdonald 16

Otago Nuggets 107

Donald Carey jun 28, Jaylen Sebree 24, Jonathan Janssen 23

Quarter scores: Nuggets 25-23, Nuggets 54-43, Nuggets 73-65, 91-91.