THE Taranaki Mountainairs snapped their two-game slide with an emphatic 107-81 victory over the Otago Nuggets in the 2020 Sal's NBL Showdown Wednesday at The Trusts Arena in Auckland, New Zealand.
Fil-Kiwi forward Ken Tuffin contributed big in Taranaki's 37-point third quarter explosion to flip the game from a 46-39 halftime deficit to a commanding 76-65 lead.
The sniper from Far Eastern University scored seven of his 15 points in that frame before finishing with a 2-of-4 shooting from deep, on top of five rebounds and two steals.
Derone Raukawa led the Mountainairs with 23 points, six assists, four boards, and three steals, while Shane Temara had 18 points and 11 rebounds to his name.
Kiwi guard Francis Mulvihill, who's studying in Enderun, also had a solid outing with 17 points, four rebounds, and two dimes in his first time as a starter, as Marcel Jones flirted with a triple-double with his 15 points, 18 boards, and seven assists to hike Taranaki's record to 3-2.
The Mountainairs return to action on Sunday against the Manawatu Jets.
Jordan Ngatai led Otago with 22 points, as University of the East guard Richie Rodger finished with seven points and two steals in 23 minutes of play in a losing cause.
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