DESTINY beckoned for the Wellington Saints as they captured the 2021 NZ NBL crown, outlasting the Hawke's Bay Hawks in a thrilling 77-75 win Friday at Te Rauparaha Arena in Porirua.
Wellington Saints rule NZ league
Missing the 2020 season, the league's top seed came back with a vengeance and dug deep to unleash a title-clinching fourth-quarter finishing kick to claim trophy no. 12 in the New Zealand semi-professional league.
Former La Salle forward Taane Samuel played big for Wellington, firing 26 points, none bigger than his left wing three that gave his side a 75-71 lead with 2:16 remaining.
Hawke's Bay refused to back down, cutting the lead down to just two after Rhys Vague's layup with 37 seconds left that set up the pulsating finish.
Samuel had a chance to ice the game but missed his three, yet the Saints gained another chance, only for Kerwin Roach Jr. to turn the ball over with five seconds left.
Devondrick Walker, however, could not cash in on his steal as he ran out of time in his drive as the confetti fell from the rafters celebrating this latest achievement for the Saints.
Roach added 16 points, seven boards, three assists, and two blocks to be named as the Finals MVP, while Season MVP Dion Prewster did the yeoman job with his 15 points, five rebounds, three dimes, two steals, and two rejections.
Fil-Kiwi gunner Ken Tuffin also won his first NZ NBL crown in his second year in the league as he finished with five points and four rebounds in the finale.
Tohi Smith-Milner also got significant contribution with his nine points, four assists, and three boards, as he gave Wellington the go-ahead bucket after completing an alley-oop play that put his team up, 72-71 with 2:59 to play.
It was a character defining performance for Wellington, which was limited to just nine points in the third quarter and fell behind by six, 62-56 early in the final canto.
Walker did all he could in the losing effort for the Hawks with 31 points and seven rebounds, as Hyrum Harris got a double-double of 22 points and 11 boards in the runner-up finish.
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