Key moments come from North’s top talent
FORMER Cairns Taipan Torrey Craig made his first NBA start over the weekend as his Denver Nuggets grabbed a 117-111 overtime win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Craig made a key defensive stop down the stretch in the game as he blocked Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday’s attempt to win the contest, sending the game into overtime.
“I said, ‘if he’s going to be up here, let’s play him’,” said Denver Nuggets head coach Mike Malone.
“I did not want to bring Torrey Craig up ‘in case of emergency’. I talked with Nikola (Jokic) and he was more comfortable coming off the bench tonight to ease him back into it. So after shoot-around I said, ‘let’s put Torrey out there. Torrey’s been guarding the GLeague’s best players, let’s put him on Jrue Holiday.’ I thought of all the guys who guarded Holiday tonight I though he did an unbelievable job guarding him.
“He’s got great size, physicality, athleticism and that last play of regulation I think speaks to the potential he has as a defender in the NBA.”
■ THE Cairns-owned Monsieur Gustave ran seventh in the Listed $150,000 Lough Neagh Stakes (1350m) at Doomben on Saturday afternoon.
Monsieur Gustave had won stakes races at his past four starts – the Eye Liner Stakes, Glasshouse Stakes, Keith Noud Stakes and George Moore Stakes, but was just over four lengths behind the winner Most Important this time out.
■ A FOUR-goal haul from Manunda Hawk Ezekiel Frank was not enough to lift Palmerston over the Darwin Buffaloes at Darwin’s TIO Stadium on Saturday.
Palmerston showed glimpses of brilliance and got within a goal when Ezekiel Frank booted the first major of the third term, the Magpies’ fourth in a row. However, Darwin responded in fine fashion.
The Magpies were led by fly-in ruckman Matt Dennis and youngster Frank, but inaccurate disposals at crucial times proved costly.
Alwyn Davey, who is likely to play at Cairns City Lions in 2018, missed the match through injury and therefore took the reins from the coach’s box.
■ Aron Baynes’ Boston saw a lead that once reached 21 points, slip away in the third quarter, but the Celtics made sure they didn’t trail for long.
On the short end of a 73-71 score after three, Boston opened the final frame with 16 straight points to pull away from the Memphis Grizzlies for a 102-93 victory.
Baynes dropped 13 points, grabbed six rebounds in 28 minutes.