Win ‘feels incredible’: Timmins
THERE was no doubting how much this one meant to Sam Timmins.
It is not that the National Basketball League title did not hold huge significance to the rest of the team — that much was clear in the celebrations.
But the Otago Nuggets centre was the local product on court when the buzzer sounded in Saturday’s 8173 win over the Auckland Tuatara.
He knows what it is like to grow up in Otago, to see the big names from the big cities from afar and feel like his team has been written off by the rest of the country.
That is what made the win all the more special.
‘‘There’s so many reasons why it feels incredible,’’ Timmins said after Saturday’s final.
‘‘The baseline reason, everyone’s proud to be from Otago. In the basketball world, anyone from Otago has a chip on their shoulder, because noone thinks we’re going to do anything, that’s just the way it is.
‘‘Especially playing against an Auckland team in the final. I’m absolutely rapt.’’
Timmins had 10 points and nine rebounds in Saturday’s final and was the key man in beating the Nelson Giants a night earlier in the semifinal.
His presence on the interior has been huge and his star has risen brightly since he returned to Dunedin last year.
The NBL win rated alongside his Tall Blacks debut and winning the national secondary school title with Otago Boys’ High School as his career highlights.
Again, it was knowing what it was like to be a schoolboy in Otago that he felt made this win so significant for the province.
‘‘I think, honestly, it’s validating us for the work we put in.
‘‘We know we’re not just working down here for nothing. We can work and compete with the biggest names in the country.
‘‘For kids, the Nuggets isn’t a very well known thing in Dunedin. We have empty games sometimes.
‘‘But the more you win, kids see that, ‘Wait, a team from down here won in basketball?
We can do that?’
‘‘That’s inspiring to people. I think that makes it so much sweeter.
‘‘Kids can see what we’re doing from the place we come from and believe they can compete with the biggest names in the country in the biggest places.’’
Timmins said the win had been built off the Nuggets raising their defensive game.
He said there had been enough talent in the team across the board, but it had been a case of locking into their work.
‘‘Offence is never a problem. ‘‘Where we were going to win this, or lose this, was just how hard we locked up and played defence.
‘‘We bought into the defensive schemes and executed and believed stopping the other team from scoring was going to get it done. ‘‘And that’s what happened.’’ Timmins admitted he was looking forward to a break, before rejoining the New Zealand Breakers for the Australian NBL season over the summer.