Unbeaten Saints face tough test

Christchurch stands between the Wellington Saints and another undefeated National Basketball League season.

The 16-0 league leaders travel to the Garden City tomorrow night to take on the Canterbury Rams in what will be their final test of the regular season.

Their last regular season game is against the shambolic Supercity Rangers, so a win over the Rams at Cowles Stadium would essentially assure them of an unbeaten regular season.

The final four will be at Horncastle Arena in Christchurch, meaning the Saints would have go into enemy territory to replicate their 20-0 2017 championship season, when they triumphed on the neutral ground of Tauranga in the final four.

The Saints got through a tough weekend last weekend when they beat the thirdplaced Hawke’s Bay Hawks 99-74 in Napier and the Rams 84-80 in Wellington in consecutive days.

They beat the Rams in Christchurch earlier this season 80-67 on two days’ rest.

With both the playoff teams and semifinal matchups already set (Saints v Southland Sharks, Rams v Hawks), the final two rounds of the regular season will be all about fine tuning and playing for pride.

This weekend’s matches start with the Taranaki Mountainairs against the Manawatu¯ Jets tonight in the battle to avoid the wooden spoon.

The Sharks host another southern derby against Tasmania’s Southern Huskies in Invercargill tomorrow night at the same time as the Rams meet the

Round 13

Saints. The Sharks match will be the one broadcast on Stuff as was predetermined some time ago.

The Huskies then travel to Nelson to take on the Nelson Giants on Saturday night.

The round finishes with the Hawks on the road in Auckland in what should be another shellacking for the wretched Rangers.