Game Preview – Canterbury Rams v Nelson Giants 16/03/25

After opening the season with a loss on the road to the Whai, the Rams bring it back home to host the Nelson Giants and put a win on the board.

If you’re heading down to Cowles Stadium tonight, make sure to get there for the championship banner ceremony at 6:20pm.

Game Info

Sunday, March 16th, 2024. 

Rapid League: 5:30 PM. Sal’s NBL: 6:30pm.

Cowles Stadium, Christchurch.

Watch live on Sky Sport 4 (NZ), ESPN3 (USA), FIBA YouTube (Globally)

So, What Are We Dealing With?

Like most teams, Nelson fell 0-2 to the Rams in 2024, coming close in their second encounter with a narrow two point loss thanks to the heroics of former import guard Kobe Langley. There’s a few new faces in Nelson for 2025, with last season’s frontcourt of Dan Grida, Dan Fotu, and Theo Akwuba being replaced with imports Brice Johnson and Callum Dalton, as well as long-time Giant Sam Dempster.

Out of those three, Let’s focus on Johnson; a former NBA first-round pick and a dominant presence in the Japanese B.League. The 6’10” UNC legend suffered a season ending injury during the 2023 season and has come to the land of the long white cloud to put his name back on the map. It’s tough to say what sort of shape he’ll be in considering his recent absence from professional basketball, but keeping him off the boards and limiting his paint touches will be key tonight. 

Last season Nelson were near the bottom of the league in three pointers attempted (22.9) and dead-last in percentage (27.7%). The Rams however don’t mind hoisting a few long range bombs. At the Westside Blitz preseason, Canterbury launched 31 three-pointers per game. While the clip wasn’t ideal, the system generates good looks. If you watched the Tauranga game, you probably think I’m crazy for suggesting this considering the Rams’ 3/18 performance. Look for known shooters Kaia Isaac, Tohi Smith-Milner, and Max Darling to turn the teams’ shooting woes around.

The Hot Topic: T-Britt the Table Setter

It’s no secret that the play of Taylor Britt is vital towards the success of this team, especially while we are down three imports. The reigning Most Outstanding NZ guard struggled in his season debut against the Whai, shooting just 31% from the field.

While his scoring is what vaulted him into All Star Five conversations, his biggest strength is his poise as a decision maker and an on-court organiser. Against Nelson last season, Britt had an absolutely ludicrous assist-to-turnover ratio of 5.3. Talk about taking care of the ball. Tonight I’d love to see that version of Britt – pushing the pace and creating efficient opportunities for his teammates.

Injury Report (as of 16/03/25)

Canterbury Rams
QUESTIONABLE – Walter Brown (injury)
OUT – Sean Macdonald (injury)
OUT – Kyle Bowen (ANBL finals)
OUT – CJ Penha (personal)
OUT – Jonty Bond (illness)

Nelson Giants
OUT – Callum McRae (Overseas)

Tickets Are Still Available!

Spend your Sunday evening cheering on the Canterbury Rams. Tickets are available for purchase all the way to tipoff. See y’all tonight!

Buy Tickets Here.