Rhys Carter about to win the game.
Photograph by Peter Hart
So much of the NBL's recent news has been about the big name players. Dave Thomas signing with Melbourne. Julius Hodge walking out on Adelaide.
A quick glance at the box score would confirm the same thing about Saturday's game between the Crazy John's South Dragons and the New Zealand Breakers. Kirk Penney, the league's leading scorer, had 32 for the Breakers, while Dragons captain Mark Worthington led his team with 27.
But that 115-112 overtime win by the Dragons was also about the unheralded guys off the bench. Nathan Herbert hit two free throws and a huge three in overtime. Mika Vukona continually came up with clutch rebounds and big shots when the Dragons needed them.
And, of course, Rhys Carter exploded for a career-high 25 points and the game-winning three pointer with two seconds remaining.
Carter, essentially signed by the team as a "tenth man" over the summer, has contributed well all season. Last night's game took that to a whole new level.
"I couldn't be happier," Carter said after the game. "I"ve been down lately. The last four of five games the shot hasn't been there and I'd come out a bit nervous. Goorj and Guy (Molloy) said go back to playing good defence and work your way into the game that way."
Carter did just that, quickly making a couple of steals and bringing high energy onto the MSAC court before lighting up the scoreboard from the outside.
The game was another example of the Dragons' bench getting it done and providing a spark when one was needed. The bench outscored the Breakers' bench 56-21, and in overtime, 13 of the Dragons' 15 points were courtesy of bench players.
Of course that also speaks volumes about the confidence head coach Brian Goorjian continues to have in his reserves.
"We ran two plays with the young guys in there that they executed to perfection and hit shots," Goorjian said. "We ran three plays prior to that with (other players) on the floor and got nothing out of it."
And don't expect this trend to end any time soon, because with a difficult schedule of six games remaining, Goorjian will need all the help he can get from the bench.