The National Basketball League season starts tonight in Te Awamutu with a re-run of last year's finals series, in which the Waikato Pistons beat the Nelson Giants.
In the opening night's other match the Cougars host the Bay Hawks in Christchurch.
It was to be a triple header with Auckland hosting the Otago Nuggets, who're back in the league after lack of funding forced them out last year.
But Auckland's been suspended for a year as a result of unpaid debts, and that's reduced the league to 10 teams.
Newcomers, the Southland Sharks, play the Hawks in Invercargill on Saturday night, when the Nuggets head north to take on the Harbour Heat and the Manawatu Jets host the Wellington Saints .
Tomorrow night the Giants are in New Plymouth to play the Taranaki Mountain Airs.
