The Perth Wildcats pulled off a six-point swing in the final 10 seconds to stun Melbourne United, while the Tasmania JackJumpers upset the Kings. Catch up with all the NBL round 10 action.
The Perth Wildcats pulled off a six-point swing in the final 10 seconds to stun Melbourne United, while the Tasmania JackJumpers upset the high-flying Sydney Kings.
Catch up with all the round 10 NBL23 action.
Brad Elborough
Corey Webster celebrated his 250th NBL outing in style on Monday night, dropping a match-winning three-point bomb in the dying seconds to give his side an unlikely victory over Melbourne United.
The Cats trailed Melbourne by five points with less than 10 seconds remaining and little hope of recording a third consecutive win.
Winning at home has been tough for Perth, who was seconds off having a 3-5 record at RAC Arena.
But when the final buzzer sounded, Webster was mobbed by his new teammates, who were celebrating a 90-89 victory.
Spare a thought for Melbourne coach Dean Vickerman though, who is not only trying to get United’s season back on track, but had so much to do with Webster while coaching in New Zealand.
“He has done so many great things in this game,” Vickerman said.
“I have enjoyed a lot with him in New Zealand, winning four championships together and what he has done on the international stage.
“He was so close to being an NBA guy.
“I enjoy him playing really good basketball playing for other teams, but tonight I certainly didn’t enjoy that shot from him.”
It was a play just seconds earlier by Todd Blanchfield that made Perth’s win possible.
He dropped a dagger of his own with just seven seconds remaining and was sent to the free-throw line courtesy of a Shae Ili foul.
Blanchfield missed the attempt at a bonus points, but a rare Perth offensive board was knocked back to Webster, who did the rest.
The win ended a seven-game Melbourne winning streak over Perth in the West.
Cotton still the king
Bryce Cotton is still the star of the show.
The three-times NBL MVP leads the league’s scoring and added another 29 points on Monday night.
He was just one point away from reaching 30 points for a fourth time in his past six outings.
In fairness, he did have 18 of those 29 points in the first half and was kept relatively quiet by Shae Ili after half-time.
The Perth champ did lift late in the game again, scoring seven points in the final term, including a three-pointer in the last minute.
Luke Travers was the Cat that stepped up.
The rising star added nine points, four rebounds and three assists in the final 10 minutes of the game.
He was supposed to be playing in front of Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Mike Gansey, who missed his flight from the USA and will have to wait until Friday when Perth hosts New Zealand to see Travers play live.
Webster finished with 20 points for the third consecutive outing, having averaged just nine over his first nine games in Perth colours.
Perth coach John Rillie said it was a great team win.
“Hopefully we’re forming to become a great team because we’re finding different contributors on different night and we’re finding a way.
“We haven’t been finding a way previously.
“The thing I am most proud of it was we stuck with it.
“There were 12 guys who embraced that moment and made it work.
“It was our defensive intend down that last 10.4 seconds to be disruptive and come up with those plays.”
Playing on Cats weakness
For most of Monday night’s game, Melbourne did everything right.
Teams have been filling their boots against Perth, scoring at will when in the paint.
The Wildcats are giving up a massive 44 points per game over the season from the key and that has risen to 48.4 points per game in the past nine outings.
On Monday night, the story was no different.
United owned the key in offense, scoring 42 points this way, Perth managing only 30 in this manner.
Melbourne was the latest side to make the most of a glaring advantage in height over Perth.
The Wildcats have not won the rebound battle once this season.
On Monday, Melbourne had 14 more rebounds, resulting in 15 second-chance points.
Goulding was again terrific with 20 points and Xavier Rathan-Mayes scored 11 in the final term to finish with 22.
Rayjon Tucker, Marcus Lee and Isaac Humphries each pulled in eight rebounds.
Vickerman was happy with his side’s performance for most of the night, but can easily point to where improvement needs to be made.
“For the most part, we played the right way,” he said.
“They have to do a lot right to win when you‘re five up with 10 seconds to go.
“The 21 points we gave up from turnovers was pretty huge.”
-Martin Gabor
Kings coach Chase Buford described his side’s defence as “trash” after they blew a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter to lose to the JackJumpers 84-76.
The defending champions shot just 2/15 in the final term and were outscored 26-6 by a JackJumpers side that was able to exact some revenge on what happened in last season’s finals.
They survived an epic comeback by the Breakers on Thursday night but the Kings failed to learn their lesson back in Sydney.
This was a game they had wrapped up thanks to a 31-19 third quarter, but nothing seemed to drop in the final few minutes as they missed shots and again turned the ball over far too easily.
“That’s our sixth (fadeout) in a row. We just suck in the fourth quarter. We’re soft. If I knew, we wouldn’t be here,” a furious Buford said.
“Defensively we were trash all night. We were lucky that they only scored 39 in the first half.”
They had some solid contributors with Derrick Walton Jr dropping 11 points in the first quarter on his way to a team-high 21 points to go with five rebounds, but the Kings couldn’t hit a three to save themselves as they were outclassed beyond the arc.
The hosts were 0/6 in the first half and hit just 3/16 from deep compared to the visitors who went 12/36 to regularly punish the Kings from long range.
Even the reliable Xavier Cooks struggled to replicate his finals MVP heroics, failing to score in the first quarter and only managing four points by half-time.
The MVP favourite finished the afternoon with 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists but he lacked his usual flashy brilliance in the paint.
The Kings are now 10-4 on the season and will want to rediscover their killer instinct with a hectic run of games to round out 2022.
“We limited ourselves with some of the obnoxiously dumb turnovers we had tonight,” Buford said.
Doyle Rules
As western Sydney sweltered on Sunday afternoon, the JackJumpers proved that revenge is a dish best served cold as they stormed home to stun the Kings to gain a small bit of redemption for what happened last season.
Seven months to the day after they were swept by the Kings in the NBL finals, the newcomers from Tasmania pulled off the mother of all upsets to turn a 72-58 deficit with just over eight minutes to go into an incredible road win.
With their season teetering on the edge of the playoff hunt, the JackJumpers showed the spirit that carried them to last season’s finals to down the champs thanks to another monster game by Milton Doyle.
The US import backed up recent hauls of 33 and 23 points to finish with a game-high 25 points to go with six rebounds and four assists to continue his hot streak.
There’s been a lot of talk about Cooks getting a shot in the NBA one day, but JackJumpers coach Scott Roth said Doyle deserved another crack in the States after playing 10 games for the Nets in 2017/18 before bouncing around in lower divisions.
“I’ve been hearing the banter around Xavier Cooks (with people saying” NBA, NBA,” he said.
“He’s absolutely an NBA player.
“My two cents on it is the fact that he’s not new and shiny, and the same thing happened to Bryce Cotton for the last two or three years.
“When NBA people come over to scout, they spend a lot of money to fly around and they want to find the new, young thing to bring back to their GM or the president of their team.
“The guy is sitting right in front of you and it’s a real shame he hasn’t had a fair swing in the NBA. He’s that kind of quality.
“I just wish they’d take a better look at him and understand his value.”
-Lance Jenkinson
South East Melbourne Phoenix remains in hot pursuit of the NBL top two after a dominant 102-84 win over Adelaide 36ers in a Sunday blockbuster at John Cain Arena.
The Phoenix had too many weapons on the day, including the double scoring threat of Mitch Creek and Trey Kell, who were potent throughout.
The length of Zhou Qi and Alan Williams on defence was vital for the Phoenix, restricting the 36ers below their 86.3 points per game average.
The Phoenix improved to 10-6, returning to third spot on the ladder after the Cairns Taipans leapfrogged them overnight.
It was a nervous start for both teams, which told of the magnitude of the game. Quality players missed shots early that they would usually drain.
It took 90 seconds for the game‘s first basket when Sunday Dech filled the hole with a three pointer before a Robert Franks triple took the 36ers out to a 6-0 lead.
It wasn‘t too long before the Phoenix stars joined the party as they went on a 27-12 run round out the quarter. The Phoenix were in command from that point on, never relinquishing the lead.
Menacing Mitch
Creek has a knack of just taking over games. The floodgates started to open for a Creek scoring barrage in the second quarter and he began to score at will. On a three-pointer that put the Phoenix up 15 late in the second, Creek looked at the crowd, put his arms without and had the look of ‘who can stop me?’. The Phoenix star ran up 18 points by half time and finished the game with 24 points. Kell was the Phoenix‘s other scoring threat with 20 points, including four threes.
Paint presence
Chinese star Zhou Qi is starting to log some crucial minutes for the Phoenix. A troublesome calf has been an issue all season for Qi, but the 21 minutes he played are a promising sign. If Qi can get back to full fitness, the Phoenix will have arguably the best big man combination in the league with him and Williams patrolling the paint. Qi was superb in the paint with his length a constant issue for the 36ers. He finished with a double double 11 points and 10 rebounds. Williams did what he usually does and dominated the paint with 18 points. The pair undoubtedly got the better of 36ers veteran Daniel Johnson, who had a rough outing.
Lift off
36ers excitement machine Antonius Cleveland almost launched out of the stadium when he took off for a huge dunk in the first quarter. Cleveland took advantage of a sloppy Phoenix play, grabbed the steal and had a clear runway to the hoop. The import wowed the fans with a spectacular windmill dunk. It was one of only a few highlights for Cleveland, who struggled on the day. With the 36ers staring at a double digit deficit in the second period, Franks got to work, showing why he is in the upper echelon of players in the league.
His big play came in the third when he blocked Williams at the basket and went coast-to-coast for a layup. Like most of his teammates, Franks faded in the second half, finishing with a team-high 18 points.
Nick Marshall was superb off the bench with 15 points at an efficient 6-7 from the field. The Phoenix will head into their Throwdown against Melbourne United on Thursday night chock full of confidence after five wins from their past six games, while the 36ers will carry a troubling three-game losing streak into their home bout with Brisbane Bullets on Saturday night.
Scoreboard
South East Melbourne Phoenix 102 Adelaide 36ers 84
Phoenix
Mitch Creek 24 points
Trey Kell 20 points
Alan Williams 18 points
36ers
Robert Franks 18 points
Nick Marshall 15 points
– Lance Jenkinson
An impressive return from concussion by Shea Ili and a stellar Chris Goulding shooting display has propelled Melbourne United to a 104-88 win over Brisbane Bullets at a rocking John Cain Arena on Saturday night.
United put a five-game losing streak in the rearview mirror with an all-the-way win and breathed some life into its NBL campaign.
Goulding had the United fans off their feet with an incredible shooting performance, landing six threes after part of a 20-point effort.
It was a timely boost for United, who have a busy upcoming stretch with five games between now and Christmas day, including a testing road trip to Perth on Monday night to face the in-form Wildcats.
United improved to 6-10, while the Bullets are fast becoming an afterthought in the race for the top six, falling to 4-9.
While Goulding provided the daggers, the importance of Ili could not be understated in his return from a nagging battle with concussion.
You could tell Ili was champing at the bit to pull on the United jersey, pushing the pace from the point early and getting the ball humming for the home team.
It‘s no secret how valuable Ili is as a defender though and he made two huge defensive plays to help United take a 50-41 lead into half time.
He scrapped a steal from the ever-dangerous Bullets point guard Nathan Sobey as part of an 8-0 run to start the second quarter and then rose to block a driving Jason Cadee.
A big three from Ili on the three-quarter time buzzer was huge giving United a 71-63 lead going into the last.
He finished with 15 points, four assists and two steals in a stellar return.
PAINT PRESENCE
Marcus Lee demonstrated why United was keen to get him into the club.
His mindset was locked in from the outset, winning the tip off and scoring the game‘s first basket, which was part of a 9-2 start to the game for United.
The import scared the Bullets out of the paint with his length on defence and his feathery touch was on show inside the paint with 18 points and six rebounds,.including 11 points at half time.
You knew it was his night when one of his free throws seemed to sit on the cylinder for an eternity before going through the net.
Lee‘s effectiveness allowed Isaac Humphries to be eased back into battle after time off with Covid.
TUCKER TIME
Rayjon Tucker found his range early and proved a hard nut to crack for Brisbane on defence.
The 25-year-old had 13 first half points on 5-of-6 shooting and maintained his offensive threat throughout the game with 20 points
NEVER-GIVE-IN NATHAN
On numerous occasions, obey gave the Bullets the shot in the arm they needed, but it was all to no avail as they trailed all night.
After the Bullets lacklustre start, the fleet-of-feet point guard was the one who upped the tempo for the visitors.
Late in the second period, he showed his desire to get the Bullets back in the game by showing no self-preservation and landing in row B as he went for a loose ball.
Again in the second half, when the Bullets needed a spark, it was Sobey.
He finished with a game-high 24 points.
Aron Baynes endured a frustrating night with seven points and four turnovers, while Gorjok Gak scored 15 and Jason Cadee had 14.
– Matthew McInerney
Two huge triples in double overtime has allowed Cairns Taipans to overcome a plucky Illawarra Hawks to register a come-from-behind 102-101 double overtime win and climb back into the NBL’s top three.
Illawarra came out all guns blazing, dropping 27 points in the first term and at one stage in the second term hold a game-high 16-point lead despite this being their third game in six days.
The Taipans were off-target with the rock and flat without it, allowing the Hawks to put together an 11-point advantage in a strong opening salvo.
But the Taipans clawed back.
They tightened on the defensive end, had a few more shots drop and took more control of the contest.
A Tyler Harvey three with 11 seconds left on the clock sent the game to overtime, with the Hawks hitting the first five points of the extra period to have victory in their grasp.
But again, the Snakes fought for the lead, before a late Michael Frazier II layup sent it to double OT.
The teams traded desperate buckets in the frenetic extra periods, with a Pinder lay-up with just 26 seconds left on clock handing the home side a dramatic victory.
Tahjere McCall and DJ Hogg top-scored for Cairns with 23 points each, while Keanu Pinder (18pts, 14reb) and Shannon Scott (12, 13 reb) also hit double figures.
For the Hawks, Frazier finished with 26 points, seven rebounds and two steals in his massive 45-plus minute effort, while Hawks captain Sam Froling tipped in 22 points, six rebounds and a steal.
Tyler Harvey had 21 points, which featured several massive threes and four steals, while Deng Deng dropped an 11-point, 13-rebound double-double.
MCCALL RECALLED
Tahjere McCall was solid in his return to the starting line, but whether or not he stays there remains to be seen.
He led the scoring for Cairns for the second straight game (23pts), but the easy layups he didn’t convert just can’t happen at this level.
At three-quarter time, he had hit just three of 11 from the field – a measly 27.3 per cent – and while the number improved to 42 per cent by the end of overtime, he left a few too many points on the floor.
He came up with a few game-changing steals and shots in the final term to put Cairns on top, but he’s got to be cleaner with the easy ones.
SLOW START
Cairns did themselves no favours with a shockingly slow start, among their slowest of the season so far as Illawarra ran out to a 27-16 lead at the first break.
They hit at just 33 per cent from the field, including just one of five from deep, as the Hawks hammered home their opportunities.
Illawarra hit at 55 per cent, including a scintillating five from eight across four shooters.
It was an impressive opening by a team who has endured a tough season, and some big losses in the past few weeks.
DEEP CUTS
This Hawks team is a serious problem from beyond the arc.
Between Tyler Harvey, Peyton Siva, Michael Frazier II and Deng Deng, the Hawks dropped the hammer from range to keep in the game.
They shot at more than 50 per cent from deep – Frazier himself had six from 10 attempts – to keep the scoreboard ticking over and stay in the contest.
The Snakes managed to keep him quiet for the third quarter, but he popped up at the perfect time for the visitors.
The Taipans return to action on Wednesday when they host the Bullets in the Sunshine Stoush, while the Hawks are back on December 16 for a clash with the Kings.
It was Adelaide 36ers star Daniel Johnson’s 400-game party on Friday night but it was Perth Wildcats who celebrated, star import Bryce Cotton driving his side to a hard-fought eight-point win.
In another hotly contested chapter of the storied rivalry, the Sixers started well but couldn’t match the second-half heat from the Wildcats who rallied to a 98-90 win at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.
The Sixers were sixth on the ladder and Perth seventh going into the match, with the clubs swapping spots on the result that improved the Wildcats’ win-loss record to 7-7, while Adelaide dropped to 6-7.
The Wildcats held a slender 69-68 lead heading into the final term that quickly stretched to a six-point advantage.
Mitch McCarron passionately pounded his chest after he tipped the ball back in to give his side the lead with just under four minutes left as the home side went on a 9-0 run.
But Cotton was instrumental with 14 of his game-high 32 points in the last quarter.
Wildcats import TaShawn Thomas has endured a difficult introduction to the league, but the American equalled his season high tally of 14 points by halftime and finished with 22 points, with Corey Webster also finishing strongly for his 22 points.
McCarron led the way with 20 points and 13 rebounds, while Robert Franks drained 19.
DJ400
Johnson sits third on the 36ers’ games played list, behind Brett Maher (524) and Mark Davis (481), and the star veteran’s name sits comfortably alongside that pair of club legends.
A seven-time club MVP winner, a three-time All-NBL First Team member in 2014, 2017 and 2018 and Johnson was the league leading rebounder twice in 2013 and 2016 and shows no signs of slowing down in his 14th season.
The man affectionately known as ‘DJ’ was introduced to the crowd last on Friday night and received a standing ovation from fans and teammates, who wore commemorative DJ400 T-shirts to mark the occasion.
The quietly spoken star let his actions do the talking with an equal team-high six points in a lively first quarter.
Sluggish starts have been a key factor in the Sixers’ struggles at home this season, but the home side shot 64 per cent from the floor to lead 25-20 at the first break.
Johnson finished with 10 points and five rebounds.
COTTON CONVERTS
Cotton is the league’s leading scorer this season, averaging 22.2 points per game, but the star import has been quieter in two clashes against Adelaide with returns of 17 and 15 points.
That trend looked set to continue after he recorded just three points in the first quarter, but he lit the fuse for the resurgent visitors who went on a 13-4 run early in the second to take the lead.
Cotton poured in 10 points as Perth outscored the Sixers 29-21 for the quarter, with his third triple on the buzzer putting his side up 49-46.
The Sixers are back in action against South East Melbourne at the John Cain Arena on Sunday, with the Wildcats hosting Melbourne United on Monday night.
– Martin Gabor
Star import Barry Brown Jr could feel the wrath of the NBL after he was accused of calling an official “a cheat” during Thursday’s 88-81 home loss to the Kings.
On a night that started well with a few threes in the opening minutes, things quickly went downhill for the Breakers, with one of their biggest stars earning the ire of the officials for a slanderous allegation in the third quarter.
Brown was hit with a technical foul for calling one of the officials “a cheat” after he didn’t get a call when he drove to the hoop.
The official had to go to the Breakers bench to explain what had happened as tempers threatened to boil over with the home side getting no calls.
The moment of madness cost his side a point and perfectly captured just how undisciplined the Breakers were on their home court against a Kings side that committed only four fouls in the first three quarters.
All five of their starters reached double figures, with young guard Izayah Le’Afa hitting 5-6 from deep, but their bench offered very little with nobody able to stop the Kings in the paint.
They’ve now lost back-to-back games for the first time this season but at least they have eight days to regroup before they tackle the Wildcats looking to avenge last week’s defeat.
KINGS HOLD COURT
If this was meant to be Sydney’s biggest test of the season then the rest of the NBL should be running scared.
In what was supposed to be a battle of the top two teams in enemy territory, the Kings wiped the court with the Breakers for the second time this season in a scary sign that the defending champions might be playing even better this year.
The Kings now boast a 10-3 record after the win in New Zealand to give them the perfect tune up heading into Sunday’s grand final rematch against the JackJumpers.
A shaky final term made the score look closer than it actually was after the Kings exploded out of the gates with a season-high 34 points in the opening term where they drained 10 free throws, although they only hit four more for the rest of the night.
MVP favourite Xavier Cooks (18 points and 11 rebounds) had another enormous night, although he was overshadowed in the dunk stakes by Justin Simon who threw down a nasty jam in the third quarter.
Cooks also shrugged off some late cramps as teammate Derrick Walton Jr again led all scorers with 21 points after he was held to just nine when the teams met last month.
DON’T RATE THE EIGHT
Kings coach Chase Buford warned his side not to fall asleep like they did in the fourth quarter when they first played the Breakers, but they mustn’t have listened after they were guilty of eight turnovers to turn an easy win into an unnecessary thriller.
Their 16-point lead was cut to four points in the final two minutes before Walton knocked down a clutch three, but only after he and his teammates turned it over time and time again.
The Kings were guilty of travels and illegal screens and it’s why they only scored nine points in the final term after their hot start.
– Ronny Lerner
South East Melbourne have moved up to third spot on the NBL ladder after demolishing bottom-placed Illawarra 111-72 at John Cain Arena on Thursday night.
The first half was actually a competitive affair with the Hawks tying the sores 50-50 in the shadows of halftime.
But 11 days after smashing Illawarra by a club record 34 points, the Phoenix re-broke their record against the same opposition with a 39-point obliteration.
A withering 19-0 blast, which started in the second quarter and ended in the third, tore the contest wide open, as the Hawks were held scoreless for over six minutes of game time.
South East’s advantage blew out to 40 points (103-63) in the final quarter as Illawarra collapsed like a house of cards.
The Phoenix did as they pleased and in the third period, they held the Hawks below 10 points in a quarter for the first time all season.
Ryan Broekhoff played his best game of the season for the Phoenix, scoring 21 points on 6-11 field shooting, including a super 3-5 from three, while also collecting seven rebounds and a block.
Mitch Creek was at his consistent best with 19 points (8-14) and five assists, while Alan Williams (11 points and 11 rebounds) and Gary Browne (12 and 10 assists) both recorded double-doubles.
For Illawarra, Michael Frazier and Tyler Harvey were both impactful in the first half, but like their team went out of the game in the second. Frazier finished with 20 points (8-12 field shooting) and Harvey had 13.
The Hawks broke their nine-game losing streak against South East’s local rivals Melbourne United on Monday night, but they fell well short of backing that up, and their quest to win back-to-back games for the first time since April 24 continues.
PHOENIX ON FIRE
The Phoenix went at a super 55 per cent from the field (35-63), compared to the Hawks‘ 40 per cent (24-60), and the hosts also lit it up from deep, draining 16-27 at spectacular 59 per cent, while Illawarra could only manage 6-20 (30 per cent).
The hosts also hardly missed from the free-throw line, nailing 25-29 (86 per cent), outshining Illawarra who went 18-27 (66 per cent).
PHYSICAL AFFAIR
Both teams combined for a total of 51 fouls, with Phoenix committing 27. At halftime both sides looked like they were on world record pace as a total of 32 were recorded.
The overly physical nature of the contest reached a flashpoint in the second period when a hard Mangok Mathiang screen blindsighted Broekhoff mid-court, clipping the former Dallas Maverick on the chin and sending him to the floor.
The angry pair had to be separated by Mitch Creek.
MATHIANG MONSTER JAM
Illawarra big man Mangok Mathiang made his presence felt midway through the first quarter when he threw down a huge two-handed dunk, while being fouled by Mitch Creek.
Suffice to say, Mathiang enjoyed his own work and the authoritative jam prompted him to celebrate with a prolonged flex in front of the crowd.
He duly capped off the big play by converting the free throw. But he wasn’t so up and about when he air-balled a free-throw attempt late in the game.
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