NBL 23 round five has arrived and already there have been more than the fair share of surprises. Everything you need to know including teams, a new finals format, rule change, and how to watch the latest round on Kayo.
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Ladder ahead of round five
1. Sydney Kings (5 wins, 2 losses) – defending champions, points differential of 65 and have an unbeaten NBL record of 16 wins on the road
2. New Zealand Breakers (4 wins, 2 losses) – New coach Mody Maor has guided the Breakers to almost as many wins in the first six games as the five they registered all of last season
3. Adelaide 36ers (2 wins, 1 loss) –C.J. Bruton’s second season as coach, rebounded from 25 point thrashing to Tasmania at home in their first game back from the USA and one of their next two included a win over Sydney
4. Cairns Taipans (6 wins, 2 losses) – 2021/22 was first season for Adam Forde but has his team 4-2 with an unbeaten record on the road, one of those wins included beating the Kings
5. Perth Wildcats (3 wins, 2 losses) – missed finals last season for first time in 35 years, former Boomers’ assistant John Rillie is the new coach and have lost last two to Melbourne United and Tasmania
6. Tasmania Jackjumpers (4 wins, 3 losses) – finalists in debut season, second best points differential behind the Kings with 37
7. South East Melbourne Phoenix (3 wins, 3 losses) – found their mojo with a full-strength side in New Zealand last week, then lost by a point back at home to Brisbane to square the wins and losses
8. Melbourne United (two wins, 4 losses) – last season’s minor premiers defeated by Tasmania 2-1 in best of three semi-finals series last season and have been taught a lesson twice by the Kings at home so fat this campaign, 71-91 and 69-87
9. Brisbane Bullets (1 win, 5 losses) – welcome Boomer and NBA champion with San Antonio Spurs Aron Baynes for new season, but that has not translated to results, posting just one win from five matches which came on Monday night against Illawarra
10. Illawarra Hawks (1 win, 5 losses) – defeated by Sydney Kings 2-0 in best of three semi-finals series last season and struggling under new coach Jacob Jackomas
Round 5
The regular season is scheduled to run from October 1, 2022 to February 5, 2023 followed by finals. The Sydney Kings will host the first ever Christmas Day game against rivals Melbourne United. This week is round five.
Round 5:
Thursday, October 27
Brisbane Bullets (10th) v Illawarra Hawks (9th), Nissan Arena, Brisbane.
Live on Kayo 7.30pm (ACT, NSW, TAS & VIC), 7pm (SA), 6.30pm (QLD), 6pm (NT) and 4.30pm (WA).
Friday, October 28
Adelaide 36ers (3rd) v New Zealand Breakers (2nd), Adelaide Entertainment Centre.
Live on Kayo 7.30pm (ACT, NSW, TAS & VIC), 7pm (SA), 6.30pm (QLD), 6pm (NT) and 4.30pm (WA).
Perth Wildcats v South East Melbourne Phoenix, Perth’s RAC Arena.
Live on Kayo 9.30pm (ACT, NSW, TAS & VIC), 9pm (SA), 8.30pm (QLD), 8pm (NT) and 6.30pm (WA).
Saturday, October 29
Illawarra Hawks v Melbourne United, WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong.
Live on Kayo 5.30pm (ACT, NSW, TAS & VIC), 5pm (SA), 4.30pm (QLD), 4pm (NT) and 2.30pm (WA).
Sydney Kings v Cairns Taipans, Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena.
Live on Kayo 8pm (ACT, NSW, TAS & VIC), 7.30pm (SA), 7pm (QLD), 6.30pm (NT) and 5pm (WA).
Sunday, October 30
New Zealand Breakers v Tasmania JackJumpers, Auckland’s Spark Arena.
Live on Kayo 2pm (ACT, NSW, TAS & VIC), 1.30pm (SA), 1pm (QLD), 12.30pm (NT) and 11am (WA). 4pm in New Zealand.
South East Melbourne Phoenix v Adelaide 36ers, Melbourne’s John Cain Arena.
Live on Kayo 4pm (ACT, NSW, TAS & VIC), 3.30pm (SA), 3pm (QLD), 2.30pm (NT) and 1pm (WA).
Monday, October 31
Melbourne United v Perth Wildcats, Melbourne’s John Cain Arena.
Live on Kayo 7.30pm (ACT, NSW, TAS & VIC), 7pm (SA), 6.30pm (QLD), 6pm (NT) and 4pm (WA).
Full season schedule here.
How can I watch NBL23?
Every game and its replay can be seen live on Kayo via ESPN.
Latest basketball news I need to know
The latest NBL news, analysis and more from around the basketball world can be found at CODE Sports.
Adelaide 36ers
Adelaide’s 36ers did not play their first game of this NBL season until round three having travelled to the United States for pre-season matches against Phoenix Suns and Josh Giddey’s Oklahoma City Thunder.
The 36ers stunned Phoenix 134-124 in a shooting exhibition before Giddey’s new team humbled his old side 131-98. He finished with 10 points, six assists and five rebounds in just 21 minutes.
Adelaide have won two of their first three in the NBL.
Statistical leaders
Points per game: Craig Randall II, Adelaide 36ers (23.33)
Assists per game: Gary Browne, South East Melbourne Phoenix (10)
Rebounds per game: Keanu Pinder, Cairns Taipans (10.33)
Steals per game: Tahjere McCall, Cairns Taipans (2.67)
Blocks per game: Isaac Humphries, Melbourne United (2)
New Finals Format in 2022-23
The NBL will introduce a new play-in format for the Finals series this season.
The top six teams will now have a chance at championship glory with the top two automatically qualifying for the semi-finals and teams ranked three to six to compete in the play-in tournament.
Rule change
A new rule means a blocking foul will now be called in situations where contact is caused by an airborne offensive player on a defensive player who has one foot, or both feet, inside, or on, the defensive semicircle under the basket. In previous seasons, this would have been a no-call.
Defending champions
Sydney Kings.
American Chase Buford guided the Kings to their first title since Brian Goorjian’s three-peat between 2003-05. They have started the new campaign with five wins and two losses.
Past five champions
2021-22 – Sydney Kings
2020-21 – Melbourne United
2019-20 – Perth Wildcats
2018-19 – Perth Wildcats
2017-18 – Melbourne United
What edition of the NBL will this season be?
Season 45 having started in 1979.
Who has the most championship wins?
The Perth Wildcats have won the title 10 times (1990, 1991, 1995, 2000, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2020) and missed the finals for the first time in 35 years last season.
Reigning NBL MVP
Jaylen Adams, who after one season and a championship with the Sydney Kings, will not return after capturing the hearts of Sydney fans last season.
Where can I watch more basketball?
Women’s basketball including the WNBL, NBA plus magazine shows, like News Corp’s Basketball Show, can also be seen on Kayo.
The documentary ‘SIDELINED’ is one of the features that can also be seen now on Kayo raising numerous issues that female athletes across the country battle with every day of their professional lives.
UPCOMING BASKETBALL FIXTURES
For extensive, searchable and time zone-accurate fixture information for all sports, go to Fixture Calendar.
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