Darwin Salties suffer 76-103 defeat to Brisbane Capitals in home final
The Darwin Salties had a night they’d soon like to forget after crashing out of the NBL1 North finals in ruthless fashion. Recap what happened.
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The Darwin Salties men’s team have sensationally crashed out of the NBL1 North finals.
For the first time in the club’s short history, the Salties played host in a knockout clash on Saturday night.
And paired up against the fourth placed Brisbane Capitals, the Salties were under the pump from the off.
It was a steady first term for both groups, nothing much splitting the sides, with Brisbane holding onto a 23-27 lead.
The second was much the same, both teams playing fast and aggressive, however, the Salties missed a number of open chances, giving the Capitals a 49-56 lead.
Unfortunately for Darwin, the halftime break only compounded the issue as they put together their worst 10 minutes of the evening.
The Salties floundered offensively, constantly hindered by the Capitals’ smothering defensive pressure.
The side also became insistent on shooting from beyond the three-point arc which was stifling any offensive fluidity.
Kept to a measly 12 points while giving up 22, the side were already gone before the final term got under way, trailing by 17.
The final quarter was the most antsy of the four with some questionable calls going against the Salties and players from the Capitals chiming in with words of their own for the frustrated Darwin contingent.
Once again, the Salties struggled to penetrate the Capitals’ solid defensive structures, leaking 25 more points, to see the score blow out to a 27-point deficit.
After the final buzzer, Salties head coach Matt Flinn was visibly upset with the result, sad to see the side bow out in such a fashion, citing the physicality of the contest an area his men failed to counteract.
“It’s very disappointing to lose, especially on our home court which we worked so hard to secure through the regular season,” he said.
“I really don’t think we handled the physicality of the contest that well.
“We knew it was going to be a tough contest, it’s the finals after all.
“I felt like we had a good week and a good build-up to the game and the crowd was amazing. “They got behind us and that makes it even tougher (the loss).
“It wasn’t our night and Brisbane were the better team for the majority of the game.
“So it’s a disappointing way to bow out but I’m proud of what we managed to achieve this season.”
‘Special group’: Darwin Salties primed for first home final
The Darwin Salties men are determined to show a first ever home final is not enough ahead of the NBL1 North semi against what will be a fierce Brisbane Capitals outfit.
The Salties have made finals in each of their three seasons since inception, but have yet to get past the first knockout stage and with NBL stars and young talent across their roster this is their best chance.
Should they win they will head into the grand final against either the Mackay Meteors, who finished top, or the Southern District Spartans.
Coach Matt Flinn has led the side since their inception, but called this group with talent bred locally and from afar was one he was incredibly confident in.
And for him the prospect of playing the final in front of their home support would only bolster his side’s chances of getting to the big dance.
“This is a special group, the chemistry with the boys off the floor organically throughout the year and the talent and depth across the squad has really shone through,” Flinn said.
“As every team does we want to win it all, but one of our goals at the start of the year was to bring a home final to the Territory.
“Now that we’ve ticked that box we can’t be satisfied with that, we’re super happy for the fans though because they’re the lifeblood of what we do here.
“We’re in a space where we can play our best basketball in front of our fans, if we play to the level our guys are capable of then we’ll put on a good show.”
One man who has recent experience winning championships is NBL JackJumper and Salties co-captain Sean Macdonald who was excited at the prospect of another ring.
Macdonald has been one of the leading lights for the Territory side for the past two seasons and said the win would need to involve every member of the squad.
“It’s a surreal feeling to win a championship, the moments after it happens you don’t know what’s going on and kind of black out being just full of joy,” he said.
“It takes a collective effort, we know it’s not going to be done in the first quarter, and it’s a 40 minute effort and comes down to everyone doing their job.
“The crowd is going to be really loud and super energetic and that provides a lot of spark for us.
“Having a home final was the goal heading into the season, it took a lot of work and came down to the last game and now we just need to keep it going with the good performances.”
His fellow captain Makuach Maluach is an inaugural Saltie, and knew there was unfinished business for the outfit coming into the season.
Now for the man who has often brought the x-factor to the court himself, he can’t wait for his team to turn it up and perform for their fans against a Brisbane outfit that beat them last time out.
“From the start of the season a home final has been our goal, and now we’re really excited for the community to come and support us and we will put on a show,” he said.
“They impact us a lot, we have the best crowd in the NBL1 North and they give us the energy to go out there and perform.
“We’ve got everyone back and healthy so as long as we go out there and play defence and our brand of basketball we’ve got a pretty good chance.”
Key to the Salties success will be the return of Kouat Noi, who has missed recent weeks as he tried to get into the South Sudan Olympic team.
Unfortunately he missed out on selection, but now he has returned to the NBL1 with a point to prove exactly when the Salties need him.
“It was an unexpected surprise, we had set ourselves to deal with the rest of the season without him,” Flinn said.
“We were really pumped for him to potentially make the Olympic team, and we’re equally disappointed for him that he didn’t.
“He’s come back now with a bit of a chip on his shoulder and something to prove, and for us he’s just an incredible human and leader who has slot straight back in.”
Salties bracing for fierce finals clash with Brisbane Capitals
The Darwin Salties have learned their fate of who they’ll face in the semi-final.
After finishing second through the regular season, the Salties were rewarded with a bye during the quarter-finals and home court advantage.
The Darwin outfit will have to overcome the fourth place Brisbane Capitals who defeated the Rockhampton Rockets 98-81, on Saturday night.
With an 11-6 record on the season, the Capitals earned one of those victories over the Salties during their Round 10 clash back in June.
The Capitals bested the Salties in a close 86-81 scoreline, and managed to contain NBL1 North First team player Kouat Noi to only nine points.
Noi, who missed the past three rounds, will make a triumphant return to the side in what will be a major boost to the group’s winning chances.
After narrowly missing out on Olympic selection for South Sudan, the 2023 NBL champion and 2022 NBL1 North MVP is upset to have missed Sudan’s squad but is putting all his effort into winning this weekend.
“I am obviously disappointed to miss the Olympic team but I am very keen to help the Salties win the semi final,” Noi said.
“I want us to win the whole thing but first we have to take care of business at home this Saturday.”
The game will hold even more weight with club favourite Verle Williams set to move on at the end of the season and new recruit Toby Campbell has also decided to take his skills somewhere else at seasons end.
NT basketball legend Nathan Jawai has also announced that he’ll hang up the boots at the end of the season, putting an end to his two-decade-plus career.
Head coach Matt Flinn expressed his excitement ahead of the grand final decider, eager to see his group progress to the championship game.
“This is why we play and train for the sport, put yourself in opportunities to compete to win for the people and fans you represent,” he said.
“The team has done an enormous job to this point given the challenges we have faced to get here.
“Really looking forward to the challenge.”
The side will face-off July 27 at Darwin Basketball Stadium, Marrara, with tip-off at 7.30pm ACST.
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Originally published as Darwin Salties suffer 76-103 defeat to Brisbane Capitals in home final
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