Adelaide’s Joe Ingles to face hometown team again as Jazz face 36ers in NBA pre-season
Australian NBA star Joe Ingles and his Utah Jazz teammates are again set for a pre-season game against Ingles’ hometown NBL side Adelaide 36ers.
NBA star Joe Ingles will again go up against his hometown NBL team when the Adelaide 36ers return to America to take on the Utah Jazz later this year.
For the second straight year the Sixers will travel to the US to take part in the NBA pre-season, taking on Ingles — who hails from Happy Valley in Adelaide’s southern suburbs — on October 5.
It will that will mean they will defer their opening round fixture of the NBL, which will take place at the same time they are in the US, which could have been their first game at the Entertainment Centre in Hindmarsh following the move from Findon.
Instead NBL chief executive Jeremy Loeliger said they have the opportunity to take advantage of the growing reputation of the league in world basketball — in the wake of promising young players such as LaMelo Ball choosing the competition ahead of the US College system.
“The NBL is now one of the premier basketball leagues in the world outside the NBA and we can’t wait for October,” he said.
It will be the third consecutive year that NBL teams travel to the US to take part in the NBA pre-season.
This year NBL teams will play five games against NBA teams, featuring the best basketballers in the world.
Broadcasts for the games are still being finalised but it is expected that all will be available in Australia.
Vice President of Global Partnerships for NBA Asia Francesco Suarez said excitement around basketball in Australia.
“There’s never been a better time to be a basketball fan in Australia” he said.
The Jazz, powered by Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, finished fifth in the extremely competitive Western Conference for the third straight year to make the NBA post-season.
But they were defeated in five games by a James Harden inspired Houston Rocket’s outfit.
In their game last year the Sixers gave the Jazz a run for their money, sticking with the NBA side through the first three quarters but fading in the final to go down 99-129.