NBL round 19: Illawarra Hawks, Melbourne United, Tasmania Jackjumpers, Brisbane Bullets record victories
The Sydney Kings are under serious heat after a loss to a swooping Illawarra Hawks in Sydney, while Melbourne United took apart the New Zealand Breakers.
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The Sydney Kings’ title defence is on life support and the future of coach Mahmoud Abdelfattah is in doubt after the Kings were whipped 106-95 by Illawarra Hawks at Qudos Bank Arena on Sunday.
The Hawks, for the entire 40 minutes and change, looked like they wanted it more. They hustled better, defended better and rebounded with greater intensity. They contested loose ball with greater aggression.
The body language of the Kings appeared less enthusiastic. When Jaylen Adams missed perhaps the simplest lay-up of his professional playing career, the crowd of 14,832 – Sydney’s second-highest this season - groaned as one.
With one round to play the Hawks now sit fourth on the ladder while the Kings languish one position outside the all-important top-six.
The Hawks have two games to play – against Perth Wildcats in Wollongong and competition leaders Melbourne United in Melbourne.
The Kings have one game remaining – away to cellar dwellers South East Melbourne Phoenix - and will sweat on other results.
HAWKS RAIN THREES
Angus Glover started for the Kings alongside fellow guard Jaylen Adams and immediately landed a three-pointer and went off.
Adams pulled off a funky three-point play when he landed a one-handed basket while off-balance, fouled and facing away from the backboard.
In-form Hawks sharp-shooter Gary Clark went into the game averaging 20 points and seven rebounds in his last four games, and made three consecutive three-pointers.
The Hawks were raining threes, the Kings’ parade was being rained upon. When Tyler Harvey made the game’s longest bomb, the Hawks led by 31-14 at the first break.
FOULED AND OUT
Kouat Noi had three fouls after nine minutes and as he was subbed off, coach Abdelfattah had an extended chat with him. He also spoke at length with DJ Hogg when the Hawks had seven offensive rebounds and the Kings none.
Kings co-owners Andrew Bogut and Luc Longley were in the front row behind the basket and must have felt like leaping off their chairs to make rebounds as their team trailed by 20 points midway through the second quarter.
Then Jonah Bolden made a three. Denzel Valentine made a three. Tatum called a timeout but Valentine landed another three, Bolden made a rebound and Adams made a lay-up. It was Hawks by nine but the crowd was into it.
But it was at the other end they had issues. They couldn’t stop Harvey (19 points, seven assists) and Gary Calrk (22 points, seven rebounds, five assists) and the Hawks led 59-46 at half-time and by 79-65 at three-quarter time.
COACH WATCH
Justin Tatum has his Hawks on a roll and looks a contender for coach of the year. His charges threw themselves at every contested possession on Sunday afternoon and revelled in the silence of the home crowd.
In 15 of 17 games the Hawks have scored 85 points or more.
Abdelfattah, meanwhile, much as he’s tried, has not been able to extract defensive starch from his star-studded Kings.
The Kings ended with eight offensive rebounds, the same number as Hawks’ big man Sam Froling.
And with four Kings owners in the house and watching a less than intense performance from the players – in the most important game of the year - Abdelfattah’s place holding the clipboard must be in jeopardy.
UNITED DISMANTLE TIRED BREAKERS
- Lance Jenkinson
High flying Melbourne United took apart a tired New Zealand Breakers backing up from a Friday night game, cruising to a 94-81 win in front of a full house John Cain Arena on Sunday.
United made it six straight wins at their Swan Street fortress as they took a step closer to locking up the NBL minor premiership.
It has not been a happy hunting ground for the Breakers, losing to United for a 10th consecutive time at the venue.
United has beaten the Breakers in 12 of their past 13 meetings, dating back to 2018.
The Breakers fumbled their chance to improve to .500 on the season for the first time since round two, while United improved to 19-7, two games and percentage clear of second placed Perth Wildcats.
United produced one of its best defensive performances of the season.
Centre Jo Lual-Acuil Jr’s was superb at both ends with a double double 19 points and 11 rebounds.
Veteran guard Ian Clark was superb off the bench with 18 points, including four threes.
The Breakers did not seem intimidated by their poor record against United in the early stages, bouncing out of the blocks with confidence.
Inspired by point guard Will McDowell-White, who put on a first quarter clinic with 10 points, connecting on his first two threes and serving up a delightful assist for Zylan Cheatham, the Breakers took an early advantage.
The back court battle between United’s defensive maestro Shea Ili and offensive weapon Parker Jackson-Cartwright was intriguing.
Jackson-Cartwright scored a game-high 24 points, but Ili was arguably more influential with his 12 points and five assists.
Ili’s influence was profound early, not only locking down on Jackson-Cartwright, but generating offence of his own with nine first quarter points to help United lead 27-22 quarter time lead.
Breakers coach Mody Maor was beginning to get concerned on two fronts in the second quarter - United was poking holes in his team’s defence and the referees were in his bad book as the fouls started to pile up.
Ultimately, United’s 55-39 half-time lead was built on defence.
The Breakers were restricted to just 15 second quarter points, while United was scorching from long range, hitting 7-12 from three in the first half, including three triples to Clark and two to Chris Goulding, who hit a three-pointer for an incredible 55th consecutive game.
United kept their foot on the throat of the Breakers in the third to lead 78-55.
The Breakers fired one last shot, opening the fourth quarter on a 10-2 run, but the deficit was too large to bridge.
HEAD COUNT
United gave up a technical foul in the strangest manner.
Late in the fourth quarter, United took to the court with six players, one more than the allowable five.
United big men Lual-Acuil Jr and Ariel Hukporti got their wires mixed up about who was supposed to be on the court at the time.
RAISE THE BAT
United point guard Matthew Dellavedova was superb in his 50th NBL game.
Hailing from the Victorian country town of Maryborough, it has been an illustrious career for ‘Delly’, scaling the incredible heights of winning an NBA title with Cleveland Cavaliers and representing Australia.
The 33-year-old would like to add NBL champion to his honours with United this season.
Freezing at the line
The only issue for United has at the moment is their errant free throw shooting.
United coach Dean Vickerman raised some concerns with his team’s work on the line and it reared its ugly head once again as they went 16-26 (61%).
MERCILESS JACKJUMPERS CONDEMN PHOENIX TO NBL SPOON
Tasmania JackJumpers have gatecrashed South East Melbourne Phoenix’s 150th game celebration, ruthlessly picking apart the undermanned hosts to win 94-67 before a sold out John Cain Arena on Saturday night.
The JackJumpers were not messing around, knowing the kind of threat the Phoenix possesses, having lost to them in a wild upset on Christmas day and defeated by them in their past three meetings.
The Phoenix’s poor percentage, coupled with a 10-17 win-loss record, means a first wooden spoon in club history is all but confirmed.
Phoenix coach Mike Kelly was not hanging around to witness any unwanted history, ejected from the game during the third quarter after picking up a second technical foul.
It was a professional showing from the third-placed JackJumpers, who left nothing to chance.
The JackJumpers showcased their strength in depth, almost as if to rub it in the noses of the Phoenix, who were sadly missing Mitch Creek, Alan Williams, Gary Browne, Craig Moller and Owen Foxwell through injury as the youngsters battled.
The JackJumpers starters didn’t have to over-exert themselves with the role players proving effective with their minutes.
Seven individual JackJumpers recorded double digit scoring, including starters Jordan Crawford, Anthony Drmic, Jack McVeigh, Marcus Lee and Will Magnay, Sean Macdonald and Clint Steindl off the bench.
Import Abdel Nader put up a game-high 18 points for Phoenix in an encouraging showing.
Despite centre Lee missing a wide open dunk and Magnay provided the crowd with cheeseburgers after going empty from a trip to the charity stripe, the JackJumpers were fast starters, breaking out to an early lead with scintillating play from point guard Crawford.
Crawford was locked in and his speed proved a handful for Phoenix opponent Ben Ayre.
The Phoenix answered the JackJumpers’ with efficient shooting from beyond the arc.
Ayre and Rhys Vague landed two triples each and youngster Kody Stattmann hit from long range as the Phoenix went 5/8 from three in the first quarter to stay in the contest.
JackJumpers captain Steindl entered the game on a hot streak from the three point arc, converting eight of his previous nine attempts.
He was injected into the game in the second period and scored on two of his first three three-point attempts and then was fouled on a three-point shot to take the visitors lead out to double digits.
Gulf in class
The gulf in class was starting to show.
While the injury-riddled Phoenix tried hard, they lacked the polish that was being exhibited by the JackJumpers.
With every empty offensive trip, the deficit would grow and it was out to beyond 20 late in the second.
Lee put the exclamation mark on a brilliant half for the JackJumpers when he connected on an alley-oop from a superb pass from Milton Doyle.
The JackJumpers led 49-30 at the half and their three-game losing streak against the Phoenix appeared to be coming to an end.
They maintained control in a dominant second half as both teams showcased their younger players.
Doyle avoids disaster
There was a concern for JackJumpers star Milton Doyle in the third.
Doyle contested a drive from Phoenix import Abdel Nader and wound up hobbling after the contest.
With averages of 16.2 points, 4,5 rebounds and 4.8 assists this season, Doyle is a player the Jackies can ill-afford to lose with playoffs around the corner, but thankfully he returned to the court.
SOBEY’S INSANE STAT LINE KEEPS BULLETS’ SEASON ALIVE
Nick Tucker
Nathan Sobey produced one of the all-time great individual performances to lift the Brisbane Bullets to a crucial 100-84 victory over the Adelaide 36ers on Friday night.
To keep the Bullets season alive in what was the team’s final home game of the season, Sobey had notched a career-high 37 points before the fourth quarter had even started.
With a spot in the playoffs on the line and victory a must, Sobey entered God mode from the tip-off, the star guard sinking his first three field-goal-attempts to give the boys in blue a flystart.
He stayed with his foot on the throats of his rivals, Sobey nailing six of eight threes on the night, dishing out three assists and reeling in three rebounds in a crowd-pleasing man of the match performance.
Now, all that lies between the Bullets and a play-in spot is the New Zealand Breakers next Friday night at Spark Arena.
ON A MISSION: NATHAN SOBEY
Brisbane Bullets spearhead Sobey knew the assignment on Friday night at Nissan Arena.
The fired up Sobey had 10 points next to his name by the time the first time-out was called, with two threes and two tough lay-ups getting Brisbane off to a flyer in their final home game of the season.
Sobey was Aggressive with a capital A.
BACK AND FORTH
The Bullets played like their season depended on it – because it did.
On multiple occasions Brisbane flirted with a double-digit lead. But every time they threatened to run away with it, Adelaide, led by Trey Kell and Dejan Vasiljevic, fought their way back into it to ensure Brisbane were never comfortably ahead.
What was stopping the Bullets from getting that double-digit-buffer? Their offensive rebounding and poor foul discipline.
At the main break Nathan Sobey said the key to the second half was tightening the screws. The screws he was referring to was Adelaide’s 13 offensive rebounds, compared to Brisbane’s five.
“A lot of offensive rebounds for them and second chance points,” he said.
“Our foul discipline has to be a lot better as well.”
10-0 RUN
Thanks to Sobey and spark plug Isaac White, the Bullets were able to go on a 10-0 run and secure an important 52-44 lead heading into halftime.
It was a run the fans had been on the edge of their seats eagerly waiting for.
It began with a White and-one. Then a Mitch Norton triple, a White lay-up and a forced turnover followed by a lay-up by Sobey saw Brisbane ahead by double digits for the first time up 46-36 with a little over two minutes left in the second frame.
NOT ALL DOOM AND GLOOM FOR ADELAIDE FANS
Their playoff hopes may be out the window but there is a glaring positive to come out of NBL season 2024 for Adelaide fans and that is the three-year re-signing of Dejan Vasiljevic.
Aged 26, Vasiljevic joined the 36ers after the opening of the season and on Friday, he was doing all the heavy lifting for the visitors.
He was going toe-to-toe with an in rhythm Sobey and was single-handedly keeping Adelaide in the contest.
All this while going just 1-5 from deep.
He finished with 28 points.
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