NBL round 8 news: 36ers defeat Illawarra, SEM Phoenix defeats undermanned Cairns Taipans
Box office duo Montrezl Harrell and DJ Vasiljevic were the stars yet again as Adelaide put Illawarra to the sword. Meanwhile, the Phoenix continued their hot form against the Taipans.
Basketball
Don't miss out on the headlines from Basketball. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Star turns from box office duo Montrezl Harrell and DJ Vasiljevic propelled the Adelaide 36ers to a commanding 14-point victory against the Illawarra Hawks on Sunday, the Sixers extending their home winning streak to 10 wins.
The Sixers started slowly at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, but charged home to improve to a 6-4 record in front of another sellout crowd.
Harrell thrilled the home fans with several trademark dunks, finishing with a game-high 25 points, with Vasiljevic next with 23.
Kendric Davis was also outstanding with 16 points and 10 assists in an impressive display.
Davis’ final assist may have been his most popular, the point guard setting up fellow import Harrell for a wicked two-handed dunk with a minute remaining to put an exclamation point on the entertaining contest.
The 36ers led 76-67 after three quarters, but missed their first six shots of the final term as the visitors went on a 6-0 run to slash the margin to three points.
But back-to-back triples to Sunday Dech and a monster jam from Harrell steadied the ship.
The high-flying Hawks were second on the ladder going into the clash, but drop to a 6-4 record with the result.
HOT ‘N COLD
The Hawks were hot early, former 36er Trey Kell III leading the charge as the visitors hit their first five shots from the floor, including three triples, to score the first 10 points of the game and go on to lead 16-4.
The stone-cold Sixers, who were coming off a season-worst 27-point loss to New Zealand, whiffed on their first five shots from the floor, but coach Mike Wells resisted the urge to call a time-out to reset.
The coach’s patience paid dividends as Vasiljevic and Harrell warmed to the task.
Harrell got his side moving in the right direction with his typically physical play, the fan favourite with eight first-quarter points and a block, as Adelaide finished the opening term on a 10-0 run to lead 26-22 at the first break.
STRIPE STRESS
Hawks coach Justin Tatum would’ve been forgiven a quiet word to the officials at quarter-time, after his side didn’t go to the free throw line once, while the home side went to the stripe 15 times.
That lopsided foul count continued into the second quarter, with Illawarra going to the foul line just three times in the first half, Kell making his side’s only free throw.
In contrast, the Sixers took 21 free throws for the half, but didn’t take full advantage, Harrell blotting his copybook with 2-from-7 shooting from the line.
The Hawks finished 6-from-9 from the foul line to Adelaide’s 20-from-30.
PHOENIX ON A ROLL, TAIPAN EJECTED AFTER REF BLAST
With star point guard Derrick Walton Jr returning from injury, the whole band was back together for South East Melbourne Phoenix, and it feasted on an undermanned Cairns Taipans to win 97-74 at John Cain Arena on Sunday.
In-form guard Angus Glover had the Phoenix rolling with four first-quarter three-pointers.
Glover, in his first season with Phoenix, has played a prominent role since Josh King took over as coach four games ago. The 26-year-old has been elevated into the starting unit and has responded with 17, 17 and 22 points from his past three games.
Glover provided 22 points on 9-14 shooting, three assists and two steals in a well-rounded game against the Taipans.
Such is the Phoenix’s commitment to team ball under new coach Josh King, they opened up a 34-20 quarter-time lead with leading scorer Matt Hurt not troubling the scorers.
The Phoenix has now won five of their past seven games after starting the season 0-5.
Walton Jr had eight points and three assists in 17 minutes of action.
SNAKES SKINNED
It was a dog of a day for the Taipans.
Already battling without the suspended Rob Edwards and injured Pedro Bradshaw, the Taipans had two players make premature exits as the Phoenix piled on the pain in the fourth.
Edwards, the Taipans’ top scoring threat, served his one-game suspension for post-game actions and comments directed towards referees after the October 27 game against Melbourne United.
The Taipans’ best player on the day, forward Sam Waardenburg, concerningly exited the game groggy after pinballing off a screen from Phoenix centre Jordan Hunter into ball handler Nathan Sobey.
It seemed to have a jarring effect that left Waardenburg on the floor, and he went to the rooms to get assessed for concussion.
Waardenburg still finished with a team-high 16 points.
To make matter worse for the Snakes, guard Jonah Antonio was thrown out of the game in the fourth quarter after having a verbal battle with a referee, and there was only going to be one winner in that exchange.
The Taipans are rock bottom and their season is sinking in quicksand on the back of seven consecutive losses.
TARAN TURNOVERS
It was a rough start to the game for returning Taipans point guard Taran Armstrong.
The point guard’s first two plays back from an ankle injury resulted in turnovers, including a transition three to Glover and a three-point play to Hunter.
Armstrong settled into the game to finish with nine points, six rebounds and two assists, but was a little rusty with five turnovers.
Waardenburg kept the Taipans in the game.
NBL SCOREBOARD
South East Melbourne Phoenix 97 (Glover 22 Hurt 15 Hunter 14 Sobey 14) d Cairns Taipans 74 (Waardenburg 16 Galloway 14 Armstrong 11)
At John Cain Arena, Melbourne
GOULDING SHOOTS 46 TO GET UNITED HOME
Three minutes and 57 seconds of absolute Chris Goulding mayhem has lifted Melbourne United to an unlikely come-from-behind 106-97 win over Perth Wildcats at John Cain Arena on Saturday night.
Goulding was white hot in a third quarter, which saw United turn a 14-point halftime deficit into a six-point lead, when he went to the bench receiving a standing ovation for adoring United fans.
Make it 39 points for CG43 🔥
— NBL (@NBL) November 9, 2024
Watch live on ESPN 📺 pic.twitter.com/sYhl6PqNA8
At one point, United trailed by as much as 19, but that was before Goulding went on a personal 22-6 rampage as the Wildcats had no answer to his shooting ability from beyond the arc.
The 36-year-old United captain was rested just before three quarter time with 35 points, including 26 in a third period, in which he drained six three-pointers.
Goulding re-emerged in the fourth quarter to finish with 46 points on 16-32 shooting, including 9-21 from three-point land.
CG43 CALLS GAME
Goulding was on fire in the third with teammates seeking him out at every opportunity.
The veteran single-handedly erased United’s 14-point halftime deficit with his ridiculous third term lifting United to a second consecutive win, moving them to second on the ladder.
CALF CONCERN
The victory has come at a cost for United with star forward Jack White injuring a calf before halftime.
White, who was United’s leading scorer with 12 points in the first half, was seen with ice on his left calf and was ruled out for the second half.
After being embarrassed on their home floor by New Zealand Breakers on Cup eve, United was keen to get redemption in front of their home fans.
At times, it looked as though United’s home horrors would continue into the week after they bounced back with a win over the Bullets on Thursday, but Goulding refused to let it happen again.
The Wildcats were on the prowl early, leading 23-14 after hitting 10 of their opening 12 shots.
SPANISH SENSATION
Izan Almansa, a surprise addition to the Wildcats starting line-up at the expense of star Keanu Pinder, was very active in his first stint with his length causing a few problems for the home side at both ends.
The 19-year-old next star from Spain scored career-high 19 points as the Wildcats burst to a 23-14 lead and he achieved that before half time.
Almansa’s athleticism was a positive for the Wildcats on the defensive end as he helped change United shots.
Pinder had an instant impact off the bench, forcing United coach Dean Vickerman to turn to centre Marcus Lee to stem the bleeding in the paint.
Lee’s injection into the game paid immediate dividends as he soared for a big dunk, but more importantly locked in defensively.
Somehow, United edged in front at quarter time, but were aided by a questionable unsportsmanlike foul called on Pinder in the open court on Lee, where it appeared as though Lee might have pushed off in the first instance.
After going scoreless in 17 minutes in the win over Tasmania on Thursday night, Wildcats guard Dylan Windler started to find his range, while exciting forward Kristian Doolittle connected on his first four shots as the visitors flexed their offensive muscle.
It was all one-way traffic in the second as the Wildcats lead blew out to a substantial 19 late in the second.
Doolittle, who drained a floater to make it a 65-51 Wildcats lead at half time, and Almansa each scored 17 first half points. Doolittle finished with a team-high 21.
NBL SCOREBOARD
Melbourne United 106 (Goulding 46 Lee 13 White 12) d Perth Wildcats 97 (Doolittle 21 Almansa 19 Henshall 15)
At John Cain Arena, Melbourne.
JACKJUMPERS PULL OFF HUGE UPSET OVER NBL LADDER LEADERS
– Ryan Rosendale
It may have taken a return to familiar surroundings but Tasmania are back on the winners list following an upset win over ladder leaders New Zealand on Saturday night.
Heading in anchored to the bottom of the ladder with a 3-8 record, the reigning NBL champions snapped a three-game losing streak in the 83-64 win.
It was a blistering third quarter display that guided the home side to a much-needed win in their first game back at MyState Bank Arena in 34 days.
Heading in on the right side of just two third stanzas for the season, the JackJumpers dominated after the long break to slam on 19 points and keep a highly potent Breakers offence to just three points.
It gave Tasmania a 20-point lead at the final break and despite a spirited fightback throughout the last, it proved to be a defect too big to overcome for Petteri Koponen’s side.
Tensions almost boiled over midway through the final term for the Breakers with Matthew Mooney and Anthony Drmic getting into a heated battle under the rim that saw Koponen sit the 27 year-old on the bench and Mooney become the villain for the home fans in the final stages of the last quarter.
Matt Mooney and Anthony Drmic were each given unsportsmanlike fouls for this play.
— NBL (@NBL) November 9, 2024
Watch live on ESPN 📺 pic.twitter.com/i6Yvp3kC5A
With star big man Will Magnay still missing with a shoulder injury, and Milton Doyle (three points, two rebounds, five assists) relatively quiet, it was much maligned import Craig Sword that led the way.
The American produced his best NBL game to date, finishing with 18 points, one rebound and one assist while his fellow countryman Jordon Crawford (19 points, one rebound, four assists) also got back to some much needed form.
MVP favourite Parker Jackson-Cartwright (15 points and nine assists) was good early for the Breakers but failed to make any real impact after the first-quarter while imposing big Jonah Bolden’s night ended early with a leg injury.
After heading into the first break with a seven-point disadvantage, Tasmania got off to a hot start in the second that was largely off the back of the hot hand of Anthony Drmic (10 points, six rebounds and four assists).
Deng went all the way up 💪
— NBL (@NBL) November 9, 2024
Watch live on ESPN 📺 pic.twitter.com/HcXpXc8ZBC
MVP EXPLODES AS KINGS STORM HOME IN STUNNING COMEBACK WIN
– Martin Gabor
Former MVP Jaylen Adams produced his best quarter of the season as the Kings overcame a horrible start to storm home to defeat the Phoenix 74-69 on Friday night.
The home side only managed 49 points in the first three quarters but piled on 25 when it mattered most thanks to Adams who has struggled with a back injury but returned to his brilliant best at Qudos Bank Arena.
Adams led all scorers with 20 points to go with seven assists and five rebounds, with the star import adding 12 points in the fourth quarter with the game on the line.
The Kings never looked like winning as they struggled from the floor, but they found their groove in the fourth with Kouat Noi chipping in with 16 points and a big block on Angus Glover, while Xavier Cooks was as reliable as ever with 17 points and 12 rebounds.
Friday’s win was their second in a row following their thumping victory over the JackJumpers last week, and they now have a bit of time to recover before their showdown with the Hawks.
RETURN OF THE KINGS
Glover would have had this game circled after his frustrating finish with the Kings last season, and his return home didn’t disappoint with the sharpshooter leading the Phoenix with 17 points.
Glover set the tone early with two threes in the opening four minutes before things got a bit heated as he and Bul Kuol picked up technical fouls deep in the first half.
Former Kings big man Jordan Hunter didn’t have as good a homecoming as he was held to eight points and two rebounds while playing the fourth quarter with four fouls.
South East Melbourne’s turnaround from their 0-5 start this season has been admirable, but the visitors imploded shooting just 34 per cent from the floor, with star import Matt Hurt knocking down just three of his 16 shots.
Their defensive resolve under new coach Josh King frustrated the Kings and had them up by double digits in the fourth quarter, but they managed just 13 points in the final 10 minutes before they opted against fouling with 20 seconds to go.
BROADCAST OUTAGE CHAOS IN BRISBANE STOPS FANS SEEING UNITED WIN
– Michael Randall and Nick Tucker
The 4,101 inside Brisbane Entertainment Centre were the only people in the country able to watch the last 3.37 of Melbourne United’s blowout 120-103 win over the Bullets after the broadcast went dark.
With United leading 103-89, a broadcast outage inside the stadium shorted out the broadcast cameras, forcing play to be stopped.
WE'VE NEVER SEEN THAT BEFORE 😂😂😂
— ESPN Australia & NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) November 7, 2024
We've got a power outage in Brisbane and so the entire game has been stopped!
The boys on the #NBL broadcast couldn't have handled that any better! pic.twitter.com/ygphoiKpuh
The lights remained on in the stadium but efforts to get the cameras back online in quick time proved fruitless, forcing the dying minutes to be played without live footage.
The NBL confirmed a “significant power failure with the broadcast truck” was believed to be the culprit.
Coaches Dean Vickerman and Justin Schueller agreed to play the last 3.37 without stats and coach’s challenges. The final moments of United’s bounce-back win were hindered by the broadcast outage that caused a 15-minute disruption three minutes from full time.
The game is restarting - no broadcast. No stats, no challenges. Game will be recorded and stats done later. https://t.co/3O43YyUpTw
— Michael Randall (@MickRandallHS) November 7, 2024
The game is currently paused due to a power outage in Brisbane and will resume shortly.
— NBL (@NBL) November 7, 2024
“The NBL will seek to obtain footage of the final minutes and post as soon as available,” a league statement read.
United bounced back with a vengeance from it’s horror 34-point loss to New Zealand on Monday, belting the Bullets 120-103.
The final minutes of the Brisbane Bullets vs Melbourne United game. pic.twitter.com/e0qs87Z8tb
— NBL (@NBL) November 7, 2024
Big Kiwi Rob Loe stunned with a career-high 30 points in his 193rd game, aged 33, making six of his eight tries from deep.
Chris Goulding drained five threes on the way to 21, while Ian Clark had 18 and Jack White completed a double-double with his 17 points.
For Brisbane, import guard Keandre Cook shone with 23, while triple NBL champion Casey Prather wound back the clock with 21.
LOE SETS A NEW PB
For the first time ever in his 193 game NBL career, Loe erupted in a telling 30-point explosion. It came on an efficient 11-19 shooting and it hurt Brisbane in more ways than one.
The Bullets have now won just one from four in their new BEC fortress. The loss also followed a frantic win over Cairns that gave them short-lived confidence.
On the other side of the fence, United offered a stirring response to their 34-point blowout loss against the Breakers at home on Monday.
United did not fire a shot in that match played just 72 hours prior to their comprehensive thwarting of an underdone Bullets outfit that has played just eight games in eight rounds.
Entering the match, only twice had Loe landed four threes in a match.
He drained six, which complimented his deft interior masterclass that proved the peanut butter to Goulding’s jelly.
Together, the pair spearheaded United to their eighth win and second place on the ladder.
Melbourne literally shot the lights out (64 per cent 2P, 44 per cent 3P), with all five starters reaching double digit scores. All five of Brisbane’s starters also posted 10 or more points but they could not match it with their efficient opponents who always had a silencing response whenever Brisbane threatened to move into striking distance.
GOULDING ON A HEATER
New Year, same Goulding.
Melbourne’s three-point-specialist Chris Goulding was at his brilliant best in front of a vocal Brisbane crowd, quelling any mini-run from Brisbane with his deep shooting prowess.
After the Bullets had blitzed United out of the Gates to lead 10-2, sharp shooter Goulding and 211cm monster Loe clicked the visitors into gear and moved them ahead in a flash.
Goulding scorched early, and then again in the second quarter on his way to 16 first half points and Lee the same with his interior play on song.
Five threes from Goulding and a handful of oohs and aarhs later and United led 52-45 at half time.
NORTON A NUISANCE, STILL
He is 350 games into an accomplished NBL career and yet veteran point guard Mitch Norton is showing no signs of slowing down.
In fact, since joining the Bullets at the start of last season, Norton has brought new life into his 13-year professional career which started at 18 years of age when he was the youngest ever captain of the Townsville Crocodiles.
The team captain, Norton sets a high standard for his teammates with the hustle plays. Jumping on a loose ball, taking a charge, deflecting passes and everything in between.
That is his bread and butter. He also adds value with his scoring ability, Norton one of Brisbane’s most efficient and influential.
By halftime, the speedy 31-year-old had nine points and was in part responsible for Brisbane’s hot start.
It was quickly distinguished by United flamethrower Goulding.
STATS THAT MATTERED
Brisbane coach Justin Schueller is a firm believer that defence wins games.
On Thursday night, it was on that end of the court where his Bullets were their worst enemy.
The home side had conceded 85 points after three quarters. In this league, that is 10-15 points too many if you want to be in a winning position down the stretch.
Heading into the final frame, United had 44 paint points compared to Brisbane’s 32. United had 20 second chance points. Brisbane, 13.
The visitors were also superior in transition where they ran in 13 fast break points, nine more than their rivals.
Brisbane couldn’t get it going from deep either, the home side landing just three treys in as many quarters before trying to return from 14 points down with 10 minutes to play.
The comeback attempt was quelled with formidable force by United.
Indeed Brisbane’s wounds were, for the most part, self inflicted. It didn’t help that United were able to knock down key threes in crucial moments when the Bullets’ lapsed on defence.
Melbourne United 111 (R. Loe 30pts, J.White 17pts, C. Goulding 19pts) def Brisbane Bullets (C.Prather 21pts, K.Cook 19pts, J.Bannan 17pts).
Originally published as NBL round 8 news: 36ers defeat Illawarra, SEM Phoenix defeats undermanned Cairns Taipans
Caitlin Clark mania and Brondello’s plans for WNBA domination
Sandy Brondello could be forging her own path in the NBA, but the Mackay-born coaching maestro is content where she is: trying to give the WNBA the biggest spotlight she can.
Read more
What proposed new stadium means for Coast’s NBL hopes
With a state of the art 12,000 seat arena slated for Southport, find out what it means for the Gold Coast’s hopes of securing an NBL licence.
Read more