NBL 2021-22: Game reports and scores from Australia’s premier basketball competition
The JackJumpers have more than a few ex-Wildcats in their ranks but they couldn’t conspire to defeat the reigning runners-up on Sunday.
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The Tasmania JackJumpers got a front-row seat to what is needed to challenge for the NBL championship, at Perth’s RAC Arena on Sunday.
They were held at arm’s length by the Perth Wildcats, who led for pretty much the entire game, before claiming a runaway 101-83 win.
It was a very different experience for the new kids on the block, who travelled across the country to play not only against the most successful team in the league, but in front of a hostile — and record-breaking — crowd of 13,615 fans.
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They didn’t handle the experience well from the start and down the home stretch were manhandled by birthday boy Vic Law, who scored 17 points in the final term to finish with 32. He dropped three consecutive long bombs before being sidelined for the final 90 seconds of the game.
Scoring challenges
After being kept to 62 points by Cairns in their last outing, the Tasmanians found it tough to score from the outset against Perth.
The JackJumpers were held to their worst opening quarter in their very short NBL history.
They scored just 15 points in the opening 10 minutes; the first time they’d had a start with fewer than 21 points.
They trailed by six at the first change and didn’t get any closer.
Fabijan Krslovic was the only player to have completed more than one shot attempt for Tasmania in that opening term.
Starters Josh Magette and Jack McVeigh failed to drop a basket.
Magette got going and top scored for Tasmania with 17 points. Josh Adams was next best with 15.
But no JackJumper got going in the air, as they were dominated on the boards by the Wildcats, particularly by Law, who dragged down 12 rebounds.
Tougher in defence
The JackJumpers didn’t have an easy time in defence either.
Law started celebrating his 26th birthday early and had eight points after just four minutes of the game starting, when Tasmania coach Scott Roth was forced to call a time out.
He was in everything. His first points came from a gift assist from Cotton, but the rest he earned from steals and a big offensive rebound.
The Wildcats shot out to a 17-point lead during the second term and looked like blowing the game apart early.
Tasmania did tighten up on Law, who went into the halftime break with only those eight points.
Bryce Cotton had 14 points at the main break, six from the free-throw line, but none from beyond the three-point line.
The margin was 11 points at halftime.
Time to regroup
The JackJumpers had lost two consecutive games before heading to Perth, but were in both of clashes during the final terms against Cairns and Adelaide.
They could have had a 3-0 start to the season.
But after suffering at the hands of Law and Bryce Cotton (23 points), they drop to 1-4, with only the New Zealand Breakers below them on the NBL table.
The Wildcats now head on the road for the first time this season and probably won’t return home until February when Western Australia’s borders open.
They head to Adelaide for a clash with the 36ers on 28 December, on top of the table with a 4-1 record; suffering just one loss so far, against the Brisbane Bullets.
Bullets fire at home
Brisbane star Nathan Sobey was part of the solution for mastercoach Brian Goorjian and the Boomers at the Tokyo Olympics.
But he was a real problem for Goorjian’s Illawarra at Nissan Arena on Sunday as Sobey led the Bullets to a 96-92 win over the previously undefeated Hawks.
Sobey scored nine of his 17 points in the final quarter to repel the dogged Hawks, who were gunning for a 4-0 start to the season.
However, Sobey’s fearless drives to the basket and a clutch three-pointer denied Illawarra and he also added five assists and five rebounds in a matchwinning performance that takes Brisbane to a 2-2 record.
Import Robert Franks (16 points, seven rebounds), guard Jason Cadee (16 points) and Tyrell Harrison (14 points, eight rebounds and three blocks) were also key contributors for Brisbane.
Duop Reath and Harry Froling had 15 points each for the Hawks, who were also well served by Antonius Cleveland with 13 points.
A resurgent Hawks hit the front midway through the third quarter before Brisbane steadied.
Brisbane led by nine points at halftime and by 10 at quarter-time before the Hawks made their run in the third quarter.
The Bullets shot out to a 15-point cushion early in the second period with the Hawks looking decidedly flat after overcoming New Zealand in a double overtime thriller in Wollongong on Friday night.
But Brisbane had travelled from Perth after Friday night’s loss to the Wildcats and flew out of the blocks with their superior ball movement and defensive intensity proving too much for the Hawks early.
The Bullets will take on Cairns in the “Sunshine Stoush” in Brisbane on Boxing Day while the Hawks will host South East Melbourne on December 23.
Harry the Hawk
Harry Froling left Brisbane at the end of last NBL season after a disappointing campaign that yielded just eight points a game across 36 games in the 2020/2021 season for the power forward that was once considered a potential NBA talent. He had eight points for the Hawks by halftime on Sunday when he also produced some assists and threw himself into his defensive work. Bullets fans were wondering where that had been last season.
Duncan and Goliath
Mastercoach Brian Goorjian was in his 775th contest as an NBL head coach compared to Brisbane’s James Duncan, who was presiding over his fourth game in the hot seat. Goorjian’s experience was on show when he opted against calling a timeout with his team down by 13 points in the first quarter and let them play through the Brisbane run. They responded with eight of the next 10 points. Whatever he said at halftime was worth bottling too. The Hawks looked a different team after the main break.
Slow start for Harvey
There is no doubt that Tyler Harvey is a legitimate star of the NBL but the Hawks guard needs to fire up in the first quarter. For the fourth-straight match, Harvey went scoreless in the opening term as the Bullets streaked away from the visitors, who struggled to find any rhythm in offence. He also went scoreless in the third quarter. Fellow Illawarra import Antonius Cleveland produced a thunderous slam dunk in the second quarter that shook Nissan Arena. The man has serious hops.
Legends honoured
Some NBL clubs honour their past greats better than others. The Bullets have been hit and miss with recognising the heroes of their glory years so it was heart-warming for Brisbane fans to see club legends “Leapin” Leroy Loggins and “The Baseline Bandit” Robert Sibley courtside at Nissan Arena. Loggins and Sibley – two of the four Bullets players to have their singlet numbers retired – would have played against Brian Goorjian when he was a Melbourne Tigers guard before his legendary coaching career.
Sobey strikes
Olympic medallist and Bullets star Nathan Sobey will be monitored by club medical staff over the next two days after carrying a chest injury into Brisbane’s 96-92 win over the previously unbeaten Illawarra Hawks on Sunday.
Sobey scored nine of his 17 points in the final term when the game was on the line to sink the Hawks and their head coach Brian Goorjian who had Sobey on his Boomers squad at the Tokyo Olympics.
Sobey hurt his pectoral muscle in the loss to the Wildcats in Perth on Friday night and passed a fitness test at Nissan Arena before the game.
He sent a text message to Brisbane head coach James Duncan on Sunday declaring he was “good to go”.
Sobey lived up to his word with fearless drives to the basket and a three-point dagger guiding the Bullets to a 2-2 record in the first of four-straight home games over Christmas and New Year.
“It was tough for him. I can say that. We’ll re-evaluate him in the next 24 to 48 hours and get him ready for the following week. I can honestly say I didn’t know if he was going to play,’’ Duncan said.
“After our flight coming home, it didn’t look good but somehow with our medical team and himself, we were able to get it done.
“He’s such a big factor to what we want to do this season … just a warrior, tough as nails. Made huge plays.
“When it was his time and he felt the moment, he got us over the line. He sent me a message this morning but we still needed to test him.’’
Import Robert Franks (16 points, seven rebounds), guard Jason Cadee (16 points) and Tyrell Harrison (14 points, eight rebounds and three blocks) were also key contributors for Brisbane, who repelled a second half charge from the Hawks.
“We are still building our identity and what’s our standard. We never quit and we are starting to understand that we have to come out and compete at a high level,’’ Duncan said.
Brisbane will host Cairns in the “Sunshine Stoush” on Boxing Day.
Meanwhile, Goorjian was left to lament a sluggish first half when Brisbane enjoyed a double-digit lead for a vast majority of the opening two terms.
He said coming off the double overtime win over New Zealand on Friday was no excuse as Brisbane had flown from WA in the same time frame and the Hawks “fell down big” and “got smashed physically” with Tyler Harvey and Justinian Jessup well contained by the Brisbane defence.
Goorjian said the upcoming four-game homestand for the Hawks would be critical after they fell victim to the matchwinning heroics of Sobey.
“He’s (Sobey) the kind of guy like Bryce (Cotton) in Perth that takes it over down the crunch time and he did that tonight. He dominated the end of the game,’’ Goorjian said.
“I had the joy of having him in the bronze medal team and he was tremendous. Played a tremendous role for us, great kid, great player. I have total respect for him as a player and a person.
“There’s only four teams that are going to go (into the finals) and there’s nothing between these teams and there’s not a lot of games. This thing, losses kill you.
“Establishing ourself at home is going to be huge and there’s a lot of pressure on us to perform there and create an environment that teams don’t want to come to and get some wins under our belt.’’
The Hawks will host South East Melbourne on December 23.
Goulding guides United to victory
A three-point shooting masterclass from captain Chris Goulding has helped Melbourne United blow away the New Zealand Breakers 83-60 at John Cain Arena on Sunday.
After a quiet first half, Goulding erupted in the second, draining six of his seven triples to finish with a game-high 21 points to go with three rebounds and three assists.
Aside from being tested by the visitors in the second quarter, when New Zealand came back from 10 points down to get within a point (32-31), Melbourne was largely in control of the contest, and outscored its opponent 49-29 after halftime.
Caleb Agada also played a key role for United with 20 points (7-14 from the field and 4-5 from three) while Jo Lual-Acuil was the dominant big man on the court with 12 points, nine rebounds and two blocks.
Finn Delany (14 points, nine rebounds) and Yanni Wetzell (12 points) were the standouts for the Breakers who remain rooted to the bottom of the NBL ladder, having now lost their first five games of the campaign – their worst-ever start to a season.
After a slow start to the season, the result saw United even its win-loss ledger at 2-2, following its 89-47 thumping of Sydney on Thursday.
United sets the tone early
Melbourne set the tone defensively when Lual-Acuil and then David Barlow executed a pair of blocks in quick succession early. The pair finished with two blocks each in the opening quarter as United led that category 5-1 at the first change and ended up dominating it by the final buzzer 9-2.
NZ undone by poor shooting
Melbourne’s effective pressure was a feature throughout the contest and played a key role in the Breakers’ poor shooting performance. The visitors went at just 33 per cent from the field (23-69), including a woeful 18 per cent from three-point land (4-22) after missing their first eight attempts from long range. Conversely, United went at 48 per cent from the field (32-66) and 55 per cent from downtown (11-20). New Zealand also committed more turnovers (15-12).
The White stuff
Jack White made his long-awaited return to the Melbourne United line-up after an eight-month lay-off due to a ruptured Achilles. His comeback meant so much to the team that they all wore “Jack Is Back” t-shirts while warming up pre-game in honour of the occasion. From 17 minutes of court time, he registered six points, including a late tip-in which iced the game and brought the crowd to its feet, eight rebounds and two blocks in what was a positive first-up showing.
Good as Goulding
A slight change in approach to dealing with New Zealand’s “unique” defensive set-up was the catalyst for Melbourne United star Chris Goulding ripping the game apart on Sunday at John Cain Arena.
After only managing three points in the first half, the Melbourne captain unlocked the Breakers defence after the major break to finish up 7-13 from beyond the arc to lead all scorers with 21 points and guide his team to a comfortable 83-60 win.
“In the first half I probably tried to overpower or get physical and I wasn’t playing at a good pace so then when I got the ball I was kind of rushed to make a decision to try and get on the scoreboard,” Goulding said post-match.
“I just changed the way I set up cut some cuts and the way I approached being guarded (in the second half).
“It was a little unconventional but I’ve seen it before and I’ve been around long enough to try and figure some things out and just playing at a bit better pace coming off screens to try and get open, but sometimes if you see a couple go in it helps everything.”
After losing its first two games of the season, United has roared back into form, winning its last two games by a combined 65 points while conceding just 107 points in the process.
Coach Dean Vickerman was rapt with the dramatic defensive improvement in his team.
“There’s a real commitment about our pressure,” he said.
“I think now that we’ve shown that the group is fully back and we’ve got good depth, so we just need to play as hard as we can, and a lot of that’s at the defensive end.
“The rim protection is something that might be the best I’ve had in a while when you see us have nine blocked shots tonight.
“If people get downhill and get at the rim, they have to get through a wall of guys that’s a tough defensive group.”
The sight of Jack White out on the court for the first time after an eight-month layoff due to a rupture Achilles capped off a great day for Melbourne.
“He affects everyone around him because of what type of guy, what type of player he is,” Goulding said.
“And that showed in his diligent work ethic and approach to his rehab that for him to come in and be able to affect a game straight off a nine-month layoff.
“We missed him so much last year during that championship run.”
Having now made their worst start to an NBL season (0-5), New Zealand Breakers coach Dan Shamir said every game for his team was “huge” from now on, starting with Tasmania in Hobart on Boxing Day.
“There’s no magic, there’s no one solution that fixes everything, but we need to do the work and we all have to be better,” Shamir said.
Shamir was tempted to play American import, and former NBA player, Chasson Randle against United, especially after the Breakers were involved in a taxing double-overtime game against Illawarra on Friday.
But Shamir decided it was too risky a move, and Randle will almost certainly take on the JackJumpers next week.
Kings bounce back
The Sydney Kings have quickly put Thursday’s embarrassment behind them on Saturday, ending South East Melbourne Phoenix’s unbeaten start to the season, and claiming a 11-point win at Qudos Bank Arena.
Sydney posted its lowest-ever NBL match score in an 89-47 loss to Melbourne United on Thursday and had almost that many on the scoreboard by halftime at Qudos Bank Arena, leading by 12, and went on to post 84 by the final buzzer.
“We just needed to respond, it was really embarrassing the other night, it just wasn’t us,” guard Shaun Bruce told ESPN at the main break.
“We had to get back to what being a King is.”
Kings star Xavier Cooks led the way for the home side on Saturday. He scored a season-high 19 points, finished off with a spectacular slam dunk in the final quarter to complement 11 rebounds.
American big man Jarell Martin also hit a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Guard Angus Glover shot 15 points including three from three at the arc in the first quarter.
The Kings responded without several of their main men. RJ Hunter was again ruled out due to knee soreness, fellow American import Jaylen Adams continues his recovery from an ankle sprain, and centreman Jordan Hunter was also out, having undergone surgery this week on a left foot fracture.
Sydney is now two and two to start the season. The loss was South East Melbourne’s first from its four matches, all of which were in the Victorian capital.
Chinese 216cm superstar Zhou Qi did his best to keep South East Melbourne’s unbeaten run intact with 17 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks, before lots of support in Sydney.
Sydney fans turn out to see Qi
Chinese basketball fans were in full voice on Saturday cheering on their national superstar Zhou Qi, at Qudos Bank Arena.
Almost every time the new Phoenix centre got the ball – whether that be a block, alley-oop or one of his slam dunks early in the second quarter – it prompted a roar from the crowd.
“When they opened the doors to Qudos Bank Arena, there were a ton of people down by the court taking photos of Zhou while he was warming up, it’s just incredible to see the impact he’s having on the league,” ESPN’s Jo Healy said on the coverage.
Qi, 25, was voted best defensive player in the Chinese Basketball Association in its 2020 championship prior to joining the Phoenix this season, has represented China since 2014 and played in 22 NBA matches with the Houston Rockets.
All new kings from the field
The three-point shooting was the standout turnaround stat from Thursday to Saturday for the Sydney Kings.
On Thursday, their field goal shooting was the lowest registered by any team in an NBL game at 21.1 per cent — it more than doubled to 41 per cent on Saturday.
The Kings were appalling from beyond the arc in Melbourne, shooting at 13 per cent, but that all changed on Saturday, getting nearly one in every two at 32 per cent. Instead, it was Phoenix’s numbers from three-point range that were below par, shooting at 25 per cent.
Cotton loses cool, but Wildcats shoot down Bullets
A feigned headbutt, two technical fouls, Bryce Cotton losing his cool and a potentially serious injury to a starting player, all highlighted the Perth Wildcats 83-70 win over the Brisbane Bullets in Perth on Friday night – and all that was just in the third quarter.
After a low-scoring opening-half, frustrations came out from both sides in a hectic third term.
The focus of the match replays will be on Brisbane’s Deng Deng, who was called for a technical foul seven minutes into the term.
With the game stopped after a foul, Deng went to ground, suggesting former Bullet Vic Law had headbutted him.
While it looked like Law did lean into his opponent, the replays showed a very late and overplayed reaction from Deng.
The Wildcats were starting to pull away from the Bullets at the time, leading 56-48.
Poked an MVP bear
Just over three minutes earlier, the usually unflappable Bryce Cotton was also called for a rare technical foul.
The two-time MVP let the referees know he didn’t like the attention shown to him by Brisbane tall Tyrell Harrison after he completed a lay-up. And the refs didn’t like how he expressed it.
Brisbane kept Cotton quiet on Sunday to score a win in Perth on Sunday in double overtime.
While the Perth champ did his best to impact this clash, he had only 13 points to his name when he had his outburst. The game was tied at 44-all.
Cotton finished with a game-high 29 points, including 12 in the last quarter.
Captain Jesse Wagstaff was outstanding with 19 points, six rebounds and three assists.
More time out
Perth forward Todd Blanchfield was struck down by an unfortunate injury.
He limped from the court with an apparent lateral ligament injury, just one-and-a-bit games after returning to the court after needing pre-season knee surgery.
While Blanchfield looks set for some time on the sidelines, Brisbane looks to have dodged a bullet, with its Australian Olympic Games medal winner, Nathan Sobey, quickly overcoming what seemed a serious pectoral muscle injury.
Sobey sat down early in the second quarter and looked done, nursing his pec with an ice pack. But he returned after halftime and finished the game.
Robert Franks was again outstanding, with 28 points and nine rebounds, while Lamar Patterson dropped 17 points.
It was on early
Scoring was difficult from the opening tip and the referees made sure teams earned every point.
Scores were locked at just 36-all at the main break and there were plenty of fouls collected in the opening two terms.
Of the 19 fouls called in the opening half, seven of them were on the team in offence; five in the first term.
The foul frenzy hurt the Wildcats the most.
Law picked up two within 17 seconds of one another. The former Bullet was restricted to less than 11 minutes in the first half and scored just two points.
The long-awaited debut of former Houston Rockets wing Michael Frazier II was very similar. His first two fouls came within just 13 seconds of one another.
While Franks picked up one of those charging fouls early himself, he dropped 10 points in the first quarter to give the Bullets a 19-14 lead at the first break.
There were a total of 11 offensive fouls called for the game.
Bound for Brisbane
Brisbane has had two weeks on the road, having to play in Tasmania before crossing the country to face back-to-back games against Perth.
They’ve also been on the court for three extra quarters of overtime basketball.
On Sunday, the Bullets finally get to hit their home court this campaign for the first time when they host Illawarra.
But maybe the frenetic start to the NBL season has taken a toll on them.
After trading blows with the Wildcats for just more than a half in the second of a two-game road trip in Perth on Friday night, the Bullets seemed to hit a wall.
Scores were tied at 44-44 early in the third quarter, before the home side took control and ran away with an 83-70 victory.
The fight that the Bullets showed in their win last Sunday just wasn’t there for four quarters on Friday night.
Their task to quickly get things back on track won’t be much easier this Sunday, either.
Although they welcome a return to Queensland for their first home game of the season, the Bullets face the Hawks, who are unbeaten after wins over the Adelaide 36ers, Sydney Kings and New Zealand Breakers.
But despite being on the road since the start of the season, winning against the JackJumpers in overtime and the Wildcats in double-overtime, and having to play two games in Perth in less than a week, you won’t hear coach James Duncan complain about the hand they have been dealt.
“Possibly,” he responded post match when asked if fatigue played a part in the fade away in the second half.
“The guys have come together and managed the situation.
“Two weeks out here, we have been able to grow as a team. We’re not going to complain about the situation.
“A lot people are struggling and have it worse than us. It is a part of our job.
“We’ll get our recovery happening and prepare for the Hawks coming in on Sunday.”
Regardless of their physical and mental position, Duncan does expect a greater contribution across the whole board on Sunday than what he got on Friday night.
Last Sunday, five Bullets players reached double figures in scoring and three also got there in rebounding stats, in beating Perth.
In the return bout, only Robert Franks (28 points) and Lamar Patterson (17) made it beyond seven points.
After smashing Perth on the boards in the first outing (62-49), it was a much more even affair on Friday night, the Bullets claiming just a 41-39 advantage in rebounding. And that’s where Perth made up the difference.
Duncan is clearly happy with the input from his new import, but is calling for some of his teammates to lend a hand.
“Robert is growing and growing and understanding how the league is calling him,” Duncan said.
“He’s getting more comfortable. I am happy for him. This is part of what we saw when we looked at bringing him into the group.
“At the same time, I believe in everyone contributing and making teams pick their poison.
“I feel when we do that, we’re a stronger team. We need other guys to get more relaxed.
“Guys are going to struggle at times, these things happen.”
“We did a poor job at executing the game plan.”
Duncan said he expected Nathan Sobey to play against the Hawks on Sunday, despite the Olympian missing most of the second quarter with what looked to be a pectoral muscle injury.
The coach wouldn’t elaborate after declaring Sobey had “a few niggles” but declared him fit to play in Brisbane’s first home game of the season.
Familiar faces
With only one home game left before they hit the road for an extended period of time, Perth Wildcats captain Jesse Wagstaff isn’t getting caught up in any emotional homecomings ahead of Sunday’s historic game with the Tasmania JackJumpers.
The NBL’s newest franchise is littered with former Wildcats players and coaches, all of whom would have been a part of the veteran’s ridiculously successful career in Perth.
But Wagstaff remains focused on the task of winning and taking a 4-1 record onto the road, knowing they won’t be back until early February, at the earliest.
That’s when WA state border restrictions will ease and those who are vaccinated against Covid-19 will be able to enter without going into quarantine.
“The fact they are a new franchise is irrelevant,” Wagstaff said after Perth’s 13-point win against the Brisbane Bullets on Friday night.
“We’re both professional teams. We have a basketball game to prepare for.
“There are familiar faces on the court and in the coaching staff, but that doesn’t change too much how you prepare.
“We have to prepare and try to get another win before we go on the road.”
Wagstaff was outstanding in the win against the Bullets, coming off the bench to knock down 19 points, going 8-14 from the field. He also pulled down six rebounds.
Perth was plus-23 points when he was on the court.
While he was full of praise for Wagstaff, it was youngster Luke Travers who really caught the eye of coach Scott Morrison.
Having been removed from the starting line-up for the first time, this season, Travers shrugged off the demotion to pull in 10 rebounds against the Bullets, providing competition in an area they were smashed in on Sunday by Brisbane. He also contributed five assists.
But having dropped only one field goal, from eight attempts, it’s in offence that Morrison expects Travers to improve.
“He came off the bench for first time this season and he handled it well,” Morrison said.
“He took on some challenges to be a little tougher defensively and he was. He has been our best rebounder all season.
“But he is now frustrated with the shooting and it is something he needs to mentally get over, because he is a better shooter than he is giving himself credit for, based on what we see in practise.
“Hopefully he can get a couple to fall and break the ice.”
Perth is unlikely to have Todd Blanchfield available for Sunday’s game against Tasmania after he injured his knee on Sunday and was on crutches after the game.
Blanchfield was playing just his second game on Sunday, after recovering from pre-season surgery to the same knee.
RIP Sydney: Kings embarrassed in horror NBL first
The Sydney Kings have produced one of the most embarrassing performances in NBL history, held to their lowest total ever in a stunning capitulation against Melbourne United.
The 47 points was the lowest score in the Kings’ 33-year history.
Wayward Sydney missed its first 14 shots of the game and United hit everything on the way to a 34-5 start that had statisticians reaching for the record books.
And what they found was dismal for the Kings. They produced the NBL’s equal-lowest first quarter, managing just five points, and were down by 29 at the first break — the largest quarter-time deficit since the NBL’s inception.
The horror 42-point result, 89-47, was just short of the widest since the league switched to 10-minute quarters in 2009 — 1549 games.
Kings coach Chase Buford said his side failed to match United’s early intensity in the landslide.
“They came out like a team that was desperate to get a win and they brought the intensity, the physicality, and we didn’t match it,” Buford said.
“I don’t know if we came out and thought it was going to be sweet or what, but we didn’t match their intensity to start the game tonight and it showed from the opening tip.
“Our defence was below average — we gave them too many good looks from three, they hit some tough ones. I actually thought we guarded around the rim OK for a lot of the night but, after you spot them 26-0 to start, it’s kind of hard to go from there.”
Reserve guard Biwali Bayles was the only King to make a field goal in the first as they finished the quarter 1-19 from the field — the other four points coming at the free throw line.
By contrast, United shot 63 per cent on their way to a 26-0 start, and made seven of their 11 three-point attempts.
Bayles said he was embarrassed by the demolition.
“Honestly, it was pretty embarrassing,” Bayles said.
“I just felt like that’s not what we’re about, that’s not who we are.
“It’s difficult, knowing that while we’re out there, we’re getting punched and we just didn’t really give them anything back.
Ok this is officially embarrassing â¦@SydneyKingsâ© and inexcusable. Out hustled and muscled by â¦@MelbUnitedHQâ© and pushed out of offense. Come on hit back! pic.twitter.com/9eavgPJSxh
— Tim Morrissey (@timmorrissey) December 16, 2021
What the hell? #nblpic.twitter.com/aEzvcZkEFF
— feliz navidud (@DesignedToFade) December 16, 2021
What the F are the Kings doing? #nbl22 this is bad
— CB (@cambruce01) December 16, 2021
I believe my TV is broken, sir… #NBL22pic.twitter.com/ssNDTEa5WU
— Mookie: 🀠NBA NBL FIBA (@ASternWarning) December 16, 2021
The 26-0 streak, incredibly, wasn’t the Kings’ worst — that was, of course, the incredible 38-0 run United put together against them in a 2020 playoff game they lost by a club-record 45 points.
United coach Dean Vickerman said his mind did wander back to that remarkable playoff game.
“I did think about it for a second,” Vickerman admitted.
“I thought we were incredible offensively in that game. This one, I thought everything was driven a lot from what we did at the defensive end.
“We did talk about trying to get off to a good start but I’m not sure if I’ve ever been part of a 26-0 start in this league.
“I guess the biggest challenge once you get a heavy lead is how relentless you can continue to be defensively.
“I take good pride and say we kept them under 50 points and we were pretty solid in that area.
“It was a much needed win for us and (I’m) really pleased with the effort.”
Import Caleb Agada was the chief destroyer with 12 points in the opening quarter — on his way to a game-high 21 — perhaps inspired by early-season criticism directed his way in the wake of his slow start.
After a pair of losses to start the new NBL season, this was a United performance more reminiscent of the team that won last year’s NBL title.
With Mason Peatling suspended for his role in the Throwdown barney, coach Dean Vickerman shuffled the magnets, moving Brad Newley and Shea Ili to the bench, with returning captain Chris Goulding, veteran David Barlow and Agada inserted into the starting five alongside marquee man Matthew Dellavedova and devastating centre Jo Lual-Acuil.
To say it worked would be an understatement.
Goulding, back from the hamstring strain that forced him to miss the first two games of the season, made a team-heat-check three-pointer from the parking lot in the incredible first quarter run to signal he was back.
It gets better, too, with star forward Jack White set to take the court for the first time since he ruptured his Achilles eight months ago.
About the only positive the Kings could take out of the game is the return of Dejan Vasiljevic, who also suffered a wrecked Achilles in April. Xavier Cooks was the only King in double digits with 12.
The Kings head back to Sydney with their tails between their legs to begin a five-game home stand, but it doesn’t get any easier with a visit from the undefeated South East Melbourne Phoenix on Saturday.
United ends its own three-game home stand against New Zealand Sunday, before a third date with the Kings on Boxing Day.
On your feet, Melbourne
United has a longstanding, pardon the pun, tradition of keeping fans at John Cain Arena on their feet until the opposition scores. There will be the best part of 4786 fans with sore feet after they remained standing through more than seven minutes of playing time — and two time-outs from Kings coach Chase Buford. You wouldn’t have heard many of them complaining after a banner night for their team.
Tigers legend links up with United
He made his name in the halcyon days of the Melbourne Tigers, popularising the sport in the city as Andrew Gaze’s uber-athletic running mate. And now Lanard Copeland is back in the sport, joining United as coach of its basketball academy. Copeland played in two of the Tigers’ banners, which hang in John Cain Arena during United games and is excited about the prospect of fostering the next generation of Melbourne talent.
SCOREBOARD
Melbourne United 89–47 Sydney Kings
Crowd: 4786
United
C Agada 21 points, 7 rebounds
C Goulding 13 points
J Lual-Acuil 11 points, 8 rebounds
Kings
X Cooks 12 points
Kings won’t ‘lay an egg’ against Phoenix
Sydney coach Chase Buford has guaranteed his “embarrassed” Kings won’t “lay an egg” against South East Melbourne on Saturday night.
The Kings were lambasted after they were blown off the court in a record-breaking 89-47 defeat against Melbourne United Thursday night.
But, with the undefeated Phoenix looming, Buford says he will be “shocked” if they — or any other team — play as well as United did.
“I’ll be shocked if anybody plays as well as Melbourne did,” Buford said after his side conceded a 26-0 run to start the game.
“They were ready for it, they were desperate to get a win and it showed.
“Phoenix is a great team, we’ll be ready.
“We’re not going to lay an egg like this on Saturday, I promise you that.”
Bench sparkplug Biwali Bayles said he felt “embarrassed” but tried to inspire his team — scoring their only field goal of the first quarter as they managed just five points.
“Whether we’re down 30 or up 30, I feel like that’s always what I am going to go and do,” Bayles said.
“Obviously it was difficult, but I’ma do that, no matter what.
“Hopefully next game we can all just get into it early.
“Just flush that one and get ready for Saturday.”
The Phoenix are just about the last opponent a side coming off a 42-point spanking would want to face, having beaten United and twice disposed of the New Zealand Breakers.
Chinese centre Zhou Qi stands 216cm and will be a huge load in the middle, while an array of shooters, led by Mitch Creek, Ryan Broekhoff and Xavier Munford will look to expose an area the Kings struggled with — United hit seven treys in the first quarter and 14 for the game.
But at least it will be in more familiar surroundings at Qudos Bank Arena, where they will play the next five.
Defence, CG key to Agada’s breakout
An honest Caleb Agada admitted he was struggling to adapt to the NBL.
His coach had pushed him to the bench as he worked on bringing his defence up to standard.
But the Melbourne United import appears to be a fast learner.
After wearing criticism over his performances in the NBL Blitz and United’s pair of losses to start the season, the Nigerian-born 27-year-old busted out in the best way, keying his side’s record-breaking 89-47 demolition of the Sydney Kings.
“It was definitely a good day for me,” Agada said, after dropping a game-high 21 points and ripping down seven rebounds in the rout.
“I feel like I’m making steps in the right direction.”
Agada strolled in for an uncontested layup from the tip-off, two seconds into the game, and added two more on a fast break moments later as United went on a 26-0 run.
Those buckets were all he needed to get into a scoring groove.
“That was definitely good to get that early one and then the transition was real good,” he said.
“I felt like everything was open offensively after the defence.
“Everything was just simple, we were playing good defence and we were running in our lanes in offence and everybody was taking good shots.”
Agada said the return of Chris Goulding from a hamstring injury had helped open up the court.
“I feel like everyone feels like a lot more comfortable with CG out there, just what he brings to the team is so massive,” he said.
“We play a lot better as a team, just knowing that our captain’s there and he’s going to do what it takes to win and we just got to take care of what we can take care of.”
United coach Dean Vickerman said Agada had responded to the coach’s defensive urgings.
Super happy for (Agada),” Vickerman said.
“We didn’t start him the first couple games, we wanted to work on his defence,” Vickerman said.
“He really took that on and, once he showed us the defence last game (against South East Melbourne), let’s inject him straight back in the starting line-up and really believe that him and Chris (Goulding) can work together.
“I thought they did a good job of sharing their usage and just being smart basketballers.”
Originally published as NBL 2021-22: Game reports and scores from Australia’s premier basketball competition
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