NBL Week 4 2023 results, news: JackJumpers defeat Kings 105-95, Melbourne United beat New Zealand 97-88
A fourth quarter Jordon Crawford blitz propelled Tasmania over the reigning champs Sydney, as Melbourne United held off the Breakers in a tight tussle. See the latest NBL news.
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Tasmania kept its perfect record over the Kings this season intact with a 105-95 victory on the back of a fourth quarter Jordon Crawford blitz.
The pint-sized point guard scored the first 14 points of the final term for his team to extend a seven-point lead into 19, giving the JackJumpers their second win of the season over the Kings.
Crawford was kept quiet up until that point with 12 points on 27 per cent shooting, before hitting four three-pointers in a row to start the fourth and silence the 10,721 fans at Qudos Bank Arena, and helping Tasmania leapfrog Sydney into second position on the ladder.
He finished the contest with 32 points and was assisted by a pair of valuable bench contributions from Majok Deng (17 pts) and Clint Steindl (13 pts).
LET THE BOYS PLAY
A whistle-happy first quarter from the referees created a stop-start affair that really dampened the atmosphere in front of another packed arena.
They blew up 13 fouls in the opening period and the two teams combined to shoot 17 free throws.
The JackJumpers adjusted best during that time, hitting four of six from deep and shooting the lights out to drop 36 and open up a handy 11-point advantage, including 10 off the bench from Clint Steindl.
Bigs Jonah Bolden and Marcus Lee were restricted to just four and five minutes in the first half respectively after both picked up three fouls.
TASSIE CAUSES MAJOR HEADACHES
From the opening tip Tasmania looked to be the more energetic team and that translated into early scoreboard pressure.
They looked to get into transition quickly and their full-court press put constant pressure on the Kings, with their active hands in the lane forcing some poor turnovers.
The JackJumpers were absolute beasts on the fast break and for the first half they had no answers as they trailed by as many as 18 points and found themselves in a big hole down by 12 at the main break.
KINGS PROVE WAYWARD
Sydney’s shooting woes from beyond the arc continued.
After shooting just 7/40 in their win over Perth last weekend, they backed it up with another below par effort.
Hitting just five of their 20 attempts in the first half, they managed just 10/37 for the game at a very ordinary 27 per cent.
HIGH FLYING GALLOWAY
If the NBL ever introduces a dunk contest, Jaylin Galloway needs to be the first man to enter.
The athletic forward showed no remorse as he hammered down a thunderous dunk over Marcus Lee to put the exclamation mark on a strong Kings run to start the third quarter.
Unfortunately for Galloway he went into the sheds with a shoulder complaint just minutes later after trying to swat the ball from Lee.
United hold off Breakers in Sunday slugfest
- Lance Jenkinson
It was an extremely tough close out for Melbourne United but it dug deep to shrug off a gutsy New Zealand Breakers 97-88 in a Sunday thriller at John Cain Arena.
Centre Jo Lual-Acuil’s defensive presence down the stretch, veteran Chris Goulding’s second half spark and a lionhearted display from Shea Ili ensured the United fans would go home happy.
The Breakers were playing on adrenaline after returning from their long USA trip where they faced two NBA teams and stayed in the game until the final hammer blow was delivered by United guard Ian Clark, who hit a three and two free throws in the dying second.
United remains top of the NBL ladder, improving to 6-1.
The Breakers started with energy but it was United who settled into a groove better.
The defensive presences of United bigs Ariel Hukporti and Lual-Acuil made it nigh on impossible for the Breakers to penetrate the key in the first period and when they did it wasn’t pretty with 2/9 inside the paint.
The vibes were good for United, leading 23-13 at quarter time on a Shea Ili buzzer beating three and free burgers secured for the crowd after Izayah Le’Afa came up empty on a trip to the free throw line.
Luke Travers was ultra aggressive early, scoring 15 of his 16 points in the first half.
United stretched their lead to 12 in the second before the Breakers went on a 7-0 run, forcing United coach Dean Vickerman to a time-out.
Parker Jackson-Cartwright’s speed was becoming an issue for United.
The Breakers point guard was finding chinks in the United armour with his evasiveness proving a hard cover and his passing on point.
Will McDowell-White had five assists to half-time and Zylan Cheatham, who top scored with 30 in the game, was showing his hops with 13 and five at the half to lead the Breakers to a 43-42 half time lead.
United was desperate to get sharpshooter Chris Goulding involved after scoring just two points in the first half and he opened the big three before an Ian Clark triple put United ahead.
Despite a second Goulding three, the Breakers chiselled out a six-point advantage late in the third.
United though would take a narrow 64-63 lead on a buzzer beating Clark layup at three quarter time.
With the game in the balance, United seized the moment with Clark launching a three and Ili finding a high-flying Hukporti for a dunk that nearly lifted the roof off the arena.
Jackson-Cartwright wasn’t slowing down and had the Breakers all square with six minutes left.
Lual Acuil turned the tide with a block on Jackson-Cartwright and two free throws to give United a five-point gap in the fourth.
Clark’s late flurry ensured United would take the win.
SPEED KILLS
The speed and evasiveness of Breakers guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright made him a tough cover.
Without the defensive presence of Matthew Dellavedova, it was on Shea Ili to take on the unenviable task of stopping a player coming off a 19-point game against the Utah Jazz, averaging 22 in his first two NBL games and playing the game at 100 miles per hour.
Jackson-Cartwright finished with 18 points, five assists and five steals, but Ili was just as influential for United with 16 points, four assists and two steals.
CHEAT CODE
Breakers forward Zylan Cheatham was a constant menace for United.
The Breakers fed off the 27-year-old’s energy just as much as his 30 points, four rebounds and five assists.
His showed his elite defence and was a +30 in the +/- column.
OUTTA MY WAY
Lual-Acuil was a significant defensive presence for United down the stretch.
Two last quarter blocks, including a swipe on Jackson-Cartwright, was agitating the Breakers to the point that Cheatham got up in his face, but Lual-Acuil stared him down.
Lual-Acuil was crucial in United creating a gap on the scoreboard late.
NBL SCOREBOARD
Melbourne United 97 (Clark 18, Travers 16, Ili 16, Goulding 16, Lual-Acuil 16) d New Zealand Breakers 88 (Cheatham 30, Jackson-Cartwright 18, Lamb 15)
36ers hold off late charge to get season back on track
- Jason Phelan
The resurgent 36ers took another step in the right direction on Saturday night, star centre Isaac Humphries willing Adelaide to a pulsating 11-point win over the Wildcats.
After a quiet outing in Thursday night’s loss to South East Melbourne, Humphries was a man on a mission at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, with a game-high 26 points and eight rebounds in a result that improves his side’s record to 2-5.
Star recruit DJ Vasiljevic had 15 points and Kyrin Galloway 16, as CJ Bruton’s men made it two wins from their past three games.
The Sixers led by two points heading into a high-stakes final term and went on a 6-0 run before holding off a late charge by Perth.
Former Sixer Keanu Pinder was huge down the stretch against his old side and finished with a team-high 17 points in a disjointed offensive display by the Wildcats.
STREAKY START
Vasiljevic and Humphries led the charge as Adelaide got off to a flyer.
Vasiljevic drained a couple of early triples for a game-high eight first-quarter points and Humphries made his presence felt on the scoreboard and in the paint.
Humphries had just two points on one shot taken from the floor in an uncharacteristically subdued outing against the Phoenix, but the star big man was important as the home side raced to a 10-point lead.
The ice-cold Wildcats started with 1-from-6 shooting from the floor, but Corey Webster helped get his side firing on offence.
Perth clicked into gear with an 8-0 run that helped slash the margin to three points at the first break.
JORDAN’S JAM
The Wildcats took the lead for the first time in emphatic style four minutes out from half-time.
A defensive mix-up left a gaping hole for Jordan Usher to drive hard to the basket, take flight and slam down a huge right-handed dunk.
Superstar Bryce Cotton continued his low-key start to the season on offence, the Wildcats’ skipper with three points on 1-from-7 shooting in the first half, but Webster continued to carry the bulk of the load with 12 points.
Despite Humphries’ heroics, he had a game-high 15 points on 7-from-8 shooting, Sixers trailed by a point at the main break.
Adelaide led the rebounds 26-17, but ball security was an issue, the Sixers with 11 turnovers in the first half.
A LITTLE HELP?
The 36ers had just three triples nearing three-quarter time and Vasiljevic was responsible for all of them.
The 36ers, last in the league in three-point shooting heading into the clash, were 3-from-14 to Perth’s 9-from-21 from long range before Galloway drained a triple with just under three minutes left in the third term.
Another triple from Galloway with two minutes remaining edged his side closer to victory and his third with 2.6 seconds remaining was icing on the cake.
PHOENIX DOMINATE AS BRISBANE FAIL TO FIRE WITHOUT BAYNES
—Lance Jenkinson
A showcase of its big man strength underpinned South East Melbourne Phoenix’s resounding 96-73 win over Brisbane Bullets in the NBL at John Cain Arena on Saturday night.
Sorely missing suspended powerhouse Aron Baynes, the Bullets had no answer to the interchangeable big men that Phoenix coach Mike Kelly deployed with great success.
At the heart of Phoenix’s dominance was centre Alan Williams, featuring in his first home game since returning from a knee injury picked up in the off-season.
Williams’ array of weapons were on show, from his feathery touch inside the paint, gritty rebounding and silky passing ability as produced 21 points, six rebounds and three assists in a best-on-court display.
When Williams was resting, Rhys Vague, Craig Moller and Gorjok Gak picked up the slack.
Vague was superb off the bench with 12 points and six rebounds.
With a full complement of players, the Phoenix are a dangerous proposition.
The Phoenix made it two wins in three days after their rare road win over the 36ers on Thursday night and registered a third successive win to improve to 4-3 on the season.
The Bullets are in a whole heap of trouble, losing their fourth straight game, including back-to-back games in Melbourne.
Shotgun start
The Bullets raced to an 11-4 lead with guard Shannon Scott dictating the pace, but when Scott ran into early foul trouble, the Phoenix took control.
Star forward Mitch Creek sensed the Phoenix were a little lackluster out of the gates and did something about it, imposing himself on the game in a five-minute burst late in the first period.
Big threes from Matt Kenyon and Vague off the bench gave the Phoenix a 17-15 lead at quarter time.
Captain Nathan Sobey arrested the slide for the Bullets, instilling some offensive bite in the second.
Sobey never stopped trying with 14 points.
Extra Sauce
Williams was the dominant big man in the first half and helped wrestle back momentum for the Phoenix.
The 30-year-old’s hounding of young Bullets youngster Rocco Zikarsky on one play turned the ball over and led to points much to the delight of the home fans.
Williams was mowing over his opponents on the offensive end, relishing the absence of the physical Baynes, who is in the midst of a five-game suspension, leading the Phoenix to a 45-33 half-time lead.
Bench impact
The lion’s share of Phoenix’s first half points were scored off the bench.
It allowed Phoenix coach Mike Kelly to use the starters sparingly in the second game in three nights..
Vague popped off for nine first half points but was also a defensive presence with five rebounds, while Ben Ayre, who had 16 points, was a menace.
If the Bullets thought there would be an easy way back in the game, Williams was still a significant roadblock in the second half.
The versatile big drained a three-pointer before delivering a looping pass that a point guard would be proud of to set up Craig Moller early in the third, which extended the Phoenix lead to 17 and it was all one way traffic from there.
Josh Bannan, a six-foot-four forward from Montana University, who was part of the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence, made his Bullets debut.
While he was solid defensively, matching up on Phoenix star Mitch Creek, he couldn’t impact offensively with just ?? points.
Isaac White (14 points) and Mitch Norton (12) were solid off the bench.
NBL SCOREBOARD
SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX 96 (Williams 21 Ayre 16 Vague 12) d BRISBANE BULLETS 73 (Sobey 14 White 14 Norton 12)
At John Cain Arena, Melbourne
PRIZED RECRUIT CAN’T SAVE 36ERS AS HORROR START CONTINUES
—Jason Phelan
The Adelaide 36ers unveiled prized recruit DJ Vasiljevic against South East Melbourne on Thursday night, but the star sharpshooter’s much-discussed signing wasn’t enough to inspire the Sixers as the Phoenix rolled to a comprehensive 17-point win, 102-85.
After a quiet first half, Mitch Creek led the multifaceted Phoenix offence with a game-high 23 points as his side registered its first road win of the season to improve to a 3-3 record.
The visitors had five scorers in double figures at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Gary Browne with 19 points and Alan Williams with 15 points and 13 rebounds in his first game of the season.
The result was a big let-down for CJ Bruton’s side after last week’s morale-boosting breakthrough win against Illawarra, the disjointed 36ers dropping to a 1-5 record with another home game against the Wildcats on Saturday to come.
The Sixers trailed by 12 points at halftime and were unable to get their noses in front at all in a disappointing second half.
Vasiljevic had 14 points in the first half and finished with 17, while Trey Kell III, coming off back-to-back games of 25 or more points, finished with 21 against his old side.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Vasiljevic, a two-time championship winner with the Kings, was officially signed on Tuesday after Sydney reluctantly released him and he was injected straight into the starting five.
Bruton gave his new sharpshooter every chance to make a good first impression and fire some early shots, Vasiljevic on the floor longer than any other player in the first quarter, sitting down for just 41 seconds.
His first three-point attempt was an off-balance shot as the shot clock ran out that rimmed out, but he nailed his first settled attempt from long range inside five minutes.
Vasiljevic had a game-high 11 points on 4-from-9 shooting at the first break, scores tied at 28 apiece in a freewheeling, end-to-end contest.
CUMMINGS GETS HOT
Creek usually loves to light it up against his old team, but he was relatively subdued with six points in the first half.
Will Cummings picked up the slack offensively with eight points in a barnstorming 15-0 run against the suddenly cold Sixers in the second quarter.
Cummings had 12 points at halftime, a team-high alongside Browne, with Williams, playing his first game of the season after picking up a knee injury in an off-season stint in Japan, enjoying his return with 11.
There were some alarmingly low first-half numbers for the home side, star centre Isaac Humphries putting up just one shot for two points.
Trentyn Flowers, who exploded for 18 last-quarter points in an NBL career-high total of 23 in last week’s win, with just two made free throws and no shots attempted from the floor in the first half.
Neither player was able to add to those tallies in the second half.
CADEE GLEE
Adelaide needed something, trailing 58-74 with just under two minutes to play in the third quarter, and Jason Cadee supplied it.
To the delight of the home fans, the veteran drained his first triple of the evening then showed great hustle with a steal on the inbound and drew a foul.
Cadee cut the margin to 11 points after he drained his free throws, but with the fans up and about, Creek stepped up to nail a three-pointer as time ran out to restore a 12-point lead, Creek with 13 points in the third term.
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