To The South: Best of Rounds 10 and 11

Two weeks worth of NBL basketball produced some of the most thrilling and high-energy basketball of the entire season. Here is the very best highlights from a fortnight of fantastic action down under.

South East Melbourne vs Adelaide 36ers

A single possession was all that stood between the teams for much of the first quarter, after which eleven points without reply saw Adelaide go up by twelve, a lead that Phoenix's three-point shooters were able to get down to one midway through Q2. Daniel Johnson restored a more comfortable lead to the 36ers, after an 11-2 start to the second half they stood fourteen points clear of South East Melbourne.

The Phoenix's three-point unit once again came to their rescue, getting the game down to a single possession until the last two minutes, when Adelaide went seven points clear, before SEM quickly tied the scores and with no further points scored the game went to overtime. Nine points in a row from the Phoenix put them at a double-digit advantage, enough to secure them the win.

Brandon Paul led the 36ers scoring with 20 points, with five others on the team reaching double-digits. Ben Moore led all with 23 points and 10 total rebounds for the Phoenix, who overcame the 36ers 96-89 in OT.

Sydney Kings vs Cairns Taipans

After opening with a 5-0 lead, the Kings fought in the paint to hold on to their early advantage before a 13-2 run from Cairns put them up by eight. Sydney ended the first quarter with nine unanswered to go up by one, which would have been higher if not for Nate Jawai, whose close-range points kept Cairns trailing by just one.

In the second half the Kings went up by double-digits, but almost immediately flatlined, allowing the combination of Cameron Oliver and Scott Machado to return the lead to the Taipans. Kickert responded, getting Sydney to within a point of Cairns and four lead changes followed up to the final stretch. A three from Bruce put the Kings ahead 75-73, and preventing another shot from the Taipans, that would be the final score. Machado was the game leader with 21 points for Cairns in their loss.

New Zealand Breakers vs Melbourne United (March 25th)

Colton Iverson and Rasmus Bach combined to give the Breakers an early 12-5 lead, Melbourne were quick to respond got themselves to within a point of their New Zealand opposition. A flurry of points both in and outside the arc put the Breakers up by double-digits for the remainder of the first half and until late in the third, when Chris Goulding made it a single-possession game.

United took advantage of a scoring drought on the New Zealand end and after fifteen points unanswered led by six. Thomas Abercrombie got that difference down to just one point, but Yudai Baba and Shea Ili made the game-winning plays for the team that had trailed for three-and-a-half quarters to prevail with the turnaround win. Finn Delany was the top scorer with 17 for the Breakers while Ili and Mitch McCarron both finished with 16 points in Melbourne's 82-79 victory.

Brisbane Bullets vs New Zealand Breakers (March 27th)

After a tight, one-possession start to the game, Tai Webster put the Breakers up by five, a lead the team had to fight to maintain while Anthony Drmic kept trying to bring it back down. Nathan Sobey finally put Brisbane in front at the top of the second half, the Breakers responded with eleven unanswered to regain their lead but still found the Bullets hard to shake even going into the final stretch.

Sobey had eight points to end regulation, which saw Brisbane go from five down to level with the Breakers. After neither he or Webster could put the game to bed for either team, overtime was needed. The teams were deadlocked for much of the final period until a three from Finn Delany was followed by two free-throws from Webster. Drmic and Jason Cadee both had chances to save Brisbane at the death, but came up short, leaving 81-76 standing as the final score.

There were double-doubles abound in this game: first 23 points and 11 rebounds from Sobey, who finished second in scoring for Brisbane behind Drmic, who had 25. For the Breakers Colton Iverson posted 10 points and 20 total rebounds with Tai Webster finishing with a game-high 27 points as well as 10 assists in one of the Breakers' biggest wins of the season.

The NBL picture has been changed dramatically at the end of round eleven: Illawarra and South East Melbourne have both moved into the playoff zone, behind Perth and Melbourne United at the top. Sydney and Brisbane are both hovering near the top four, if results go their way they could easily make it back in there.

While one of the top teams at the start of the season, injury-stricken Adelaide have fallen dramatically down the ladder following a five-game loss streak. The Breakers and the Taipans are at the bottom but given their recent results there's every chance they could make a late playoff push.

Picture Credit: Chris Hyde