To The South: Teams Show Dominance In Eventful NBL Weekend

Eight teams took to the court for four NBL games across one weekend but there were numerous highlight moments and big scores throughout, including in the highlight game of the week between two of Australia's biggest rivals.

Adelaide 36ers vs New Zealand Breakers

Uncharacteristically of them this season, Adelaide scored just six points in the first quarter, leaving the door open for the Breakers to surge into a big lead. The 36ers were found some scoring rhythm in the second quarter, but with Corey Webster keeping the scoring consistant for New Zealand, the home team trailed by thirty points at the half.

The Breakers matched the 36ers scoring when play resumed and holding them to just eleven points in the final period, they ran home to a very impressive victory over one of the early marquee teams of the season. Jack McVeigh had some comfort, finishing as Adelaide’s top scorer with 20 points. Corey and Tai Webster both finished with a game-high 29 points, with Corey also dishing 11 assists, for the Breakers in their 106-62 takedown of the 36ers.

Melbourne United vs Sydney Kings

Casper Ware and Dejan Vasiljevic combined to start the game with a 10-0 run for Sydney, they and Bruce continued their form to keep the Kings at a distance from Melbourne, despite Scotty Hopson and Yudai Baba working to bring down the deficit.

Midway through Q3 ten unanswered from Melbourne made it a two-point game, with Baba then briefly putting them in front before Shaun Bruce and Jordan Hunter restored Sydney’s lead just before the final period. Baba gave the lead back to Melbourne in the fourth, but small enough and with enough time left in regulation for Sydney still to win it back.

A point separated the teams in the final minute but with seven seconds to go, Jock Landale drew a foul from Kickert and made both free-throws, putting Melbourne ahead 83-80, which would be the final score. Vasiljevic finished as Sydney’s top scorer with 22 points, followed by Ware with 21 in the loss. With 20 points to his name, Landale was the top scorer for Melbourne as they laid waste to their rivals.

South East Melbourne vs Illawarra Hawks

On the receiving end of some early fouls, the Phoenix’s shooting from both the free-throw and three-point lines gave them a double-digit lead in the first quarter. Tyler Harvey and Deng Adel led the Hawks’ attempts to bring that gap down, only for Mitch Creek to keep a comfortable buffer between the teams, with Yannick Wetzell and Cameron Gliddon later contributing to SEM’s scoreline.

Illawarra began the fourth period trailing by twenty points but despite the best efforts of Harvey, Froling and Simon, there was no stopping the Phoenix’s rampant offence. Led by 25 points from Creek and Ben Moore’s 22, SEM routed the Hawks and move back into play-off contention following their latest 93-76 win.

Brisbane Bullets vs Cairns Taipans

A late three from Jarrod Kenny put Cairns in front at the end of a closely contested first quarter, Nathan Sobey and Victor Law responded for Brisbane with a run of nine unanswered points at the top of Q2. Continued intensity in the paint kept the Bullets at a distance from the Taipans, despite regular attempts to close that gap.

Cameron Oliver led the Taipans’ second half offence but with the Bullets catching fire from three-point territory, their lead became more and more unassailable down the stretch. Brisbane made fifteen three-pointers in the game and were led by 30 points from Sobey, with 20 from Anthony Drmic and Harry Froling recording 15 points and 11 rebounds in their twenty-point defeat of the Taipans. Scott Machado finished as Cairns’ top scorer with 26 points in the loss.