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NBL: United into Final after Epic Semi
MELBOURNE United last night qualified for the NBL Championship Series when Ian Clark and Chris Goulding combined to bring down Kristian Doolittle and Bryce Cotton in an epic 113-112 last gasp victory from a match that has to rank as one of the most spectacular in playoff history, though no compensation for a gallant Perth Wildcats.
Last link to our first Games team dies at 94
COLIN Burdett, the last remaining player who suited for Australia at its 1956 international debut as host nation for the Melbourne Olympic Games, has died, aged 94, closing the book on our link to that first team of part-timers who launched the Boomers tradition 69 years ago.
NBL: Phoenix put the Hurt on Hawks
SOUTH East Melbourne made the adjustments, Matt Hurt remembered he's not just an import but in the NBL All Star Five, Owen Foxwell irritated Tyler Harvey out of the contest and Nathan Sobey did enough right for Phoenix to tie its semi final against Illawarra with a 101-94 reversal.
NBL: Dylan winds it up as United choke
BASKETBALL has more than its share of "experts" who believe every word they utter is a pearl of wisdom. Experience has taught they're often not worth a grain of salt. But when iconic WA superstar Andrew Vlahov speaks, you listen. So when he tells you he believes Dylan Windler will be a player to watch, you pay attention.
NBL: Hawk guards unravel South East
SURRENDERING a 34-point second quarter to South East Melbourne and trailing 54-61 at halftime, Illawarra applied the defensive clamps after the break, containing the Phoenix to 33 points for the entire second half as Trey Kell led the Hawks to a comfortable 101-94 home win in Game 1 of their NBL semi final.
WNBL: Flickering Flames put out by leading Spirit
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NO-ONE, especially no-one in a Sydney Flames uniform, needed any reminding just why Bendigo's spiritual leader Sami Whitcomb is the WNBL's reigning Most Valuable Player. Ah but just for the hell of it, she did so anyway as her Spirit sent the flickering Flames faltering out of their fractious finals foray in a semi sweep.
NBL: CG's 41 delivers Perth death blow
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SHELVE (even if only temporarily) every thing you dislike about Chris Goulding if you're not a diehard Melbourne NBL fan and accept this. As far as Australia's greatest ever shooters go, he is in every such conversation, even though he never had the Olympic opportunities his contemporaries Patty Mills, Andrew Gaze, Ian Davies and Eddie Palubinskas enjoyed.
Time Out-NO FLOP ZONE: Farewell to two of the best
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JOEY and I are off to a sad start with our Time Out-NO FLOP ZONE podcast, the game losing two more substantial figures this past week while we still mourn the 2025 deaths of Darryl Pearce, Rick Longley and Alan Hughes. And on the brink of the NBL semi finals, we have much to discuss and dissect.
WNBL: Blazing Fire crush limp Lynx
TOUPEES off and doffed to Perth Lynx coach Ryan Petrik. He consistently has his team well-placed for a strong WNBL title run. But until he develops a coping strategy or a legitimate Plan B, odds are players such as Abbey Ellis always will sink his best laid plans and leave the Lynx as a regular season anomaly.
Brad&Boti: Is there something in the water in Perth?
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WE'RE off and running with this week's earlier-than-usual episode of the Brad&Boti podcast, Brad Rosen and myself with so much to cover with Game 2s in the WNBL semis, and the NBL semis also launching this week. And we originally planned to skip this week!
