Basketball On The Internet.

THERE's a few questions and observations to lead off the overall Round 17 NBL Wrap before we provide you the convenience of reading (or ignoring) our match reviews, compiled here all in one place. But first, how boring is the match commentary on every game promoting the forthcoming "No Bull Tour"?

Honestly, every time the ad appears across the bottom of the screen, I hit the mute button rather than hear each commentary team still try and come up with compelling reasons to hear three former Chicago Bulls stars talk about their NBA histories.

If I'm not mistaken, for starters, Horace Grant was on the Bulls' first threepeat team when Bill Cartwright was the centre. Our own Luc Longley was on the second Bulls' threepeat as centre, when Dennis Rodman was the starting 4-man.

So what "spicy secrets" can they spill on each other? Scottie Pippen is the only constant. That said, the NBL flogging it at least twice every game is the very definition of tedium.

Same with the Harlem Globetrotters plug, which, fortunately, now seems to be done, replaced by telling us how whiz-bang-wonderful the NBL app is. And at least twice a game, EVERY game.

Sigh. Do the TV producers actually realise how much they alienate their audience anyway, with the Harvey Norman Replay coming at us over and over again.

Harvey Norman must've paid as much to the NBL as they have to NewsCorpse to get so much coverage. But it's especially galling when we are being subjected to the HN Replay while live action is continuing and we miss a steal, a basket, a foul or a developing altercation.

EXPLAIN this to me too, please. How is it that every time South East Melbourne has a sell-out crowd at State Basketball Centre, the figure is always the accurate 3,422. That's a sell-out at SBC. 3,422.

But a sell-out at Adelaide Entertainment Centre one week is 9,471, another week it's 9,580 and on another it's 9,468. Surely a "sold out" venue means the number should be a constant. Or is a very good crowd at the AEC automatically a "sell-out"?

And finally, to former star player now commentator Ryan Broekhoff, South East was not playing with "freedness" as they ran amok on Sydney. The Phoenix may have been playing freely, or with freedom, but freedness? Um... not actually a word.

Ahead of next week's all-in NBL wrap, we'll give you a few officiating observations. But for now, let's recap Round 17 from the opening tip ...

THERE was a shining bright full moon across Australia last Thursday. Wild brumbies ran thundering across the valleys. Wolves bayed at the night sky. Kings were beheaded, Wildcats tamed. Kids and outlaws hunkered together around Mitch Creek as legends were born. The NBL's annual "upset round" was underway.   

As Creek himself admitted, pre-game he shuddered at the thought of a 40-point pounding as his South East Melbourne gathered before the truly faithful at Wantirna's State Basketball Centre, hosting defending dual-champion Sydney.

The event in Melbourne would close as one of the greatest upsets in the Phoenix's sometimes chequered history.

And the evening would close with Illawarra, so often the bunnies in Perth when facing the powerhouse Wildcats, striding from RAC Arena and its stunned Red Army with the against-the-odds win that keeps alive the Hawks playoff hopes.

THE night began with news Phoenix import Gary Browne again was ruled out, joining fellow import Alan Williams on the sideline.

The injury report card did not improve from there. Matt Kenyon was the third regular starter who only would be in attendance in street clothes.

He joined Craig Moller - South East's starting small forward who is out for the duration - on the sidelines. And while third import Abdel Nader (wrist) suited up, he was a game-time decision. And that decision was that no, he would not play. 

Effectively, five of the team's first six would be spectating against a Sydney team which came to town desperate to shore up its position in the top four. And also a Kings outfit which a previously undermanned - though nowhere near to this extent - Phoenix team shocked in Sydney.

There was no excuse for the Kings to come in unprepared or, worse yet, with such an air of arrogant entitlement that compelled any non-Sydney fan to join in the jubilation of South East's total triumph.

South East has sucked and played so poorly for so long, it appeared to have willingly accepted the keys to the league bomb shelter.

But walk into the SBC and the sign is unmissable. It screams HEARTLAND in capital letters. And while it refers to the venue and its geographical location reflecting the heartland of Victorian basketball, last night it meant HEART-land.

That's precisely what this team showed from tip-off to siren - HEART. It has been the very aspect so clearly and often missing during the Phoenix's steady fall from grace.

Last night, South East Melbourne was Magic, a collection of young men with hearts like *barking pumpkins.

Kody Stattmann started and scored 16 points, 3-of-5 threes with six rebounds. Gorjok Gak started and scored 9 points, was as active as possible and when he drained his solitary 3-point attempt, the roof almost blew off the SBC.

Reuben Te Rangi was simply steady, which isn't a lot but sometimes just what's needed. Creek and Ben Ayre, were the standouts.

Creek had a 25-point first half and after Denzel Valentine opened the game's scoring, his triple put the Phoenix ahead and it was never caught.

Ayre, no longer acting like an angry and easily distracted little man, instead focused on playing to his true ability and strengths, rewarding himself - and his team - for the work he has done to be a quality NBL player. He stroked 5-of-9 threes in his 23-point haul.

The Phoenix exploded for a 36-point first quarter and nailed 6-of-7 threes until Creek's miss on the first term buzzer. Sydney was gobsmacked.

The Kings did a little better in the second period but this time it was someone named Luke Rosendale icing a corner 3-pointer on the halftime buzzer, SEM ahead 61-54 and taking a huge roar of appreciation into the changerooms.

There had been a wicked Creek two-hand slam to savour and some outstanding play from the ever-reliable Owen Foxwell (12 points at 50 per cent, six assists in 20 minutes).

The supporting cast thrived on centre stage and while Kings coach Mahmoud Abdelfattah wisely chose to double-team Creek at every opportunity in the second half, the damage already was done.

Even with Valentine stroking a couple of threes and Jaylen Adams pairing 24 points with nine assists, the Kings' rallies to get back into it were never at full throttle - quite amazing considering all the circumstances.

The old saying "a champion team will beat a team of champions" was not even applicable here. It was a team of focused and committed hardy battlers beating a team of entitled chumps. For SEM it was its best win of the season ... and maybe any season.

It's one for songs around the campfire for eons to come.

SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX 104 (Creek 31, Ayre 23, Stattmann 16, Foxwell 12; Creek 10 rebs; Foxwell 6 assts) d SYDNEY KINGS 98 (Adams 24, Noi 19, Valentine 13, Bolden 10; Valentine, Galloway 5 rebs; Adams 9 assts) at State Basketball Centre. Crowd: 3,422

FAST forward to Perth, which historically has been anything but a happy hunting ground for Illawarra, its Hawks team limping in off terrible home losses last round, to face a Wildcats unit challenging for the pinnacle on a six-win streak and with 13 wins from their past 15.

As per script, Perth was cruising to a 19-15 mid-first quarter lead on a pair of Bryce Cotton free throws when, as remarkably as it occurred in Melbourne, Illawarra's "second string" entered the fray.

Rightly relegated to the bench after going 0-of-13 in the Hawks' home losses to Cairns and Adelaide, Justin Robinson drove hard to create a successful three-point play.

Then unwanted Wildcat, Todd Blanchfield, struck a perfect 3-pointer and the Hawks were ahead 21-19. Next it was Lachlan Olbrich's turn for a successful three-point play, Illawarra out 24-19.

Jordan Usher pulled a bucket back for Perth, only to have Blanchfield swish another triple and Robinson add a free throw, Illawarra up 28-21 after one.

Blanchfield further rubbed salt into the Wildcat wounds with a three-point play to start the second period, then another 3-point bomb, Illawarra ahead 34-21 and The Blanch with 12 points to his name inside a minute of the second quarter!

Olbrich's layup bumped the lead to 36-21, alarm bells ringing so loudly the Red Army was bracing for a decisive air, land and sea attack.

They got it too, Illawarra ahead 53-30 on an Olbrich dunk and 55-35 at halftime, by which point Sam Froling, Tyler Harvey and Gary Clark all were joining in the festivities.

Unfortunately and worryingly typically, Perth coach John Rillie slipped into panic mode, recalling the season's early days when his substitution pattern was impossible to follow.

He had 13 players in the game this time around - 13! Perth apologists will say he was looking for some sort of combination to stall the Hawks onslaught. His detractors will say he lost track of what he was doing.

Here, it just looked all too familiar for those who can cast their minds back. When you have been winning one way and that is challenged, why revert?

The Hawks again showed coach Justin Tatum has the formula for neutralising Cotton, whose 13 points came off 2-of-12 shooting, supplemented by 8-of-8 from the free throw line.

Kristian Doolittle had an 11-point, 10-rebound double, but his four steals were erased by his five turnovers. Beyond that, no particular Wildcat did much of anything, and it's not as if they didn't have their chances.

Never losing focus, sticking steadfastly to their game plan, the Hawks again flew out of Perth with the W, their playoff hopes still alive, against all odds. 

ILLAWARRA HAWKS 95 (Clark 17, Blanchfield 16, Harvey 13, Froling 12, Lee 10; Olbrich 7 rebs; Robinson, Harvey 4 assts) d PERTH WILDCATS 77 (T.Webster 16, Cotton 13, Doolittle 11; Doolittle 10 rebs; Cotton 3 assts) at RAC Arena. Crowd: 12,771

(*Barking pumpkins. Thank you to NBL playing and coaching legend Bruce Palmer for that totally applicable term. Bruce may no longer directly be involved, but he sure isn't forgotten.) 

THEIR backs against the wall, New Zealand pulled out a big game to stifle Tasmania but in Brisbane, the Bullets once again showed they are not yet up with the NBL heavweights, following their heavy loss to Perth with another big one to Melbourne in Jo Lual-Acuil's return game.

Last year's grand finalists, the Breakers simply had to beat Tasmania to keep alive their play-in/playoff hopes and approached this home game accordingly.

Coming in off an impressive rout of ladder leader Melbourne, the JackJumpers also had everything to play for but once more it was Parker Jackson-Cartwright who won the battle of the NBL's premier Little Big Men, again lowering the colours of Tassie's equally exciting Jordon Crawford.

With Mangok Mathiang and Dane Pineau plagued throughout by foul problems, the Ants had every opportunity to exploit the middle with their giANTS, Marcus Lee and Will Magnay.

But despite a memorable match last round, Lee was largely inconsequential - more than 13:32 of court time may have helped - and while Magnay's 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting, eight rebounds, two blocks and defensive keyway terrorism definitely helped, his 5-of-14 from the free throw line assuredly did not.

Seizing the initiative from the get-go and building it via a morale-boosting 33-19 second quarter, New Zealand utilised Anthony Lamb and Zylan Cheatham as an inside tag-team.

Lamb also stuck 3-of-4 threes and Cheatham 2-of-4, Jackson-Cartwright swishing 6-of-8 from long range in his game-high 25-point haul.

Will McDowell-White also found his 3-point stroke, banging in 3-of-4 in his 13 points at 63 per cent, the Breakers shooting at a sizzling 57 per cent (15-of-26) from distance.

Jack McVeigh carried Tasmania offensively, compiling 22 points on a tidy 8-of-11 clip but it wasn't until Milton Doyle started connecting from outside the arc that Tasmania truly threatened.

Doyle stroked four 3-pointers - all of them in the last quarter - to give Tassie life where there really was none.

Sean MacDonald followed a pair of Doyle triples with one that brought the score to 69-73 but McDowell-White's 3-pointer settled that JJ's foray.

Lamb and Izayah Le'afa took the score from 78-71 to 85-71 before Doyle's second set of 3-point makes dragged Tasmania within 85-89 inside the final minute.

From there though it was a free throw procession for the Breakers, Crawford's late triple creating the final more flattering scoreline.

NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 94 (Jackson-Cartwright 25, Cheatham 20, Lamb 18, McDowell-White 13; Mathiang, Cheatham 5 rebs; Lamb 5 assts) d TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS 88 (McVeigh 22, Doyle 19, Magnay 15; Magnay 8 rebs; MacDonald 6 assts) at Eventfinda Stadium. Crowd: 2,272

SMACKED around last time by Melbourne in Melbourne, then pummelled by Perth in Perth last round, Brisbane at home and in front of its biggest Nissan Arena attendance, had plenty of incentive to square the ledger with United.

Sadly for its revitalised fanbase, Brisbane failed.

Key United returnees Jo Lual-Acuil (personal reasons) and Shea Ili (concussion protocols) were hugely impactful as Melbourne produced another rout, leaving the Bullets with a very clear idea of how far or how close they are to what the best in the NBL can produce.

JLA went off for a career-high 33 points at 70 per cent, buried 2-of-3 threeballs, grabbed 13 rebounds and stole the ball three times as he took delight and pleasure in isolating and attacking Brisbane bigs Tyrell Harrison and Aron Baynes.

He had a field day and Ili, in just 15 minutes, had a game-high six assists with six points, while also participating in Melbourne's usual shut-down defence.

Matthew Dellavedova relished containing Brisbane's main scorer Nathan Sobey, whose eventual 19 points was bolstered by 10-of-13 free throws on top of a less stellar 4-of-14 from the floor.

Chris Goulding was making shots as only he can. Former championship teammate Sam McDaniel blocked Goulding's first 3-point attempt of the match.

After that, Goulding pounded through six 3-pointers in his 23-point haul, Brisbane's early resistance - led by another former United championship winner in Casey Prather - faltering and spluttering amid what again appeared an unnecessary series of player rotations.

In them there dim, dark "olden days", the philosophy was if your man-to-man wasn't working, try some zone. This new era seems to embrace, if your man-to-man isn't working, sub every few minutes. Also do that if your zone isn't working. And sub every few minutes when things are working too! That should confuse and bamboozle them!

Melbourne led by as many as 20 points and with a backup game in Sydney to come this round, Dean Vickerman cleared his bench, his full squad yet again showing it will take some very consistent basketball to take this team down in a playoff series.

MELBOURNE UNITED 93 (Lual-Acuil 33, Goulding 23, Dellavedova 8; Lual-Acuil 13 rebs; Ili 6 assts) d BRISBANE BULLETS 77 (Sobey 19, McDaniel 12, Prather, Harrison 9; Harrison 8 rebs; Prather, Sobey 3 assts) at Nissan Arena. Crowd: 5,291

ADELAIDE took its 2024 record to 5-1, to 6-5 under interim coach Scott Ninnis and to an NBL outside finals chance 10-14 overall when it finally skinned the Taipans, undermanned South East again heroic but going down fighting at home to Perth, Mitch Creek once more leading the way.

But despite the depleted Phoenix's heart and effort, their 15th loss has consigned them to playoff spectators, fans left to lament why even their lesser lights were so dim a week ago when compared to this round's bold over-achieving performances.

In ADELAIDE, the 36ers' initial focus, and the return to the lineup of injured import Jacob Wiley, left no doubt they still were smarting from their meek recent overtime demise to the Taipans in Cairns.

Dejan Vasiljevic's attack at the basket instead of settling for threes - he still released 14 of them in his 25 field goal attempts - showed a clear intent to challenge the Orange's ability to defend the drive.

Hitting town with an 11-13 win-loss mark, this scalp was an important one for the Snakes but steadily got away from them, despite Isaac Humphries uncharacteristically missing relatively easy (for him) shots around the basket early.

Humphries blocking shots and changing others remained important until he found his shot later to still finish with 10 points but in a very even spread of Sixers scorers.

Vasiljevic leds the way with 28 points, Trey Kell (11), Nick Marshall (9) and 11 members of Ninnis' roster all making shots. He cleared his bench again, but wisely only after the match safely was locked away, the 36ers ahead by as many as 25 points.

Pat Miller could not hit the side of the barn - so much for considering shooting tips from Justin Robinson - until he made a couple in the last quarter to be 2-of-15 overall.

Usually reliable Tahjere McCall was MIA, his six points at 25 per cent and his three turnovers all ugly. In fact five Taipans were credited with three turnovers apiece and when the inevitable result became apparent early in the third, the whingeing and whining at calls was uncharacteristic and self-defeating.

It wasn't uncharacteristic for Bul Kuol, who is stalling his career by constantly arguing any call against him instead of making the necessary playing adjustments. But it was uncharacteristic for Lat Mayen to be bitching over a call he felt Sam Waardenburg should have received.

When you've become so distracted and are blaming the referees but failing to notice how often your team has rushed into offence and run one-pass or no-pass-just heroball offences, you've lost the plot.

And while Cairns was busy imploding, Vasiljevic and Mitch McCarron both left a loose ball they were scampering for to the other guy, before McCarron grabbed it and scored.

He was laughing afterwards and 36ers players laughing and enjoying themselves definitely provided a positive flashback to the early Phil Smyth years at the helm.

The lob for fan favourite Trentyn Flowers to throw down a dunk kept the fans engaged to the finish, Cairns now joining Adelaide on 14 losses but worse, likely to be without Waardenburg for an extended period after he suffered what very much looked another concussion late in the match.

ADELAIDE 36ERS 88 (Vasiljevic 28, Kell 11, Humphries 10; Galloway 8 rebs; Wiley, Marshall, Kell 3 assts) d CAIRNS TAIPANS 71 (Mayen 15, Juol 13, Armstrong 10; Mayen 9 rebs; McCall 7 assts) at Adelaide Entertainment Centre. Crowd: 9,471

STILL missing injured imports Gary Browne and Abdel Nader, plus Matt Kenyon to sit alongside out-for-the-season pair Craig Moller and Alan Williams, South East Melbourne again had to dig deep to cope with incoming and fired-up opponent Perth.

Only hours after the Phoenix rocked Sydney's world on Thursday, Illawarra humbled the Wildcats in Perth, so when they hit the State Basketball Centre, they were in no mood for any sort of repeat performance.

Their 29-17 opening period in which Keanu Pinder and Hyrum Harris were prominent flew them out to a strong early buffer, Bryce Cotton also hitting shots before South East grafted back to 10-11.

Kody Stattmann hit his second 3-pointer and Gorjok Gak's dunk had the fullhouse excited again at what Phoenix's second-stringers could produce. But Harris again and Cotton, who had eight of his 21 points in the first period, reasserted Perth's superiority, Tai Webster jumped in and then Alex Sarr joined the fray.

Sarr, Perth's Next Star, was en route to a career-best 18-point game at a withering 75 per cent. And he supplemented that with a season-best five blocks, chastening every opponent who dared enter the key he patrolled with great fervor.

Unlike the loss to the Hawks, Perth coach John Rillie did not smash the panic button and start wildly changing his rotations. He instead stayed true to what has been working for his team when South East made a dramatic third quarter comeback.

Mitch Creek led the way and Ben Ayre stayed focused for the most part, hitting big shots. Owen Foxwell did his best to curtail Cotton while also adding 10 points, three assists and a steal.

Reuben Te Rangi was conspicuous for his lack of input but coach Mike Kelly again dragged sufficient cameos from his roster to sustain pressure on the Wildcats whenever they threatened to blow the game open.

Having pulled the deficit back to 71-79 in the last quarter, Phoenix challenged Perth and it responded, Pinder and Harris conspiring in an 8-0 run which buffered the lead back to 16.

Creek, then Stattmann with a three and Luke Rosendale also with a triple, showed South East had no intention to go quietly and even when Cotton free throws took the margin back out to 96-79, Phoenix didn't blink.

Ayre's three had the deficit back to 91-101 but time - and greater depth of talent - eventually posted this one in Perth's Win column. But not without another great fight.   

PERTH WILDCATS 103 (Pinder 23, Cotton 21, Sarr 18, H.Harris, T.Webster 11, Usher 10; Pinder 11 rebs; Cotton 8 assts) d SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX 91 (Creek 29, Ayre 23, Foxwell 10; Gak 8 rebs; Ayre 8 assts) at State Basketball Centre. Crowd: 3,422

IT WAS a big day for NSW's two NBL clubs, both in the thick of the battle for top-six berths, Illawarra battling back from a double-digit deficit to hurt New Zealand's chances and Sydney burying the memory of its pathetic demise at South East by beating Victoria's higher-ranked outfit Melbourne, Makuach Maluach again to the rescue. 

The Hawks survived and kept their playoff dream moving forward, their home win taking their record to 11-12 and into sixth place.

Conversely they also hurt New Zealand's chances, the loss dropping the Breakers to 10-13 with little margin for error.

They started strongly enough, despite Parker Jackson-Cartwright copping two rapidfire fouls in the very early going, and led 15-7 when Hawks coach Justin Tatum had to call time-out.

As has been the case throughout Round 17, it was the benchies, the lesser lights who again stepped up, forgoing a 10-0 response which sent Illawarra into the lead.

Gary Clark carried the Hawks offensively with 11 first-quarter points, Tyler Harvey and Sam Froling off their games as New Zealand took a 48-42 lead into halftime, a buffer which should have been greater.

Baskets to Zylan Cheatham quickly pushed the Breakers' lead to 10 at 54-44 and it still was 57-47 on a Mangok Mathiang three-point play.

Harvey, who scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half, followed a 3-point basket with a three-point play to bring the contest back to life, his next bucket making it eight straight points from him.

Inside the last 90 seconds, Harvey gave Illawarra an 84-83 lead but two more free throw makes by Anthony Lamb, who was strangely subdued, restored the Breakers' lead.

It was Clark's turn from the stripe to put the Hawks back in front, Lamb fouling out and joining fellow starters Cheatham and Mantas Rubstavicius on the bench.

Considering three NZ starters fouled out and Jackson-Cartwright and Mathiang both had four in a whopping team total of 31, it was ironic Illawarra felt hard done by.

Free throws by William Hickey put the game out of reach.

ILLAWARRA HAWKS 89 (Clark 29, Harvey 19, Olbrich, Robinson 9; Clark 8 rebs; Froling, Robinson 4 assts) d NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 85 (Cheatham 19, Jackson-Cartwright 18, Rubstavicius 17, Lamb 13; Cheatham 11 rebs; Lamb 4 assts) at WIN Entertainment Centre. Crowd: 4,239

In SYDNEY, the Kings immediately showed a renewed vigour so absent on Thursday, to keep themselves in the playoff discussion at 12-13 and in fourth spot, Melbourne still on the ladder's top rung despite its setback today.

Angus Glover's insertion into the starting five in Jaylin Galloway's absence stiffened Sydney's defensive resolve, despite Chris Goulding dangerously swishing his first 3-point attempt. Goulding went 2-of-11 from range for the game, his last quarter triple his next success.

It looked ominous too, Melbourne mounting a comeback after losing its momentum in the second quarter. Aided by players such as Denzel Valentine and Jaylen Adams over-dribbling in the first, United sprinted to a 26-22 edge at the first break.

But Sydney found the formula in the second, the Kings now sharing the ball and coming at Melbourne with a balanced attack that would lead to seven players scoring in double figures.

The Kings' 36-17 second quarter arguably was their best single-period of the season, leading 58-43 at halftime.

Containing United to 43 first-half points in itself was an achievement. Scoring 58 even better, Glover, Adams, Valentine and Jonah Bolden all active at both ends of the floor.

Sitting Ian Clark and starting Shea Ili for the third quarter, it was obvious Melbourne's focus shifted to its defence and it quickly worked its way back into the game.

Goulding, Luke Travers, Ili and a subdued-by-foul-woes Jo Lual-Acuil cut into the deficit, Shaun Bruce bricking four open 3-point looks for Sydney, the door ajar. When Travers' dunk cut the lead to 53-59, Sydney was needing a hero.

Makuach Maluach, come on down.

The small forward hit big shots, his last for the term giving Sydney back a 72-65 lead. Maluach finished with an equal career-high 18 points at 63 per cent, his form inspiring Jordie Hunter, Bruce - connecting now on two triples - and Valentine (15 points, 9 assists) as the Kings held off United's comeback attempts in the last.

Ian Clark (3-of-12), Ariel Hukporti and Matthew Dellavedova (twice) drew Melbourne to within seven points four times in the last, but it could get no closer, dunks by Glover and Hunter blowing the lead back into double figures where it also would finish.

SYDNEY KINGS 98 (Maluach 18, Adams 16, Valentine 15, Hunter, Bruce 12, Bolden, Glover 10; Hunter 9 rebs; Valentine 9 assts) d MELBOURNE UNITED 86 (Travers 15, Ili, Lual-Acuil, Dellavedova, Clark 10; Travers 10 rebs; Dellavedova 6 assts) at Qudos Bank Arena. Crowd: 12,921