Basketball On The Internet.

SOUTH East Melbourne Phoenix have landed one of the steals of NBL free agency, securing on-court terror Ben Ayre out of Cairns for two years. And Brisbane Bullets have maintained a tradition of snatching established Taipans players by signing import PG Shannon Scott on a two-year deal.

And you wonder why there's always a little bit of feeling in the Queensland derby?

Scott joins a Bullets backcourt that already includes Mitch Norton, Nathan Sobey, Isaac White and Sam McDaniel as rookie head coach Justin Schueller endeavours to revitalise this basket case of 2022-23.

Ayre may be the shortest player in the league but he has a massive heart and more pluck than players twice his weight, if not size.

He may well prove a far bigger loss than Cairns yet realises.

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PARTIZAN is expecting to suit Aussie combo guard Dante Exum in Game 3 of its Euroleague playoff series against Real Madrid overnight, the Belgrade-based outfit already ahead 2-0.

Real can expect a super-heated welcome from Partizan fans, particularly guard Sergio Llull who incited the violent brawl that closed Game 2 when he thugged American guard Kevin Punter.

Not sure Partizan fans are going to buy the Euroleague ruling to leave Llull free of punishment because "he received an unsportsmanlike foul" for belting Punter so was dealt with "in-game."

Exum is in some discomfort with his injured toe but trained well enough to return to the lineup.

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NOT sure I've ever agreed with longtime NBA coaching veteran George Karl as much as I did with this tweet of his today:

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REBUILT Melbourne United has to be thrilled with the form of its studs. Bronze Medal-winning Olympian Chris Goulding wracked with 21 points in 14 minutes in a win for his Paris Basketball outfit, keeping it in the hunt for a playoff berth.

Goulding hit 5-of-8 threes and also dished three assists.

Meanwhile in Lebanon, in Jo Lual-Acuil's debut with Dynamo Lebanon, he turned into the dynamo, scoring 51 points. He shot that at a scintillating 92 per cent!

He also compiled 14 rebounds, three assists and blocked four shots.