Basketball On The Internet.

THREE performances stood out above all others in NBL Round 10, making our Team of the Week a tough call between Perth pulveriser Illawarra, New Zealand negators Tasmania, and Sydney smashers South East Melbourne. This was an agonising condundrum!

After all, each of them had wins full of merit for different reasons.

Perth rolled into Wollongong on a six-game winning streak, confident of moving it on to a magnificent seven.

Instead, Illawarra exploded from the blocks with a 12-0 start the Wildcats never could catch, Sam Froling in masterful touch, aided and abetted by Gary Clark, Tyler Harvey and Justin Robinson, with benchmen Will Hickey, AJ Johnson and Hyunjung Lee turning into henchmen, cutting down Perth's resistance.

That 38-18 first quarter was dazzling, to say the very least, Todd Blanchfield then opening the second with a monster 3-pointer for a whopping 41-18 lead.

Yes, this was the same Illawarra personnel who couldn't tie a bootlace three weeks ago, let alone kick a top team's butt.

They weathered the very best Perth could muster, then saw them off in no uncertain fashion for a rousing 100-82 rout that powerfully announced the Hawks would be easybeats no longer.

Missing lead import Milton Doyle (father's bereavement) and already beaten at home by New Zealand, Tasmania looked very vulnerable in Auckland pre-game.

Jordon Crawford cut loose to lead an amazing JackJumper onslaught and when Jack McVeigh sank a long-range runner to close the first quarter, they were ahead 26-24.

An absolute sizzler of a 23-8 second quarter virtually ended this as a contest, Tassie ahead 49-32, the Breakers never able to make any inroad that serious to warrant a reaction from coach Scott Roth, winning 97-80.

This was another classic case of the junior sport mantra of "all played well", Tasmania fun to watch.

Then in Sydney, South East Melbourne may have appeared to limp in minus dumped import Will Cummings, season-ending injury battered Craig Moller and absent Reuben Te Rangi (away becoming a first-time father) but the Phoenix were just getting into stride.

They seized the initiative and had Mitch Creek (33 points) posting another career-embellishing performance, Alan Williams thriving in the paint, Matt Kenyon not just rebounding and scoring but also doing those small things that don't stat, Ben Ayre taking it to the Kings backcourt and deep-in-the-bench men such as Rhys Vague positively killing.

The effort and commitment coach Mike Kelly drew from his entire roster drove this 104-94 victory which may yet turn out to be season-defining.

Also worthy of a mention this round was Melbourne United, which took Brisbane's best shot in a torrid first quarter, then rode Chris Goulding's hot hand - five 3-pointers in the second period - to set up a massive 103-68 massacre.

Eliminating Tasmania as a Team of the Week finalist was not easy but when considering New Zealand still was down import Zylan Cheatham and Aussie star Will McDowell-White, it slipped to Bronze Medal status.

Ultimately, the Silver went to the gallant Phoenix, but only because Sydney was playing its second match of the round to SEM's solitary fixture.

So for the first time this season, the Illawarra Hawks capture the title as Team of the Week for their obliteration of the Wildcats and confirmation as a competitive and dangerous opponent.

The Team of the Weak as Pi$$ came down to the Wildcats or Kings. Perth fell apart in front of viewers' eyes, steadily moving right away from all the factors which saw it win six games on the trot until it barely resembled itself. Tai Webster's absence stung.

But Sydney, at home and facing a depleted South East had zero excuse for such a passive performance, staying too long in an indolent zone defence, stuffing up its player rotations and straying back into the pack of teams vying for post-season action.

Frankly, the Kings were Weak as Pi$$. 

BASKETBALL ON THE INTERNET TEAM OF THE WEEK
Round 10 Illawarra Hawks
Round 9   Perth Wildcats
Round 8   Adelaide 36ers
Round 7   Melbourne United
Round 6   Perth Wildcats
Round 5   Brisbane Bullets
Round 4   South East Melbourne Phoenix
Round 3   Melbourne United
Round 2   Tasmania JackJumpers
Round 1   Sydney Kings

BASKETBALL ON THE INTERNET TEAM OF THE WEAK AS PI$$
Round 10 Sydney Kings
Round 9   Adelaide 36ers
Round 8   Brisbane Bullets
Round 7   New Zealand Breakers
Round 6   Adelaide 36ers
Round 5   No Nominees
Round 4   Perth Wildcats
Round 3   Illawarra Hawks
Round 2   No Nominees
Round 1   No Nominees