Basketball On The Internet.

SOME weeks are tougher than others, especially with Melbourne United so consistently above the pack, but also with New Zealand, Perth, Illawarra and Sydney putting in performances well worthy of our NBL Team of the Week consideration.

In reviewing Round 11, Melbourne smashing another derby Throwdown by pantsing South East Melbourne 106-78 was unexpected. Not so much the win, just the manner in which United throttled the life out of a Phoenix outfit coming in off a big undermanned road win in Sydney.

Then United staved off a much-improved Adelaide 107-96 and had to work to do so. But when push comes to shove, shoving Melbourne around has dire consequences.

Perth did it again, finding a way back from the precipice to beat Tasmania, that man Bryce Cotton hitting the big 3-pointer, then the key free throws to send the Red Army marching out happy, 89-88 winners.

Over at Traralgon, Illawarra gave South East Melbourne another hiding while again further declaring the Hawks will be making a run at that top six and the post-season.

Having failed miserably at home against a South East Melbourne "skins" team last round, Sydney spent a week under the microscope and had to respond, especially defensively, against the JackJumpers in Hobart.

The Kings looked like royalty as they did it, allaying doubts about their ability to feature in the post-season, albeit lying in wait while the Tassie boys rocked home from Perth.

Which is why, in the end, we settled on those hardy Breakers of New Zealand for their 111-82 rout of arch rival Cairns in Cairns.

Been watching basketball a long, long time and never before witnessed a team leading 4-0 just 11 seconds after tip off!

Anthony Lamb struck a three, was fouled and made the bonus, clock showing 9:49 and the Breakers, despite still being down their key import (Zylan Cheatham) and star Aussie (Will McDowell-White) took on the full brunt of the Taipans' best team ... and blew them off the floor.

Remember, not too long ago Cairns whacked United in Melbourne and no-one has been able to do that to such a degree.

But that team, with all systems ready and able, never even tasted the lead against New Zealand which had Lamb scoring 29 points, Mantas Rubstavicius 21, Parker Jackson-Cartwright 20.

After what this team already has been through - and maybe consider taking Bryce Cotton and Keanu Pinder out of Perth's team, or Chris Goulding and Ian Clark from Melbourne, Jaylen Adams and Jordie Hunter from Sydney, etcetera ... how might they be travelling? - Team of the Week honours for the Breakers are well-deserved.

So too our Team of the Weak as Pi$$, South East Melbourne. Their effort in the Throwdown against Melbourne, well before Mitch Creek was hurt, was so poor as to be anaemic. Losing by 28 was beyond embarrassing.

Then losing to Illawarra - by 28 - left no doubt that with no Creek, there's no Phoenix.

BASKETBALL ON THE INTERNET TEAM OF THE WEEK
Round 11 New Zealand Breakers
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 11 South East Melbourne Phoenix
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