Basketball On The Internet.

ILLAWARRA, Tasmania, Melbourne and New Zealand enjoyed unblemished Round 18 NBL performances to set themselves up as the four-runners (see what I did there?) for our highly-coveted, often fought over, always cherished accolade as our Team of the Week. 

Adelaide beating Sydney also had the 36ers in the conversation, until the JackJumpers put a major dampener on their eleventh-hour playoff plans.

The Hawks taking down Brisbane 89-76 brought their win-loss record to 12-12 and into fourth place while dropping the Bullets to 12-14 and sixth.

Barring a major misstep and some other unexpected results, Illawarra appears to have not only saved its season since appointing Justin Tatum as interim coach, but given itself a shot at post-season glory.

Melbourne tucked away yet another Throwdown win to be in Team of the Week contention. But considering the personnel limitations of South East Melbourne, many saw the Phoenix's effort in only losing by 16 as equally worthy of acknowledgement.

New Zealand closing the round with an all-the-way win over the Wildcats in Perth was huge and even moreso when factoring in its early loss to injury of key forward Anthony Lamb.

But ultimately, Tasmania ending Cairns' dreams in Cairns 94-86, then similarly leaving Adelaide with no margin for further error with a 109-86 pounding in Hobart, took its record to 14-12.

In the process, the JackJumpers guaranteed they would return to the playoffs for the third season in a row. It is a major, major achievement and worthy of coach Scott Roth's elevation to Governor of Tasmania.

Not since Geelong in 1982 came in and made it straight to the Grand Final in its ionaugural season, has anyone come near Tassie's achievements.

And Geelong already was an established Victorian and SEABL champion, not a club formed entirely from the ground up.

To reach a Grand Final Series in their first year, semi finals in their second and back to the playoffs in their third is incomparable for a new franchise.

Not since the league tipped off in 1979 and St Kilda won the championship in 1979, 1980 and the regular season championship in 1981 before representing Australia at the World Club Championship in Brazil that same season, has anyone come close to the Jackies' accomplishments.

And again, St Kilda came into the NBL as one of the premier - if not THE premier - clubs in Australia, a multiple Australian Club and Victorian champion.

So hats off to Tassie for being back in the post-season again. The Ants marched in by dominating Round 18, easily qualifying them as our NBL Team of the Week.

Our Team of the Weak As Pi$$ is a hat-trick for Brisbane after the Bullets not only lost to Illawarra in Wollongong but then squandered a chance to at least protect their overal points percentage.

Trailing 76-78 INSIDE the last minute, the Bullets gave up 11 points in that time to lose 76-89. Sorry, but that's as weak as pi$$. 

BASKETBALL ON THE INTERNET TEAM OF THE WEEK
Round 18 Tasmania JackJumpers
Round 17 Illawarra Hawks
Round 16 Perth Wildcats
Round 15 Brisbane Bullets
Round 14 Adelaide 36ers
Round 13 Sydney Kings
Round 12 New Zealand Breakers
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 18 Brisbane Bullets
Round 17 Cairns Taipans
Round 16 South East Melbourne Phoenix
Round 15 Tasmania JackJumpers
Round 14 Sydney Kings
Round 13 South East Melbourne Phoenix
Round 12 Brisbane Bullets
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