Basketball On The Internet.

WE'RE off and running with this week's earlier-than-usual episode of the Brad&Boti podcast, Brad Rosen and myself with so much to cover with Game 2s in the WNBL semis, and the NBL semis also launching this week. And we originally planned to skip this week!

Yes, it was confimed Brad DID mention Lauren Jackson winning WNBL Life Membership last week, but I missed it because I was correcting him on the pronunciation of Alice Kunek's name!

Believe me, he dined out on that this week, although we did not have much time for banter with the big news surrounding the Boomers' narrow escapes in gritty Asia Cup qualifiers against Indonesia and Thailand.

How about that Taran Armstrong?

The Cairns Taipans free agent who produced the NBL season's only triple-double (28 points, 10 assists, 10 rebounds), and did it in the last round of the regular season, is off to the NBA/G-League on a two-way contract with the storied Golden State Warriors franchise.

Hats off to the burgeoning young star.

But we tip off with the respective Game 1s of the WNBL semi finals where Perth and Townsville fought out a classic in the West before the Fire prevailed.

It was a ripper of a contest, Townsville import Nia Coffey unstoppable for a match-winning 36-point haul, ably assisted by Courtney Woods and Alex Fowler.

For the Lynx, Ally Wilson (32 points, 9 assists) was huge and import Laeticia Amihere started as a house on fire, but this series going back to Townsville now sees the momentum having shifted to north Queensland.

Don't let the final nine-point margin of Bendigo's Game 1 win over Sydney fool you. Up 23 at halftime, the Spirit weathered all the Flames could muster and with Shaniece Swain now likely to miss Game 2 (knee), it is impossible to tip a Bendigo reversal.

The NBL Semi Finals are underway this week and I'm tipping them leading to an Illawarra-Melbourne Championship Series.

But does Brad agree? Melbourne has no fears for Perth, as an opponent or a venue, but the Wildcats have not been at full strength until now.

Similarly, which return has greater impact, Darius Days at Illawarra or Derrick Walton at South East Melbourne?

There's all this and much more and you can access it right now by clicking onto this LINK. Of course, you can also go the Apple, Spotify, etcetera route too, if you prefer. (Although "etcetera" isn't a podcast venue. Just sayin')

No, that's not Brad with the glasses and me with the beard. But yes, these men are part of this week's episode!