Basketball On The Internet.

 ADELAIDE produced an encouraging performance over Illawarra after Perth saw off Melbourne in tonight's opening matches of the NBL's PreSeason Blitz in Canberra, but neither the 36ers nor the Wildcats were able to produce maximum points from their efforts.

A Blitz win is worth three points and every quarter won also worth a point, making seven the maximum a team can secure if it not only wins the contest but every quarter as well.

Perth and United fought out a tight contest, levelled at 78-78 when new Melbourne import Milton Doyle scored a tough driving bank shot inside the final 90 seconds.

Wily veteran Jesse Wagstaff then manufactured a rushed and imaginative basket to beat the shot clock, restoring Perth's lead which it stretched to six by the final bell.

Ben Henshall led the Wildcats who had several players missing, most notably Jo Lual-Acuil, David Okwera stepping up in his absence.

For United, Chris Goulding and Shea Ili were among its absentees, new 7-footer Jesse Edwards starting his career with a lob dunk off a Doyle feed and looking much like a younger and more athletic Marcus Lee.

Claiming two quarters, Melbourne kept Perth from gaining the maximum benefits of the win, Adelaide more imposing against an Illawarra team also missing major names, but the Hawks still tying the second period 21-21 to escape with half a point from a 21-point loss.

Again, there is little to conclude from the match or the result considering the 36ers were down their "Triple H" of Harrell, Harris and Humphries - not to mention Bryce Cotton! - and Illawarra heavily relied on its burgeoning star William Hickey and ever-present Dan Grida, given the Hawks' deep absentee list.

Isaac White sinking three triples in succession late and the positive impact of "household 36ers names" such as Tom Kubank and Che Brogan could not be ignored. 

BLITZ SCORES:

Perth Wildcats 84 (Henshall 16, Windler, Okwera 12, Mayen 10; Henshall 7 rebs; 3 with 2 assts) d Melbourne United 78 (Doyle 15, Edwards 13, Delany 12; Edwards 9 rebs; Doyle 3 assts) at AIS Arena. Q-Q: 23-17, 21-22, 24-29, 16-10. Blitz Pts: Perth 5, Melbourne 2

Adelaide 36ers 104 (White 20, Vasiljevic 17, Cameron 16, Kubank 14, Griscti 13, Cheatham 10; Cheatham 6 rebs; White 6 assts) d Illawarra Hawks 83 (Hickey 14, Grida 12, Swaka Lo Buluk, Blanchfield 11; Grida 10 rebs; H.Froling 3 assts) at AIS Arena. Q-Q: 23-17, 21-21, 31-23, 29-22. Blitz Pts: Adelaide 6.5, Illawarra 0.5

Tomorrow: Sydney v Brisbane, Cairns v Tasmania. (Kayo and Disney+)