Basketball On The Internet.

PERTH broke through for an emphatic 91-64 rout of New Zealand and Townsville curbed Adelaide's enthusiasm with a comfortable 105-86 win at North Sydney Indoor Sports Centre in Blitz matches tonight.

Once again the games were open and marked by moments of flash although in the Wildcats-Breakers showdown it quickly was clear that while the personnel and coaches can change, the animosity remains.

Yeah. There may be a feeling of solidarity among the NBL clubs this year but boy that doesn't extend to the court for these two adversaries.

No unsportsmanlike fouls were called but there certainly was a case for two, and maybe three. And unless I'm mistaken (which is often the case), weren't Shawn Redhage and Jeremiah Trueman teammates last season?

There must have been some residue from a poker game or something between them.

 

IT was a big day off the court too with coaches meeting with officials and new referees GM Mal Cooper explaining the direction the NBL would be going.

Think a little of that may have been forgotten when the two regular grand final protagonists came to grips (literally) again tonight but overall, the attempt to clean up the contests is a work-in-progress and definitely progressing.

The players and their NBL Players Association also met and my (e)mail is the union rep from the MEAA strongly reminded them how much the league needs its players.

Perhaps someone should remind him how much the players need their league too. Without it, no-one has a job.

Missed all that though because I was attending the basketball media conference in a broom closet at the Sydney Boulevard Hotel. We did agree on a new name for our erstwhile supportive organisation though. We are now officially Basketball's United Media Society.

 

BLITZIN'

ADELAIDE added Adam Gibson to its wounded list alongside Luke Schenscher and started against Townsville without the same focus it had against Perth earlier in the week.

Josh Pace was on the money for the Crocs, signalling his intentions early but Townsville - particularly import Brian Conklin - had its problems adjusting to the officiating in the first half.

He had a couple of "did he really just do that?" moments, his third foul of the first quarter coming with 25.2 seconds left after BJ Anthony stole the ball from his hands and he slapped at it in frustration.

His fourth, with 4:59 left of the second quarter, also was a little agricultural as was Jacob Holmes' fourth foul, with 46.8 seconds to halftime.

Given those circumstances, and the fact Russell Hinder had ruled himself out after nailing an early triple due to some soreness, one might reasonably presume Adelaide, ahead 51-47 at halftime and already with two points toward the Loggins-Bruton Cup for winning each of the first two quarters, would run away with a win.

That presumption was abundantly wrong. The supporting cast - most notably Greg Vanderjagt with a tournament-high 14 boards - but also Mirko Djeric and Scott Kenny sticking shots from range turned this right around until it was the Sixers chasing Croc tails.

For more detail on this game, here's the News Limited version of events at: http://bit.ly/18fR8L2 though you might need to copy-and-paste the link because my laptop is having conniptions.

TOWNSVILLE CROCODILES 105 (Pace 26, Conklin 16, Blanchfield 14, Kenny, Holmes 10; Vanderjagt 14 rebs; Markovic, Holmes 4 assts; Vanderjagt 1 stl) d ADELAIDE 36ERS 86 (Johnson 24, Ervin 13, Frye 12, Cadee 10; Johnson 13 rebs; Cadee 7 assts; Ervin 2 stls). Crocs - 5 pts. 36ers - 2pts.

SLAM dunks and the odd shot rejection is what people will pay to see from James "Mr Interview" Ennis and he delivered tonight as Perth pounded New Zealand.

The Breakers, who had Alex Pledger nursing an ankle and CJ Bruton playing a whole 81 seconds, were always going to find this tough going and still look like a team a month away from functioning as a team.

Tall Blacks commitments and not having your full group available to train will do that to your preparation. (It's what coaches call Preparation H because it gives them the, um, irrits.)

Perth swept all seven points toward the Loggins-Bruton Cup, going 23-18, 19-17, 27-17 and 22-12 by quarters, Kerron Johnson working his butt off, following a three-point play with a fast-break basket and a further steal trying to rev his New Zealand teammates.

He made an inspirational play in the third too, driving the baseline, slipping over, managing to flick the ball to a teammate, getting up and running to the corner, receiving the ball back and sticking a 3-pointer.

That gave the Breakers life, down 44-48 until the Wildcats stepped up a gear for an 8-0 response, a 56-44 cushion and relatively smooth sailing the rest of the way, bruises not withstanding.

Redhage was Redhage, Jermaine Beal solid again and Ennis led the charge with 22 points. SBL-promoted centre Tom Jervis had a good game with 12 points and nine boards.

Damian Martin played just 16:25 of the first half and left with six boards and four assists.

Breakers swingman Tom Abercrombie played 23:27 but did not hit a basket. Abers did, however, hit 4-of-4 free throws and is offering foul shooting tips to any former teammates in need.

(BJ? You there? 14-of-26 in two games is a little needy.)

PERTH WILDCATS 91 (Ennis 22, Redhage 19, Beal 14, Jervis 12, Wagstaff 11; Hire, Ennis 10 rebs; Martin 4 assts; Ennis 2 stls) d NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 64 (Johnson 24, Lazare 14; Vukona, Johnson 6 rebs; Johnson 3 assts; Lazare 2 stls). Wildcats - 7 pts. Breakers - 0 pts.

 

WHAT DID WE LEARN?

*WHEN Townsville extended its pressure and kept Adelaide from getting into transition, it changed the complexion of the contest.*

*THAT Crocs' assistant coach Mike Kelly looks fit enough to play.*

*THAT Scott Kenny should spend less time playing mouthguard games and more time trying to hit teammates with his passes.*

*THAT everytime I write Mirko Djeric likes a shot, I'm going to hate myself.*

*THAT not only Steve Markovic but also BJ Anthony and Jarrid Frye tonight committed the cardinal sin of going airborne with the ball ... then coming back to the ground. How often do you see that - excluding junior games? So thrice? In an NBL match?*

*THAT tonight's well-intentioned PA announcer needed to pay a little more attention to detail, given Brendan Teys' name rhymes with keys, and isn't Ties or Tays. And that if Perth's leading scorer in the first quarter was, indeed, Shawn Wagstaff, we'd like to know how he/they managed that.*

*SPEAKING of the PA system, the crowd's most welcome relief came when its repeated broadcasts of what sounded like Guy Fawkes night (or fireworks going off in the speakers) was turned off.*

*THAT Perth's rookie centre Tom Jervis should never, ever, ever dribble the ball up on a fast break. A thing of grace and beauty it wasn't and when he finally lost all control and hit the floor well, no Tom, it wasn't a foul on anyone. Just you tripping over the foul-line.*

*THAT said, if ever an assist is required to flip an errant rim back into its proper position and height at 10-feet, then you can always, always rely on Tom Jervis to jump up and do just that.*

*THAT Perth forward Greg Hire looks more and more like the character Paladin (as played by Richard Boone) in the 60s western TV series Have Gun Will Travel. {Seriously, Google it or youtube it - Hire is Paladin!} Unfortunately for Greg tonight, it was more a case of Have Ball Will Travel.*

*THAT anytime you are tempted to write a story such as this one at: http://bit.ly/1evrQgk (yeah, cut and paste again, laptop just being difficult), a crocodile is likely to bite you on the butt.*

*THAT Matt McQuade's focused and descriptive work on Sydney Kings radio should not be under-estimated. He is really doing a terrific job.*

*THAT Dante Exum was "in da house", most likely to see his buddy Mirko sticking a trio of Hail Marys against the Sixers.*

*THAT Mal Cooper may well be able to turn the officiating - and therefore the way the game is played - around, but he can't get a van full of referees out of a carpark.*

*AND finally, congratulations to Cairns Taipans centre Matt Burston and wife Shelley for the birth of their baby on Wednesday.*

 

FIRST BOLD PREDICTION

TAIPANS coach Aaron Fearne is never short of a good quote, a good idea or now, a prediction.

Whether it also turns out to be "good" will only be evident at the end of the 2013-14 regular season though.

Fearney's prediction?

"Adelaide is the team to beat this year," he confided. "These two (pointing at Perth and NZ) will be there and probably Melbourne."

Cairns?

"We'll be around fifth somewhere."

Let's see how much of that was tongue-in-cheek and how much of it was insightful.

 

SPRING HAS SPRUNG

SOUTH of the border, down Mexico way ... well, down Dandenong way at least, the WNBL is off and scampering with its inaugural preseason Spring Shield.

Adelaide, Logan, Melbourne, Bendigo and Dandenong were the night's big winners, with Rangers forward Alice Kunek going for a career-best 37 points on 14-of-24 shooting with two threes and 7-of-8 free throws.

ADELAIDE LIGHTNING 95 (Marino 16, Hill 15, Payne 13, Foley, Mansfield 12, Lewis 11; Hodges 13 rebs; Foley 6 assts) d VICTORIA SELECT 43 (Probst, Brentnall, Wehrung 10; Brentnall 6 rebs; Brentnall, Brancatisano 2 assts).

LOGAN THUNDER 75 (Graham 17, Moffatt 14, Langford 12, Cunningham 10; Langford 9 rebs; Graham 4 assts) d WEST COAST WAVES 67 (Amos 15, Edmondson 13;  Marsh, Smith 6 rebs; Harper, Amos 3 assts).

MELBOURNE BOOMERS 64 (Romeo, Allen 13, Hegge, Madgen 12; Hegge 8 rebs; Madgen 4 assts) d TOWNSVILLE FIRE 63 (Cumming 18, Standish, Mangakahia 13; Newley 7 rebs; Cumming 3 assts).

BENDIGO SPIRIT 74 (Richards 26, Blicavs 14, Harrower 11, Garrick 10; Richards 9 rebs; Harrower 8 assts) d SYDNEY FLAMES 64 (Cox 24, Gayle 11, Ebzery 10; Kennedy, Gayle 8 rebs; Poto 3 assts).

DANDENONG RANGERS 83 (Kunek 37, Clydesdale 16; Moult 8 rebs; Downie 5 assts) d CANBERRA CAPITALS 76 (Bunton 23, Mijovic 19, Bishop 15; Mijovic 10 rebs; Mijovic 5 assts).

That's it. Goodnight.