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THE NBL takes a brief recess for the FIBA World Cup qualifying window next weekend so it was timely Perth and Melbourne secured important "bounce back" wins before the break, and Aron Baynes led Brisbane to its most meaningful win of the season over Tasmania in Hobart.

Coming from behind, the JackJumpers inflicted Perth's fifth straight loss and did it at the Jungle, exacerbating concerns the Wildcats were in for another unfulfilled season.

But after a team meeting ahead of their fixture in Adelaide, Perth reignited its playoff campaign with a win healthier than it looked.

The 36ers were coming off a road win at Illawarra but stumbled again when the game should have been in their keeping.

Suffering arguably their ugliest loss in the club's history, Melbourne at Cairns was an embarrassment. But with the Throwdown around the corner, United dusted themselves off and gave South East Melbourne a serious touch up in an important win for the team's self-esteem.

Tucking the road win against the Wildcats into their belt, Tasmania may have expected to again blunt the Bullets but instead was gunned down in its own fortress in what could be a season-changing upset for Brisbane.

After all, who wins at home anymore?

  ROUND 6 - ROAD WARRIORS

IT was the chance for other 36ers to step up, the chance for Illawarra to take charge but it was the former as Adelaide swept into Wollongong without leading scorer Craig Randall (21.8ppg). And from the moment Daniel Johnson stroked his opening two 3-point attempts, you knew the gloves were off. DJ finished with a season-high 28 points at 78 per cent, with 4-of-6 threes, and promoted to starter, Anthony Drmic enjoyed his season-best return of 16 points. Robert Franks' 25 points was also a season-high. Illawarra made a belated second half charge before the Sixers restored order.

Adelaide 36ers 96 (Johnson 28, Franks 25, Drmic 16, Dech 11, McCarron 10; Johnson 7 rebs; McCarron 7 assts) d Illawarra Hawks 80 (Harvey 25, Swaka Lo Buluk 12, Siva 11, Mathiang 10; Froling 11 rebs; Siva 11 assts) at the Sandpit, WIN Entertainment Centre. Crowd: 2,118

HAVING belted the Wildcats by 31 in Hobart, Tasmania hit Perth aware it would first need to weather the home team - and Bryce Cotton's - best. The Wildcats had the lead out by 11 before the JackJumpers steadily wore them down with dogged defence - Perth's former calling card - and Josh Magette sinking 6-of-10 threes. Big triples by Magette and Rashard Kelly in the final quarter broke the game open, Jack McVeigh and Milton Doyle also prominent in a key road success. It was Perth's fifth straight loss, a low it hasn't experienced since 2005.

Tasmania JackJumpers 85 (McVeigh 22, Magette 18, Doyle 15, Kelly 12; Doyle 10 rebs; Doyle 5 assts) d Perth Wildcats 77 (Cotton 26, Wagstaff 13, Thomas 9; 4 with 5 rebs; Cotton 6 assts) at the Jungle, RAC Arena. Crowd: 9,805

INJURIES shortened Adam Forde's rotation but only heightened Cairns' focus as the Taipans humiliated Melbourne in front of a roaring home crowd. Holding United to 33 points to halftime, then whacking them with a 30-10 third period, the Orange put such a squeeze on an offensively impotent and defensively derelict Melbourne that they led 92-52 during the final period! Forde had contributions across the board as United looked old, tired, embarrassing and without a clue.

Cairns Taipans 97 (Kuol, Pinder 18, Hogg 17, Ayre 16, Scott 13, Deng 10; Pinder 11 rebs; Scott 6 assts) d Melbourne United 72 (Humphries 17, Goulding 12, Maluach 10; Humphries 8 rebs; Newley, Goulding 4 assts) at the Orange Grove, Cairns Convention Centre. Crowd: 3,704

TWIN wins over the struggling Illawarra Hawks did little to allay fears Brisbane was making up the numbers this season. What the Bullets needed was a genuine scalp and flying down to Hobart, they got themselves a beauty, beating Tasmania a great way to celebrate Jason Cadee's 350th NBL match. Brisbane, with Aron Baynes a compelling figure, led by as many as 18 points before being held to just 10 points in the last quarter amid a ferocious JackJumper comeback which just fell tantalisingly short.

Brisbane Bullets 74 (Baynes 16, Sobey 14, Johnson 13, Harrison 12; Baynes, Mitchell 9 rebs; Sobey 7 assts) d Tasmania JackJumpers 72 (McVeigh 17, Doyle 12, MacDonald, Magette 11; Kelly 11 rebs; Magette 3 assts) at The Anthill, MyState Bank Arena. Crowd: 4,231

OUT of the blocks firing and keen to make amends for five straight losses - and with Brad Manek on target en route to his career-high of 25 points - Perth pushed Adelaide onto the backfoot. But a halfcourt triple by Craig Randall had this back to 46-46 by halftime and with 6:13 left, Adelaide led 74-69. Unsighted, Bryce Cotton unleashed four 3-point daggers in the final term as the Wildcats produced a 14-0 momentum swing for an 83-74 lead, the 36ers (literally) pointless for three minutes.  

Perth Wildcats 94 (Manek 25, Webster 18, Cotton 15, Thomas 12; Thomas 9 rebs; Cotton 5 assts) d Adelaide 36ers 89 (Franks 24, Cleveland 22, Randall 13; Franks 9 rebs; Johnson 5 assts) at Adelaide Entertainment Centre. Crowd: 9,071

BY just the ferocity with which Sydney opened, it threw New Zealand into a nightmare game of catch-up. Xavier Cooks was a monster with 13 points on 6-of-6 shooting and four rebounds in just 13 minutes before rolling his ankle and leaving the game. The Kings still held NZ at arm's length and to just 27 first-half points! An amazing 31-17 last quarter assault in which returning star Tom Abercrombie had two 3-pointers and a big dunk had fans excited. But despite the Kings missing key FTs as the Breakers closed to 77-79, Derrick Walton finally sealed it from the stripe for Sydney.

Sydney Kings 81 (Cooks, Simon 13, Soares 11; Soares 8 rebs; Dalton 5 assts) d New Zealand Breakers 77 (Brown 22, Le'afa 15, Pardon 11, McDowell-White 10; McDowell-White 12 rebs; Le'afa 4 assts) at The Breakwater, Spark Arena. Crowd: 4,484

YOU would have thought South East Melbourne would have been in tune with the fact United, in front of a sell-out home crowd and in the wake of its embarrassing demise in Cairns - would be fully focused and out for a quick turnaround retribution. But nup. Apart from import Alan Williams, who delivered a career-best 30 points at 63 per cent and 14 rebounds, the Phoenix could get no consistent serious traction elsewhere. Instead Chris Goulding burned them with a season-high 30 points including 7-of-12 triples, six United players enjoying double figure scoring returns in arguably Melbourne's best team effort of the season.

Melbourne United 110 (Goulding 30, Humphries 20, Ili 15, Okwera, Rathan-Mayes 13, Tucker 12; Rathan-Mayes 6 rebs; Rathan-Mayes 8 assts) d South East Melbourne Phoenix 85 (Williams 30, Creek 24, Browne 16; Williams 14 rebs; Browne 8 assts) at The UN, John Cain Arena. Crowd: 10,300

QUOTE of the WEEK

"THAT'S why he's one of the better players."  - Perth Wildcats import Brady Manek on teammate Bryce Cotton after his big last quarter at Adelaide. Those who would install Bryce as our G.O.A.T. are still reeling from Brady's under-stated honesty.