Basketball On The Internet.

ANYONE named Daequon Montreal or Richie Edwards should perhaps hover near their telephone over the next few days as the 36ers contemplate how to replace BJ Anthony.

With their NBL top-four hopes virtually done-and-dastardly after losing at home yesterday to New Zealand, the Sixers tomorrow must decide whether to replace Anthony or forge through the rest of the 2014-15 season as is.

Anthony confirmed scans today indicated a ruptured Achilles tendon on his left leg, the result of what seemed a fairly innocuous incident - they often are - midway through the final quarter at Adelaide Arena.

That it happened in Round 13, for those who are not superstitious, probably means precious little.

It was a savage blow though for the club and Anthony, a cult hero in Adelaide who had the 5,552 in full voice as he dragged the 36ers into the contest with 10 straight points in the second quarter.

On the upside, he should be back in time for the 2015-16 season and shares a home with Mitch Creek, who already has gone through the same injury and appropriate rehabilitation.

Typically, Anthony today was more concerned about the 36ers' chances of crashing the post-season than his own predicament, though he was overwhelmed with the support and well-wishing from the fans and basketball community.

"It's been amazing," he said of the outpouring of sympathy and support.

Adelaide general manager Dean Parker said he would meet with 36ers coach Joey Wright tomorrow to discuss what course of action was appropriate in the light of Anthony's loss.

Edwards, who came in as a replacement for Creek when he was put on injury waivers earlier this season with a bad ankle injury, is still in Adelaide.

And Parker said he did not believe there would be any points issues - in terms of the NBL Player Points System - if the club decided to regain Montreal's services.

DQ left the 36ers on good terms and will be back with Dandenong Rangers in the 2015 SEABL season.

The NBL in 2013-14 set a precedent when it allowed Sydney Kings to regain import Jesse Sanders after it cut him early in the season. 

Montreal was finding the NBL pace when he was released as Brock Motum became available.

There is, of course, just as much chance the 36ers may decide to stay with the status quo, given the state of the season.

"I can't say which way we'll go until Joey and I have sat down to have a talk about it," Parker said.

 

WELL, that's done.

While the battle for WNBL playoff places behind pacesetting Townsville Fire and Bendigo Spirit continues in earnest, Round 13 in the NBL proved unlucky for those teams outside the four.

Prepared to say definitively today, New Zealand, Perth, Cairns and Melbourne will be battling it out for the Dr John Raschke Trophy and the 2014-15 Championship.

Wollongong has been out of the hunt virtually since the week after it beat Townsville to open the season.

The Crocodiles have improved but not enough to make a genuine run at the post-season.

Adelaide is still "a mathematical" chance but history shows when you have to start relying on other results, you're most likely in too big a hole to emerge in time.

Similarly Sydney's margin for error has been reduced to next-to-nothing now.

Yes, it still is a mighty close competition and there will be no shortage of "upsets" before the regular season is over.

But unless one of the top four suffers a serious long-term meltdown - as opposed to the odd day of doubt - now the interest will rest on the jockeying for positions inside the quartet.

Any one of three could finish first and will be facing fourth-placed Melbourne to start the playoffs.

 

Basketball On The Internet, Player of the Week

TOWNSVILLE import Brian Conklin is the man again this round for the B.O.T.I. Player of the Week award, his third this season.

The Conker had 21 points at 53 per cent in the Crocs' 93-92 win over Sydney in what was his lesser game of the weekend. He had 33 points at 52 per cent and 11 boards in a losing battle against Cairns, no Townsville teammate in double figures in the 75-79 loss.

He carried the Crocs but just couldn't get them over the line against the finals-bound Taipans.

PotW Winners

Rd1 Scottie Wilbekin
Rd2 Brian Conklin
Rd3 Scottie Wilbekin
Rd4 Adam Gibson
Rd5 Josh Childress
Rd6 Jordan McRae
Rd7 Josh Childress
Rd8 Tim Coenraad
Rd9 Brian Conklin
Rd10 Josh Childress
Rd11 Jordan McRae
Rd12 Tai Wesley
Rd13 Brian Conklin

THE B.O.T.I. WNBL PotW is Penny Taylor.

Penny had 21 points, seven boards and four assists as Dandenong took a huge step toward post-season activity by beating Sydney.

The Opals captain and FIBA World Championship AllStar (pictured below at those titles) backed that up with 30 points at 81 per cent, seven boards, two assists, two steals and three blocks as the Rangers rounded up Canberra.

 

YEAH, NO KIDDING

SORRY. Not as huge a fan of John Casey's calling these days as some but was impressed with the professionalism he showed during Saturday's WNBL ABC game between Bendigo and West Coast.

While I still find his research second-to-none, repeating those same tired "user friendly roll", "non-preferred hand" supposed trademark comments, to just be tiresome and lacking in evolution or imagination.

Give me Lachy Reid's enthusiastic NBL call or Bill Woods' observed professionalism any day to "doesn't tumble" which, to this day, still means nothing to me.

That said, there's always a risk taking a microphone into a time-out huddle, as we've seen (heard?) countless times.

So when the ABC boldly took one into the Waves huddle it got a wee bit more than it bargained for.

American import Lindsey Moore showed her command of a little French with a throwaway regarding how to defend Gabe Richards, which came over loud and clear.

Cut back to Case and Narelle Fletcher and JC just continued the call as if nothing had happened, rather than do the usual and draw MORE attention to the comment with the disclaimer: "We're sorry if any viewers were offended during that time-out but it is a hazard of going in to time-outs blah blah blah" which we've heard so many times from commentating apologists.

Casey's approach was far better. By just going on with the call as though nothing had happened and not referencing it, I started to wonder whether I'd heard correctly!

It was perfect.

I want to believe Casey did that because he is a consummate pro - "worries her out of the points" notwithstanding - rather than that he missed or didn't hear it himself!

Because that definitely IS the way to handle that situation.

Go into huddles at your own risk, apologise for nothing after doing it.

 

REVIEWS

Hawks V Wildcats (M)

DAMIAN Martin celebrated his 200th NBL game with a 17-point haul as Perth knocked over Wollongong 86-77, having to come from a seven-point deficit. A 12-0 run turned the game around, then Tom Jervis put it away with his 10-10 points-rebound effort.

 

Taipans V 36ers (M)

SCOTTIE Wilbekin forced the game into overtime where Stevie Weigh's triple for a 77-74 lead seemed to spell the end for Adelaide in Cairns. Threes from PC and Brendan Teys turned it on its ear as Brock Motum led the 36ers to an 84-77 win, the visitors scoring the last 10 points.

CRAIG'S LIST: Torrey Craig has Adelaide as #1 in opponents after leading Cairns with 16 points.

 

Crocodiles V Kings (M)

MITCH Norton produced his own "Norton Show" with a career-best 21 points to lead Townsville to a 93-92 home win over Sydney. (Just rang Bill Woods and Brad Rosen. Went through to their answering machines but was assured "Josh Chidlress didn't play".) A big three-point play by Crocs centre Mickell Gladness inside the last two minutes consigned Sydney to the red chair, Norton pulling the lever.

 

Fire V Capitals (W)

WHOA! If ever a team wanted to send a messgae, it was Townsville against Canberra, reducing the Capitals to lower case and finally punked-uation with a stunning 106-58 fool-stop. Canberra's best single-quarter return was 19, Townsville's worst was 23, The Batgirl and Cayla dominating, Abby held to six points.

 

Kings V United (M)

JOSH Childress was back for Sydney but hamstrung by rust as Mark Worthington continued his AllStar-calibre season with 18 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in Melbourne's key 82-68 road win. The Kings shot at 31.7% and hit 2-of-20 triples, Childress still putting together a 15-11-6 night.

WORTHO MAGIC: Mark Worthington is enjoying an AllStar season.

 

Spirit V Waves (W)

HELD to eight points in the first quarter as Bendigo rattled along to 24, West Coast on the road was always pushing a very heavy wheelbarrow up a steep hill. Kelsey Griffin put in a PotW-type performance with 27 points at 67 per cent, nine boards, two assists and three steals as the Waves dug deep to make a fight of it before falling short 83-70.

 

Flames V Rangers (W)

ALICE Kunek (21 points, 8 boards), Penny Taylor (21 points, 7 boards) and Kath MacLeod (20 points) set Dandenong on its way to a significant 93-78 road win, its 32-21 first period setting the Flames a task. It was 50-34 by halftime, the lead bulging into the 20s before a late, belated and ill-fated fightback.

 

Crocodiles V Taipans (M)

BRIAN Conklin tried to load Townsville onto his shoulders for the third Reptile Rumble but Cairns had too many weapons and came away with a 79-75 victory. Alex Loughton and Cam Tragardh delivered the victory with 19 of the Taipans' 26 final-period points, the Crocs unable to find support for Conklin.

 

Lightning V Waves (W)

ADELAIDE ended its nine-game losing streak with a comfortable 78-61 win over West Coast, Angela Marino (9 in the first), Carley Mijovic (10 in the second) and Laura Hodges (12 in the third) leading the rout. The Lightning's 24-6 third period was as good as any it has played this season, Sarah Graham and Cassie Harberts working hard for the flailing Waves.

 

36ers V Breakers (M)

BJ Anthony's second quarter explosion helped Adelaide back into this after Cedric Jackson threatened to help the Breakers run away with it. The eventual New Zealand win 81-74 made Adam Gibson's 300th game memorable for all the wrong reasons, the game there to be won but the 36ers unable to find a way to complete it.

 

Capitals V Rangers (W)

GREAT to have Lauren Jackson and Penny Taylor back on the same court even if Abby Bishop threatened to steal the show with a 34-point, 11-rebound haul. Dandenong's 89-84 win was achieved with a 25-16 final quarter, Taylor's 30 points and Kath MacLeod's 18-point, 10-assists double.

 

BIGGEST WINNERS/LOSERS

MELBOURNE was the biggest winner again of the NBL round, its victory over top-four rival Sydney of great significance in the run to the post-season which, when coupled with the Breakers' win over Adelaide - and United has the split over the 36ers regardless - virtually has confirmed the finalists.

SYDNEY was the round's biggest loser, dropping a big game in Townsville, then putting itself behind the eightball for a finals finish by losing again to Melbourne. The absence first of Josh Childress against the Crocs, then Angus Brandt against United may have wound up the Kings season in one round.

DANDENONG easily was the WNBL's biggest winner of the round, taking out top-four rivals Sydney and Canberra on the road in the Rangers' best weekend of the season. What a great way to start 2015.

SYDNEY made it a double for the harbour city, joining the Kings as the WNBL's biggest loser, twin losses to Dandenong in consecutive rounds cancelling its tremendous road win over champion Bendigo and most likely consigning the Flames to spectator-status come the play-offs.

 

BEEF of the WEEK

SO many, I don't know where to start but for regular readers, you will know ALL of these beefs are revisits to areas which still remain untouched or ignored by NBL chiefs.

Let's start with the officiating, which is back to its impossible-to-know-the-call worst.

I appreciate how tough it is for our officials, scattered across the nation. But the NBL reverted back to the bad old days this past round.

Mauling off the ball, bumping on the ball - it was all back in vogue.

I recall last season coaches predicting the refs would revert by mid-season but, give them credit - it took until mid-THIS season.

Flopping is just beyond them, sadly, because it remains a blight on our game.

So too the absurdity of children (cheap labour?) as floor wipers remaining the norm.

I swear we're a stupid society sometimes. It almost always takes a fatality for a council or government to put in a road crossing. And it still looks as if some poor professional is going to have to wreck his career on a wet spot and maybe sue the club, the venue and the league for its lack of due diligence.

The amount of times players take over from embarrassed kids wiping the playing surface is a bigger embarrassment.

My thoughts go out to whoever will sustain the injury which finally creates legislation within our sport's ranks to take care of what should never be a problem.

Finally, virtually every club has had to battle with the vagaries of a pretty useless WNBL draw which must have been the work of that infamous team of monkeys with typewriters, taking a break from trying to duplicate the complete works of Shakespeare.

This week it was West Coast's turn to have no chance after playing in Melbourne at 3pm, then Adelaide at 11am the next day.

Surely by now Tarzan has noticed his friends are missing? Maybe next season we can have a fair and equitable draw for all and BA can feast on all those extra available bananas?

 

Online

http://bit.ly/1BoY0o5

http://bit.ly/17cmg1z

 

PS

WHAT he said.

What he really meant.

Cairns Taipans coach Aaron Fearne after Adelaide beat his team in overtime on New Year's Eve.

SAID - “Gibbo running the point for (Adelaide) is just night and day when he runs the show for them, the way he can control the tempo of the game and move the ball.”

MEANT - “We may have lost but I can still sneak in a cheap shot on Jamar Wilson.”

PPS
Just in case you were wondering ... Josh Childress didn't play for Sydney against Townsville.