The NBL season is starting to heat up and take on some signifcance. With only 5 rounds to go and with only the top four teams advancing to the NBL Finals this year. Perth, Gold Coast and Townsville look clear favourites to progress to the NBL playoffs, but the 4th spot is wide open.
All the ramining teams can still make the playoffs in the closets season in the history of the nbl, You would have said that the Wollongong Hawks would be the team to claim the 4th spot, but after losing their star import they have looked shaky.
Aussiebball's hot top : New Zealand Breaks to claim the 4th playoff spot.
P.S. New Zealand play Melbourne tonight in New Zealand, game is live on Fox from 5pm
Dicuss at : NBL Forum
THE SHORT ANSWER! The Perth Wildcats have some serious depth and are playing some good team basketball right now, especially on the defensive end. Are the Breakers done for aswell. Imagine that? Melb and NZ being out of the finals race after being clear favourite's to progress!
HOT TIP! 36ers to win the next two games. They play the Wildcats Sunday (huge game after the last two) and Cairns on Wednesday with both being at home for Adelaide. They could then be back among the top teams in the NBL right now.
The Perth Wildcats have reclaimed top spot on the NBL ladder after overcoming Kirk Penney, CJ Bruton and the New Zealand Breakers to record a 76-72 win at Challenge Stadium on Friday night.
Captain Shawn Redhage led the way for the Wildcats with 17 points on the back of 7-of-15 shooting. Stephen Weigh added 15 points and two three-pointers, with Damian Martin adding eight points, Jesse Wagstaff eight and Kevin Lisch seven.
Read more…
Patrick Mills has made a very successful come back from injury in a debut for the Idaho Stampede scoring 38 points (7 of 10 from behind the arc) and 12 dimes to go with it, he only had 1 turnover the whole game. Its only his first in the NBA's development league and only his first real competitive game in almost 6 months. The more games Patty can string together like this the closer he is gets to some NBA minutes for the Portland Trail Blazers.
Yesterday another Aussie in Luke Nevill also had a good game in the NBADL for the Utah Flash, scoring 20 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists.
Discuss at : Australian Players Overseas Forum
An Adam Gibson inspired Gold Coast Blaze has scored a 90-83 win over New Zealand Breakers at the Gold Coast Convention Centre on New Years Eve.
Gibson came within a whisker of a triple-double, stacking the stat-sheet with nine points, eight boards and seven assists but it was his defence – particularly on Kirk Penney which was most outstanding.
Penney finished with a game high 20 points but Gibson made him earn every one, pestering last years’ premier scorer into 5-of-16 shooting and drawing three charges in the process.
The win is Gold Coast’s ninth in a row at home and propels them back to the top of the league.
Read more:
Discuss at : NBL Forum
The Portland Trail Blazers, who drafted Mills in the second round this year's NBA draft, have assigned him to the Idaho Stampede in the NBA Development League to get some much needed match fitness.
Mills fractured a bone in his right foot during an NBA Summer League practice session July 9. He had surgery on his foot and only just recently completed his rehabilitation.
Discuss at : Australian Players Overseas Forum
Mo Williams and Lebron James led the way for the Cleveland Cavaliers as they beat the LA Lakers in LA 102-87 in a game that ended with angry Lakers fans throwing dozens of giveaway foam hands onto the court (merry christmas). Mo Williams scored 28 points, while Lebron dropped in 26. Kobe Bryant as always led the way for the Lakers with 35.
In the big game on Xmas day, the Celtics over came the Magic 86-77.
Discuss at : NBA Forum
Well they were labed pussies by the local media in Perth on the weekend after losing to the 36ers in front of a home crowd. But the Perth Wilcats made up for it tonight, they gave up a half time lead to the 36ers and they looked far from good to start the 3rd quarter. But in what is now becoming the almost normal 36ers fade out, the Wildcats got on fire in the last quarter behind Shawn Redhage in particluar and ended up smashing the 36ers by 21 points
P.S. nomisg (thats me) got some very nice odds for the Wildcats to win by over 10 
Full game report
Discuss at : NBL Forum
Perth Wildcats 94 (Shawn Redhage 25, Jesse Wagstaff 15, Stephen Weigh 12)
Adelaide 36ers 73 (Matthew Burston 17, Cortez Groves 15, Adam Ballinger 13)
@ Distinctive Homes Dome 23/12/09 Attendance 4,846
Andrew Bogut scored a career-high 31 points and grabbed 18 rebounds, leading the Milwaukee Bucks to an 84-81 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.
Rookie guard Brandon Jennings had 16 points and six assists, who snapped a three-game skid and won their first road game since Nov. 21.
Disucss here…
Keep it up Bogut!
The Gold Coast Blaze sits atop the NBL ladder after defeating Wollongong Hawks 88-84 in a top-of the-table cliff-hanger on the Gold Coast on Sunday.
Gold Coast (10-7) next assignment is a New Year's Eve clash at home against the Breakers, while Wollongong (9-7) will prepare to take on the Tigers in Melbourne on Boxing Day.
Gold Coast Blaze 88 (Ubaka 28, Goulding 13, Petrie 13)
Wollongong Hawks 84 (McKee 24, Tragardh 17, Saville 12)
@ Gold Coast Convention Centre, 20/12/09. Crowd 3,539.
Andrew Bogut and the Bucks host the LA Lakers today. The game in going to be live on ESPN from Midday today (17/12/2009). It is one of the rare opportunities that we get to see one of Bogut/Bucks games aired live in Australia.
