With two players combining for 91 points in a game that went to double overtime, the weekend of NBL action was nothing short of spectacular without even factoring in the Adelaide 36ers on the verge of signing an NBA champion and Keanu Pinder delivering in Indigenous Round.
Round 11 in the NBL was not short on drama. Firstly the New Zealand Breakers couldn’t fly to Perth because of a COVID outbreak, the Brisbane Bullets’ coaching situation continued to baffle and then what happened on Sunday had to be seen to be believed.
The first meeting of the season between top four teams the South East Melbourne Phoenix and Sydney Kings threatened to be quite the spectacle, but nothing could prepare what was to come in Gippsland.
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Kings best Hawks in local derby | 01:09
In the end the game went to two overtimes, it featured 79 free-throws and most importantly, it had the two best individual performances of the season with Mitch Creek led the Phoenix to the 113-112 win with his 46 points to top the 45 scored by the Kings’ Derrick Walton Jr.
The round got underway back on Wednesday night with the Cairns Taipans too strong for the Brisbane Bullets 85-76 on the back of Greg Vanderjagt only finding out he was replacing Sam Mackinnon as Brisbane coach after landing in Cairns.
Melbourne United kept their playoff hopes alive beating the South East Melbourne Phoenix 92-76 on Thursday before the Sydney Kings overcame the Illawarra Hawks 86-79 on Friday.
Then on Saturday, the Cairns Taipans overran the Tasmania JackJumpers 91-82 on the back of a career-best performance from Keanu Pinder to celebrate Indigenous Round. The Adelaide 36ers then proved too much for the Brisbane Bullets 108-77.
On Sunday following that double overtime classic, Melbourne United kept on winning beating the Illawarra Hawks 88-77.
Round 11 continues on Monday night with the Adelaide 36ers at home to the Tasmania JackJumpers before on Tuesday, the Cairns Taipans take on the Perth Wildcats.
CREEK, WALTON PUT ON SPECTACULAR SHOW
It could very well have been the most spectacular performances from two players in the same game in NBL history in Gippsland on Sunday when Mitch Creek’s South East Melbourne Phoenix overcame Derrick Walton Jr’s Sydney Kings.
As remarkable as it was to have two players like Creek and Walton combine for 91 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists in the same game while shooting 29/54 from the field, 9/21 from downtown and 24/26 at the foul line, that only tells part of the story of what the people of Traralgon saw.
The game ended up needing two overtime periods to be decided and along the way the Kings lost Xavier Cooks and the Phoenix Gary Browne and Ryan Broekhoff to injury.
As the game progressed, Sydney’s DJ Vasiljevic, Tim Soares and Jordan Hunter, and South East Melbourne’s Trey Kell III and Alan Williams fouled out with the two teams shooting a combined 79 free-throws on the 65 fouls that were called.
Above everything else though, it will be a game remembered for the sheer brilliance of Creek and Walton in their battle of one upmanship, and making massive play and shot after massive play and shot.
No player in the NBL had scored more than 34 points all season, but that changed on that one Sunday afternoon in Gippsland.
Creek ended up inspiring the Phoenix to the eventual 113-112 victory on the back of playing 47:34 and producing 46 points and 10 rebounds on 15/27 shooting with 4/11 from deep and 12/13 at the foul line.
It was the standout performance of his 306-game career, but afterwards all he cared about was winning while tipping his hat to Walton.
“It was the craziest game I’ve ever been part of, but at the same time it never felt like either team was so far out of it or not in control of each other’s games,” Creek said.
“We had control for the most of it and then Sydney hung around, and then it was vice versa. Even down the stretch I would make a big play and then Walton would come down and make a big play.
“Just a huge shoutout to Derrick, I said to him after the game that it was an incredible battle and I was so proud to be part of it. You don’t get many moments like this in sport.
“I’ve played for 12, 13 seasons and that was the first time where it’s been head to head with somebody like that. It was just an incredible experience to be part of and to win.
“If you lose that game, everyone talks about Derrick and that’s it. If you win they kind of talk about you, but you can’t mistake that game from him. Tip your hat to him, it was an incredible game and I hope every time we play Sydney it’s like that.”
Walton produced every bit as remarkable a performance for the Kings. He ended up with not only 45 points on 14/27 shooting from the floor, 5/10 from downtown and 12/13 at the line, but just as impressively he still dished out 10 assists.
However, the fact his Kings lost the game meant Walton wasn’t willing to reflect back too fondly on what he did.
“I was always taught a point guard is defined by his wins and losses so to not be able to come out on top in a game I felt like we had it in so many critical moments, and it came down to the split decisions,” Walton Jr said.
“Giving up five shots on offensive rebounds is kinda keying on my mind more than anything. As much as a player you want to embrace having a good game, you’re always trying to think of ways you want to win and to play well too though.”
RIVAL COACH PUTS BRILLIANT PINDER IN MVP DISCUSSION
Tasmania JackJumpers Scott Roth has been such a hit in the NBL with the reigning Coach of the Year always just calling it as he sees it, and he couldn’t have been more impressed with what he saw from Keanu Pinder on Saturday night.
While Roth didn’t quite enjoy what Pinder did to his JackJumpers team with his career-best 34 points on 11/17 shooting from the field, 2/2 from downtown and 10/10 at the free-throw line, he couldn’t help but be impressed.
It was a spectacular performance from the Cairns Taipans excitement machine as he led his team to the impressive 91-82 victory on the back of scoring 16 of the game’s last 18 points in front of a raucous JackJumpers crowd in Hobart.
It continued the breakout season for Pinder and that is coming on the back of already being the NBL’s Most Improved Player a season ago. He’s now the clear front runner for that award again, but according to Roth, he deserves to be in the MVP mix too.
Taipans hold off Brisbane in QLD battle | 01:11
Pinder is now averaging 18.8 points and 10.3 rebounds a game this season as the only player in the league averaging a double-double. Even more impressive is that he’s doing it on a team with a 10-5 record and he is making everyone around him better.
Roth and his JackJumpers felt the brunt of Pinder’s brilliance on Saturday night, but he was full of praise afterwards and of the benefit that having a local player delivering so much can have on a team.
“That’s a bonus when you have a local player who’s playing at an MVP level of the league,” Roth said.
“You have three imports who you hope are more of your focal point and any time you have locals playing great it’s a bonus. Then when you have one playing at that kind of level it boosts your team.
“He’s grown quite a bit in the last year or two. I didn’t really mind to be honest with you him getting the 34, they were twos for the most part but the ones that break the back are when he hits that three at the top of the key.
“We had some chances where we probably could have trapped him here and there, but regardless he’s playing at a great level with great energy.
“He’s a great athlete and if he’s playing at that MVP level like Cooks or Mitch Creek then it boosts your whole team to have that extra kind of guy. It’s a great credit to him for the work he’s put in and finding this team that he’s with right now that fits the way that he plays.”
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BRUTON ALL BUT CONFIRMS SIGNING OF ‘BEST EVER TEAMMATE’
Everybody CJ Bruton has asked about Ian Clark has told him he’s the best teammate they have ever had so after the catastrophe that was Craig Randall II, that sounds just about the perfect signing for the Adelaide 36ers.
The Sixers have now played the last eight games without a third import following the dramatic departure of Randall who while supremely talented, turned out to be quite the non-team player for Bruton and his group.
Adelaide has been patient in searching for that third import to try and help them reach their potential in NBL23.
While most felt their needs determined they either replace Randall with another point guard or to go with a defensive minded big man, it appears they have settled on someone totally different but who could be equally impactful.
Bruton wasn’t quite able to confirm the signing, but everything he said about Ian Clark following Saturday night’s home win against the Brisbane Bullets leads you to think he’s the man.
Clark won an NBA championship at the Golden State Warriors and also was a key part of the NBL championship the Sydney Kings won earlier this year.
Ultimately when Bruton and the Sixers were settling on a new signing, they threw out the window the position or role, and made a focus on someone to bring leadership, experience and that team-first winning attitude.
That’s everything that Clark will provide, on top of being a lethal and efficient scoring threat, and even though Bruton was playing coy, he wasn’t fooling anybody.
“Who? I don’t know any more than you guys but I see it on Twitter,” Bruton said.
“My wife showed it to me and I got a few text messages congratulating me on the signing, but I haven’t seen his signature come across our club’s desk.
“But look, I know that Ian’s great and I hope he comes I really do. If that’s the name that you’ve got and that’s what’s available then I’m excited the same way that our league and our club is.”
Bruton knows that it’s now or never for the 36ers to make the move too and bring in somebody. They’ve already played 15 of the 28 games this season, and are about to play the Tasmania JackJumpers on Monday night.
That means the new player could only play 12 games at most, but for everything Bruton is saying, he can’t wait for what Clark can bring.
“If something’s not done, I need something done soon and you need to play seven games to qualify,” Bruton added.
“Whoever I bring in or whenever they sign, then I’ll start doing my homework to get them up to speed so when they get here and start playing they don’t miss a beat.
“Like any winner, they watch and see what they need to deliver to help the ball club go forward. His track record has done all that so he would bring leadership, a quality player and someone who makes other players around him better.
“I feel like adding another piece to the puzzle is good and everyone that I know that knows Ian, has said that he’s the best teammate they’ve ever had.”
FORDE’S TIME FOR A WIN OVER FORMER TEAM
The Cairns Taipans have some impressive momentum now in NBL23 and play with a tremendous energy led by coach Adam Forde, but he can’t hide his desire to get a win against his former team.
The Snakes scored an ultra-impressive 91-82 win on the road to the Tasmania JackJumpers on Saturday night to improve to a 10-5 record on the season to consolidate their hold on a top four position.
That kept them in striking distance of the top two teams the New Zealand Breakers and Sydney Kings too, but one thing they are yet to do in Forde’s season and-a-half in charge is beat the Perth Wildcats.
In fact, Forde also wasn’t unable to get a win against the Wildcats in his season coaching the Sydney Kings either before making the move to Cairns.
He was quick to point out after Saturday night’s win in Hobart that he is personally 0-9 against the Wildcats in his head coaching career and that doesn’t sit well with him.
Forde has quite the history with the ‘Cats too. Growing up in Perth, he started to make his mark as a coach locally getting involved in underage state programs, and then coaching the East Perth Eagles.
He led them to a championship with a team featuring current and former NBL players Sunday Dech, Tom Jervis, Drew Williamson, Kyle Armour and Mathiang Muo.
While still working as a prison guard at the same time, Forde began as a volunteer coach at the Wildcats a decade ago, ended up being the lead assistant on championship teams to Trevor Gleeson and then bit the bullet to join the Kings.
The rest is history and right now he could very well be the leading Coach of the Year candidate, but it’s getting a win on Tuesday night at home to the Wildcats that is what all his focus is on.
“I want one against them now, I’m going to be selfish,” Forde said.
“I’m 0-9 against them. I’ve coached a lot of games now and still haven’t got one against them, it’s my turn. I want this win.”
TOUGH BLOWS FOR PHOENIX AFTER REMARKABLE WIN
The South East Melbourne Phoenix pulled off that stunning double overtime win on Sunday in Traralgon but the chance to enjoy that has been short lived on a number of fronts.
It could very well have been the best game the Phoenix have been part of in their four-season NBL history and their best victory against the reigning champions with those spectacular Mitch Creek and Derrick Walton Jr performances.
It improved the Phoenix to an 11-7 record on the season to consolidate a top four position, but all of a sudden the reality hit for coach Simon Mitchell and it brought about an equal mixture of frustration, anger and empathy for his players and coaching staff.
With the New Zealand Breakers having to pull out of their game in Perth and Brisbane, it’s the Phoenix who have been slotted in to take on the Bullets on the road this Wednesday night.
The Phoenix have already played four games in the past 11 days, and now before having to also play in Adelaide on Christmas Eve, they have this game in Brisbane thrown at them just three days after going to two overtimes in regional Victoria.
To compound matters, the Phoenix will likely be without Gary Browne and Ryan Broekhoff who injured a calf and hip respectively on Sunday while Chinese centre Zhou Qi has now returned home for personal reasons.
So not only will South East Melbourne be exhausted and go into that game against Brisbane on limited preparation, they will be without three key players and Mitchell couldn’t hide his frustrations over the situation.
“Look we’re just going to turn up and fight. I’m not pleased, in fact I’m very not pleased,” Mitchell said.
Dramatic comeback victory for Wildcats! | 02:53
“You get a double overtime game and guys go down, and then you’re thrown another game through no fault of your own. I think people need to understand when they make these decisions that we work hard.
“The players put themselves through a lot. Our planning is immaculate and it’s scientific, and we prepare for certain levels to be at certain dates, and then we are told we are playing an extra game in a couple of days’ time.
“So all of a sudden you will be on the road, you don’t have that training or recovery session, and just get on a plane, get on a bus and good luck. It’s tough. Our preparation will be so abhorrent for what these guys need and what my coaching staff need.
“We wear it and we’ll push through. We’ve got some guys who got some great opportunity today and we’ll butter up in Brisbane and give them our best.”
