Round Nine of the NBL season continued on Sunday with a triple-header across the country.
In overtime, Dusty Hannahs helped the Adelaide 36ers run over Melbourne United, while things got heated in Sydney where the Kings took the points over the Perth Wildcats.
Finally, the round ended in Hobart where the Tasmania JackJumpers recorded back-to-back wins for the first time in its short history, downing the New Zealand Breakers by 24.
Adelaide 36ers sink reigning champions in an overtime thriller
The Adelaide 36ers have snapped Melbourne United’s eight-game winning streak for a five-point win over the reigning champions.
Matthew Dellavedova kicked off proceedings, sinking the first shot for the game. Down the other end of the court, with single figures left on the shot clock, Cameron Bairstow was able to get the first points for Adelaide.
It was a closely contested first quarter with only two points separating the sides at the first break where United were just on top.
In the second quarter it was all Adelaide, winning the quarter 21-11. Sunday Dech kicked things off from beyond the arc.
Dech was then able to get possession back for his team, which then saw Cameron Barstow hit the scoreboard.
Jack White was strong for United having eight points in the second quarter alone. The 36ers went into the half with an eight-point lead.
United started the third quarter strong; after an offensive rebound from White, Jo Lual-Acuil was able to sink the shot.
After a missed three attempt from Johnson, White was able to convert down the other end, pegging back the margin to eight.
Then, a dunk from White brought United within six points. United got within four points thanks to another basket from White, before Kai Soto got up for a dunk extending the lead back to six.
The 36ers were able to push the margin back out to eight points, going into the last break with the same margin from half time.
Lual-Acuil was crucial in the beginning of the fourth quarter helping United peg back the score with a few baskets and a trip to the charity stripe.
United continued to wind down the margin, thanks to Dellevadova and Shea Ili sinking one from their respective two shots at the charity stripe. Then Lual-Acuil sunk his two shots allowing United to go up by one.
A three-point shot from Ili allowed United to go up by four points, but then the momentum went the way of Adelaide.
A trip to the charity stripe for Bairstow allowed the 36ers to get within three, then entered Dusty Hannahs who was able to sink a three to tie things up.
Neither team could edge in front, so the game was sent into overtime in which the 36ers ran away with it.
United scored the first points of overtime, but it was all 36ers from there with Hannahs remaining dominant, putting up a further eight points to his name which helped the 36ers get over the line.
Despite only seeing 19 minutes on court, Hannahs was one of the best for the 36ers with 19 points, three rebounds and two assists.
For United, it was Lual-Acuil who finished the game with 23 points, 10 deflections and 12 rebounds.
Adelaide will take on Cairns Taipans on Thursday night at home while Melbourne will be back at home to take on the Tasmanian JackJumpers on Sunday Afternoon.
Elly McNerney
Kings take their crown in dominant performance against Wildcats
The Sydney Kings came into the matchup against the Perth Wildcats hoping to end the six game streak the Wildcats have held over them in recent times. And the Kings did exactly that, recording their first win against the Wildcats since Game Two of the NBL20 Grand Final series.
The Kings started in dominant fashion, up more than ten points at the first break, as the Wildcats struggled to find their rhythm early once again.
Jaylen Adams had 13 points in Sydney’s 30-point opening quarter; he finished with 30 for the afternoon.
The Wildcats were once again challenged to find their way back from a deficit and they started to do so in the second, but the Kings fended off every push right through to the fourth quarter and won 96-81.
Bryce Cotton and Vic Law each dropped 20 points for the Wildcats, but in comparison to the Kings’ depth those contributions were never going to be enough.
“I’m really proud with the way our guys came out and guarded them,” said Sydney Kings coach Chase Buford after the win.
“That’s an elite offensive team obviously; probably the best two scorers in the competition in Vic Law and Bryce Cotton, and I really thought our guys did a hell of a job on them.”
Tempers flared in the third quarter when Wildcats centre Matt Hodgson and Kings guard Dejan Vasiljevic came together and had words.Hodgson twice slapped Vasiljevic in the faceand was ejected from the game after a lengthy discussion with officials.
Kings' Xavier Cooks also received an unsportsmanlike foul from the incident.
A frustrated Perth Wildcats’ Head Coach Scott Morrison said post-game he wasn’t sure what took so long when it was obvious Hodgson would be ejected.
“I don’t know (what sparked the melee), but he looked annoyed," he said.
“I was wondering why it took so long to kick him out - that’s what I asked him. He was wondering the same thing too. I think everyone knew he was going to get ejected, I’m not sure why it took a half hour to give them the ball.”
Sydney now has two games in Round 10, starting Friday night on the road against Tasmania JackJumpers, before hosting the Adelaide 36ers on Sunday.
The Wildcats head back to Melbourne to face South East Melbourne Phoenix at John Cain Arena on Saturday.
Sarah Wildy
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JackJumpers go two from two in Round Nine
The Tasmania JackJumpers have recorded back-to-back wins for the first time in the club's history when it dished out a 24 point loss to the New Zealand Breakers.
From the first quarter, the JackJumpers went out hard and dominated, Josh Magette drove the strong half for the home side and finished with 22 points, including seven three-pointers, also handing off eight assists.
Jack McVeigh (17 points, five rebounds) and Josh Adams (11 points, four rebounds, four assists) were also solid contributors to the 83-59 victory.
After his celebration following Friday night's win over the 36ers, JackJumpers coach Scott Roth was a little more subdued about the comfortable win, nevertheless he was still excited that the club had recorded its first winning streak.
"The win's great. It's our first streak of two wins and everything is a first for us," he said.
"So it's exciting and they played well. It can be hard to play with a lead like that but we kept our composure and just kept grinding away."
It was a tough return fixture for the Breakers, who had missed two weeks of basketball due to an enforced break after eight team members tested positive for COVID-19.
While he doesn't want to make excuses, head coach Dan Shamir acknowledged there are some clear reasons for his team's performance.
"It's definitely a factor and we've seen more than one team struggling in their first game back, it's an unusual situation for everybody," Shamir said.
"We had eight players actually sick with COVID so they probably struggled and it's a process to get back...
"We're not the first team to struggle in the post-COVID break game."
The Breakers will have a chance to turn things around on Wednesday, while the JackJumpers host the Kings on Friday night looking for three in-a-row.
Sarah Wildy