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Articles by Jayden Head
Kings reign supreme after denying Breakers fairytale but new stars needed for three-peat mission
He’s played for three NBA teams, in France, Germany and Lithuania, but Derrick Walton Jr has not experienced camaraderie like the Sydney Kings since his college days. And as he prepares to farewell Xavier Cooks, he’s given his NBA-bound Kings’ teammate a piece of advice – forging a career in the NBA means remaining adaptable on court.
NBL News: Breakers topple Tassie but cyclone threat looms large, Taipans end Wildcats' run Original
Cyclone Gabrielle threatens to disrupt New Zealand’s NBL fairytale finals charge with the Breakers one step away from a remarkable rags-to-riches NBL grand final appearance after trouncing the Tasmania JackJumpers 88-68 in game one of the semi-finals. After bursting out of the blocks in Sunday’s clash at Auckland’s Spark Arena, the Breakers staved off a stiff second-quarter challenge with a commanding 49-31 second half.
NBL News: Tassie upset Taipans to snare semi spot, Cotton rips Phoenix apart as Wildcats advance
Tasmania JackJumpers are through to the NBL semi-finals for a second straight season after stunning Cairns Taipans 87-79 on their home floor to set up a three-game series with New Zealand Breakers. In a third versus fourth matchup on Thursday, the Taipans and their home crowd were left astonished as Milton Doyle and Isaac White combined to thwart two comebacks and hold on for another trip to the final four in their second year in the NBL.
NBL News: Cotton rips Phoenix apart as Wildcats advance, X marks spot as Cooks claims MVP
1845 Reads A clutch fourth-quarter performance from Bryce Cotton has inspired Perth Wildcats to a stunning 106-99 comeback victory over South East Melbourne Phoenix in a dramatic start to the NBL’s inaugural play-in tournament. South East Melbourne led for the majority of Thursday night’s sudden-death play-in qualifier at John Cain Arena but Perth bounced back from a 13-point deficit in the final quarter to end the Phoenix’s season in spectacular fashion.
NBL News: X marks spot as Cooks claims MVP, Taipans rewarded for resurgent season Original
Sydney forward Xavier Cooks has been rewarded for his best individual season by being voted the NBL’s most valuable player for the 2022-2023 season. Cooks is the third Kings player to be voted MVP in the last five years, joining Jaylen Adams (2022) and Andrew Bogut (2019). The 27-year-old averaged a career-high 16.2 points per game, 7.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists whilst being a defensive stalwart for his side.
NBL News: Wildcats clinch playoff spot by barest margin, United heartbroken, Breakers leapfrog Taipans into second
1698 Reads The Perth Wildcats have pinched a finals berth by 0.06 of a percentage point after finishing a dramatic last day of the NBL regulation season with a 96-84 win over the Sydney Kings. The Wildcats needed to win Sunday’s match against the minor premiers at RAC Arena by 11 or more points to steal sixth spot from Melbourne, who defeated Adelaide two hours earlier at John Cain Arena.
NBL News: Perth may miss finals by a free throw after Taipans loss, Sixers upset Kings, Hawks legend retires Original
1404 Reads The Perth Wildcats have fallen out of the NBL top six by the narrowest of margins after the Cairns Taipans, ravaged by injury and illness, bolstered their top-two hopes with an inspirational 84-71 win at RAC Arena. The Snakes went into Friday’s clash in Perth without star big Keanu Pinder (orbital eye fracture), captain Tahjere McCall (hip/back) and guard Mirko Djeric (illness), while import playmaker Shannon Scott soldiered on with a finger injury.
NBL News: 'A real shame' - Landale slams Taipans' Pride Round snub, Breakers rebound to edge Hawks Original
Jock Landale has criticised Cairns’ decision not to wear the NBL’s inaugural pride jersey and encouraged the NBA to follow the Australian league’s lead. The Taipans copped fierce backlash when they opted not to wear the one-off jersey last month that featured a small rainbow-coloured sponsor’s logo designed to champion the inclusivity of the NBL and “give thanks to the LGBTQI community”.
NBL News: Top awards candidates announced, Taipans slip up to Sixers, Kings seal top spot by beating Phoenix
Xavier Cooks, Mitch Creek and Bryce Cotton have been announced as the three nominees for the NBL’s most valuable player award. The winners of the MVP trophy and the league’s other accolades will be announced on February 7, in the lead-up to the play-offs. Cooks is in career-best form as a forward for the Sydney Kings, who sit atop the ladder and have been the most consistent team this season. On Sunday, he became the first player this season to record a triple-double and the first King since 2008.
Fan soaks player with beer, mascot points a 'gun': The top 10 craziest moments in NBL history
1064 Reads We’re underway in the new NBL season, and it’s time to take a look back at some of the weird and wonderful moments over the first 40-plus seasons of the competition. In true hoops fashion, it’s Top 10 countdown style, covering some of the more unusual moments that have popped up on the NBL landscape over the years. From the sublime to the ridiculous, these are 10 incidents which stand the test of time for being stranger than fiction. 10.
From rags to riches: The Illawarra Hawks will be a serious contender for the NBL crown
It’s no secret that two years ago, the Illawarra Hawks were on the brink of extinction. The NBL’s last remaining foundation club were a basket case on and off the court. In the 2019-20 NBL season, the Illawarra Hawks had won just five games out of a possible 28. That was along with crippling debt, an unreliable owner and poor attendances at home games. The Illawarra Hawks had lost the faith of their fans and players, and even the league had serious doubts over the franchise’s longevity.
NBL Power Rankings for the new season
South East Melbourne Phoenix look set to continue their rapid rise to become champions in just their third season in the NBL heading into the new season. With tip-off just days away, all 10 teams are putting the finishing touches on their preparations for the 2021-22 season after surprise packets Adelaide won the pre-season Blitz with Sunday’s 72-67 win over second-placed Brisbane, ahead of Illawarra in third.
NBL power rankings: Round 1
The NBL is back – here are the power rankings! 1. The Hawks – two really impressive away game wins sees The Hawks on top of the NBL Ladder after Round 1. This team has the chemistry, synergy and belief that they can win against anyone. This has been instilled by their head coach, Brian Goorjian. He coached the team to victory against a competitive Brisbane Bullets team and a finals calibre Cairns Taipans team even with a few starters out of the line-up.
Predicting the 2021 NBL ladder
The NBL 2021 season is finally upon us, after months of delays due to the ongoing COVID situation that is not only affecting our country, but also the world. I’m sure we are all excited to watch some basketball, but it’s time to get to the serious stuff! There has been so much movement from players and teams this season, but the NBL needs to be commended with the retention of import players into the NBL, even though the import spots were changed from three per team to two.
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