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NBL Regular Season Concludes, Playoff Series Decided, Grand Finalists Emerge

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The National Basketball League (NBL) has concluded its regular season, a period marked by significant victories, shifts in team standings, and notable individual performances. The league also saw the Adelaide 36ers advance to the NBL Grand Final after a three-game semi-final series against the South East Melbourne Phoenix. Multiple teams battled intensely for playoff positions, amidst player injuries and a late-game altercation that added drama to the season.

Regular Season Highlights and Key Match Outcomes

The NBL regular season delivered numerous memorable moments, from dominant performances to thrilling comebacks.

Early Season Engagements

  • The Perth Wildcats defeated the Brisbane Bullets 95-75, marking Brisbane's 10th loss in 23 games. Perth established a commanding 61-44 lead after a decisive 21-0 scoring run in the third quarter. Elijah Pepper contributed 12 points during this run, and Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. added 17 points and eight rebounds. For Brisbane, Jacob Holt scored 15 points and seven rebounds, while Tyrell Harrison left the game due to injury.
  • The Tasmania JackJumpers secured an 84-75 victory over Melbourne United, with Will Magnay achieving a career-high 27 points and 12 rebounds.
  • The Illawarra Hawks defeated the Cairns Taipans 96-78, notably limiting Cairns to just 29 points in the second half. Sam Froling contributed 16 points for the Hawks.

Mid-Season Developments

  • The Adelaide 36ers defeated the Brisbane Bullets 97-86, impressively overcoming a 45-38 halftime deficit. Bryce Cotton scored 23 points for Adelaide, and Jacob Holt again led Brisbane with 15 points.
  • The Perth Wildcats beat the New Zealand Breakers 99-91, with Kristian Doolittle scoring 21 points and Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. adding 20 points. Tai Webster reached 1000 NBL career points for the Breakers in this match.
  • The Cairns Taipans ended a four-game losing streak by defeating Melbourne United 93-92.

    Marcus Lee of the Taipans made a game-deciding block and crucial free throws to secure the narrow victory.
    Andrew Andrews contributed 13 points and 13 assists, and Jack McVeigh and Sam Waardenburg each scored 20 points for Cairns.

  • The Perth Wildcats continued their winning streak with a 107-97 victory over the South East Melbourne Phoenix. Kristian Doolittle recorded 24 points and 12 rebounds, and Dylan Windler scored a season-high 27 points for Perth. Wes Iwundu led Phoenix with 27 points.
  • The Sydney Kings defeated Melbourne United 97-94. The Kings played without two starters, and Matthew Dellavedova exited with a suspected concussion. Jaylin Galloway scored a career-high 27 points for Sydney, and Kendric Davis added 23 points. Jesse Edwards led United with 23 points.
  • The New Zealand Breakers defeated the Illawarra Hawks 101-96, marking the Hawks' third consecutive loss. Parker Jackson-Cartwright led the Breakers with 23 points.

Late Regular Season Outcomes

  • The Tasmania JackJumpers defeated the Adelaide 36ers 80-72.
  • The Adelaide 36ers defeated the New Zealand Breakers 112-110 in overtime. Bryce Cotton of the 36ers scored 33 points, including the game-winning three-pointer with 9.7 seconds left in overtime. John Jenkins added 24 points, making six three-pointers. For the Breakers, Karim Lopez, Parker Jackson-Cartwright, and Izaiah Brockington each scored 21 points.
  • The Perth Wildcats defeated the Illawarra Hawks 92-87 at HoopsFest. Kristian Doolittle led Perth with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Todd Blanchfield was the top scorer for Illawarra with 16 points.
  • The New Zealand Breakers defeated the Cairns Taipans 104-86. Karim Lopez recorded a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Sam Mennenga led all scorers with 28 points.
  • In a contentious match, the Adelaide 36ers defeated the Brisbane Bullets 107-74.

    The game featured a late-game altercation resulting in the ejection of Nick Rakocevic (36ers), Hunter Maldonado, and Terry Taylor (Bullets). Injured Bullets players Sam McDaniel, Taine Murray, and Alex Ducas were also ejected for leaving the bench.
    Jacob Holt scored a season-high 24 points for Brisbane. The 36ers qualified for the inaugural Ignite Cup Final with this win.

  • The South East Melbourne Phoenix defeated the Adelaide 36ers 97-77, leading by 20 points in the second half. Nathan Sobey led the Phoenix with 19 points, while Bryce Cotton scored 26 points for the 36ers.
  • The Perth Wildcats secured a 106-99 comeback victory against the Illawarra Hawks, overcoming a 13-point deficit. Kristian Doolittle contributed 26 points, and Dylan Windler added 22 points for Perth. Quentin Peterson led the Hawks with 22 points.
  • The Sydney Kings achieved a 24-point comeback victory over the Cairns Taipans, winning 100-91. Kendric Davis scored 35 points for the Kings, who rallied from a 43-19 deficit.
  • The Tasmania JackJumpers defeated the New Zealand Breakers by two points, with David Johnson scoring 33 points, including a game-winning three-pointer.
  • The Illawarra Hawks secured a 100-99 victory over the Adelaide 36ers. Wani Swaka Lo Buluk's tip-in with five seconds remaining was the decisive basket. Tyler Harvey scored a season-best 22 points for the Hawks. Bryce Cotton led the 36ers with 28 points.
  • The Adelaide 36ers defeated the New Zealand Breakers 92-89, with Bryce Cotton scoring a game-high 42 points, including his 100th three-pointer of the season. The 36ers overcame an 11-point deficit in the final quarter. Coach Mike Wells stated that the MVP race for Cotton was "over."
  • The Sydney Kings secured their 10th consecutive victory, defeating the Perth Wildcats 102-84, positioning them one win away from the NBL minor premiership. Kendric Davis had 30 points and 10 assists for the Kings.
  • The Illawarra Hawks defeated Melbourne United 100-91. JaVale McGee recorded 22 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks for the Hawks. Tyson Walker led United with 30 points.
  • Melbourne United defeated the South East Melbourne Phoenix 95-91, impacting playoff seeding. The Kings and 36ers secured the top two spots.
  • In their season finale, the New Zealand Breakers defeated the Cairns Taipans 115-84. Sam Mennenga, returning from injury, scored a career-high 32 points, and Karim Lopez added 15 points.

Player Movements and Injuries

The NBL season was significantly affected by player movements and a series of impactful injuries across the league.

  • The Adelaide 36ers signed NBA veteran John Jenkins, a 34-year-old American guard, following the departure of Troy Brown Jr. for personal reasons. Jenkins last played in Romania, averaging 23.8 points.
  • Several teams faced significant injury challenges:
    • The Tasmania JackJumpers confirmed that Bryce Hamilton would miss the remainder of the season due to a ruptured ACL, and Will Magnay was also ruled out with a toe injury.
    • The New Zealand Breakers announced that Sam Mennenga would be sidelined for 6-8 weeks due to a wrist fracture. Max Darling was also playing with a fractured eye socket and was set to undergo an MRI for a knee injury. Rob Baker II sustained a season-ending ACL injury earlier in the season.
    • Perth Wildcats point guard Jaron Rillie sustained a knee injury, while David Duke Jr. was sidelined with an elbow injury.
    • Matthew Dellavedova of the Sydney Kings exited a game with a suspected concussion.

NBL Playoff Series: Adelaide 36ers vs. South East Melbourne Phoenix

The semi-final series between the Adelaide 36ers and the South East Melbourne Phoenix was a thrilling contest.

Game 1: Adelaide 36ers 104, South East Melbourne Phoenix 97

The Adelaide 36ers won the first game of their semi-final playoff series against the South East Melbourne Phoenix. Bryce Cotton scored 42 points, a new club playoff record for the 40-minute era. Adelaide held a two-point lead entering the final quarter and secured the win despite an 8-0 run by the Phoenix. John Brown III of the Phoenix sustained an injury late in the game.

Game 3: Adelaide 36ers 108, South East Melbourne Phoenix 96

The Adelaide 36ers advanced to their first NBL Grand Final in eight years, defeating the South East Melbourne Phoenix 108-96 in Game 3 of their playoff series. Bryce Cotton led the 36ers with 38 points in the decisive game, achieving a remarkable 36.3 scoring average for the semi-final series. Captain Dejan Vasiljevic contributed 27 points, including six three-pointers. Adelaide outrebounded Phoenix 52-31, a key factor in their victory. For the Phoenix, Ian Clark scored 32 points, and Nathan Sobey had 17 points.

NBL Grand Final Outlook

The Adelaide 36ers will compete against the Sydney Kings in the best-of-five game Grand Final series. Game 1 is scheduled to commence at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena.

Final Standings and Seeding

Following the conclusion of the regular season, the NBL's final standings determined the playoff picture.

  • The Sydney Kings and Adelaide 36ers secured the top two positions, earning home-court advantage in the semi-finals.
  • The Adelaide 36ers finished the regular season with a 22-9 record.
  • The South East Melbourne Phoenix finished 3rd and were set to host either the Perth Wildcats or Melbourne United in a Seeding Qualifier.
  • The New Zealand Breakers finished 7th with a 13-20 record, and the Cairns Taipans finished 9th.

    The winner of the Play-In Qualifier (5th vs 6th) was scheduled to face the Seeding Qualifier loser for the final semi-final spot, setting the stage for intense playoff battles.