Hoops

Breakers vs 36ers, Feb 12

Those +/- are exactly why they can't be trusted in isolation.

So Jackson has a triple double yet is -7.
Motum comes up with some big plays down the stretch, and has a reasonable game -2.
Schenscher is reasonably ineffective for throughout +10.

People mention Rhys Carters form offensively steadily falling away as the season rode on yet Mika Vukona has been fairly average for the second half of the season offensively and no ones really said anything. He's missing lay ups and easy ones around the paint and that was the difference between winning and losing in this one.

Corey Webster found his shooting touch now NZ needs Carter & Jackson to do the same and then opposing teams will be inbounding the ball and not pushing it up the court in trans making things a lot easier defensively than they have been while a large portion of their outside shots have been rimming out.

Huge nerves about finals. I had thought we weren't going to fire a shot, but we do seem to be recovering from that January debacle. I had also thought NZ were shaping up to be invulnerable, but it looks like they've actually screwed up top spot and Cairns will take it instead.

In particular, NZ are losing home matches (Kings, 36ers) which is a considerable surprise. So all of a sudden, everything is pretty finely balanced and any of the Top 4 are in with a shake.

Tipping Cairns to take out a maiden title atm. Double HCA should do the trick in crunchtime.

I really really really hope it's a Cats vs 36ers final :P just another chapter in one of the greatest rivalries ever in the NBL

Kobe24: finals are gonna be insane !!

You can't discredit 29 straight finals and 6 championships no matter which way you look at it. It's better than any other statistic you throw out there. I don't think any team or fan out there can say there team is favourite to win the championship. Come finals , no streak, no record is relevant. Any one of the current top 4 is capable of winning it this year , home court advantage or not. Save the victory speech for next month ;)

@Tornado,

No, seriously, 6 titles from 29 appearances is a really good strike rate, given the number of teams in playoffs was sometimes much larger than it is now.

A good-faith argument against it is utterly impossible.

^ you're not a Perf fan by chance?

KET : this is the internet, the home and creator of abbreviations.... Who on this planet woukd not be able to interpret "you" from writing "u" ..... That could be the most retarded comment I have ever read .

Never flirt with winning form.

We are clearly the form team at the moment, who the other 3 are no doubt fearing. We should be confident of beating anyone (which we have to do to win the title anyway), so keep the pedal down & win every game.

I cant believe there would be any thought in Joey's mind of losing to play Cairns....Boomers anyone??

Huge turnaround considering where we were mid season. Credit where credit is due, great job by the club.

GO SIXERS

ronny, how can you comment that Breakers and Taipans are nowhere as good over a 3 game series?

They have been the most consistent teams all season. Sure, Adelaide's on a roll and the team to beat at the moment but the other top teams are still classy units. They may have the odd bad game but have generally shown an ability to recover by the next game (Perth's January excepted).

Although they have aged me by a couple of years, I like the fact Adelaide have closed out those close games (and there have been a few of them in this winning streak).

It doesn't mean they will win the championship but its shows they have a "willing and able" mindset which a championship team needs.

I also agree with an earlier statement that the finals should be absolute crackers (so long as Melbourne don't miraculously fall in and push either Adelaide or Perth out).

Adelaide should be the team to beat from here on. Perth are clearlky inferior to last seasons version and the Breakers and the Tapians are nowhere as good over a 3 game series even with HCA.

"Muzz Buzz A couple of hours ago 09:18 13 Feb 15

Only way some haters will acknowledge the 36ers is if they beat Adelaide in Adelaide"


OHH yes it would certainly be a game for the record books , I see the heading " Adelaide Beats Adelaide in Adelaide " LOL

The most confident and united ( unlike Melbourne) team we've seen for a long time. They look like they realy enjoy playing together and for the coach. They play exciting, agreessive, fun basketball. Fun to play and to watch. (Why would any player want to leave at seasons end?)
IF they don't win it all, it wil be because someone played really well against them TWICE!
The only concern is despite looking great in every game (since Jamar took over for the last quater against Melbourne) every game ends up tight. Our offense is great and our defense is so agressive it does allow opponents to score.
Any team prepared to fight it out ( like Hawks, not like Melb) seems ot be able to get back into a game and give themselves a chance.

Anon#922 they also beat Cats in Perth. I'm a Self confessed one eyed wildcats fan but even I can see this 36ers team is legit,. I wouldn't want to be facing them in the semis , home or away.

The top 4 are all legitimate contenders for the title. Should be a great playoff series, would be nice to see best of 5 game series given there are no losers making up the numbers this year.

Props Sixers, def a legit shot at the title and deserve to be the current favourite although I wouldn't write off Cairns just yet.

One of those games where you don't understand how the losing side got back in front ... and also don't understand how they lost it from there.

I hate to say it but 36ers are looking impressive at the moment. The scary thing about the team is that they are winning big games on the road which is danger for the top 2 teams with home court advantage over the finals series.

Adelaide clear championship favourites IMO.

This team is legit.

As a breakers fan, i'd like to think we lost it. But i can safely say ADL are IMO simply better, more talented and more skillful.

Johnson, Wilson, Motum, Petrie, Schen, Gibson, Creek.

I mean come on..thats an unbelievable 7 man rotation there.

Is finnishing the season with 10 straight realistic? i think it is Perth at home and Wollongong away are both winnable,

I hope we treat every game from here on in as if its a final, we will be tough to beat if we bring our a game everygame.

Got to often you could say that the guy who got the triple double lost you he game - but in this one I think it is true.

That said Websters' effort in a losing team is player of the week worthy.

Currently playing Kazakhstan and are up 29-11

We have won all three matches previous.

Other match on now, France and Puerto Rico tied at 27 all

Cedric, although an off shooting night had a tripple double. 11pts, 11rebounds and 11 assists.

I'm trying to find a reference to anyone claiming Adelaide would finish minor premiers anon. Can't find it anywhere.

Hey ronny were you playing with yourself when you had your little c-h-o-k-e????

Wilson brilliant in the end. He and Gibbo worked really well together tonight and great input from Motum and Johnson when it mattered. Glad Joey didnt use the whole bench, that would have cost us the game maybe. Well coached Joey. Gibbo 10 rebounds and DJ 8. We just won that count in the end. This team is amazing together.

Great all round never stop game. WOW!

Go Sixers!

If anyone is going to choke come finals time, it's Cairns.

Adelaide will choke come finals time

Action Jackson has a triple double. 11pts, 11 Assists, 11 Boards......nice work

WOW !!!

What a game!

c-h-o-k-e job

Great game, Wilson alternating brilliance with sheer idiocy to balance his efffective result.

Cmon sixers!

This game has a finals like feel.

Has anyone ever noticed on FIBA live stats, they always have "VUKONA" in caps and the rest of the players are all in lower case.

breakers got smoked by the crocs last week and are getting smoked again on their floor this week. The wheels might be coming off reall quick.

lol CJ breakers complaining about the 6ers free throws off flops, says the guy who was the master of milking fouling and flopping his way to the line.

Breakers have got just as much talent

And how many times had they won there before?
you talk like it was a regular occurrence...

nothing wrong with backing your team but history dictates that they have their work cut out for them to win at Vector especially with the Breakers coming off a loss.

Tom Abercrombie has been called out by his Coaches for being too passive offensively and his team mates kicked up the ass for not putting it in his hands, expect him to be aggressive off the bat instead of his often let the game come to him approach.

I'll be interested to see how Wilson goes against Jackson as well. He definitely did a good job getting into his head last time around. I think that match-up is as important as any, given both teams match-up so well in the frontcourt.
Adelaide is the form team of the competition at the moment, no doubt, but the Breakers at home coming off a loss is a tough one to call. They seem to bounce back well from losses.

Sixers best chance (like any team playing NZ) is to get Vukona and Ibekwe in foul trouble, which isn't too difficult to do.

Huge game. Looking to Jackson to bounce back with a big one. Breakers by 3. As a cats fan I hope they flog the hell out of each other :P

Expect the Breakers to win this one at home. Breakers by 5

Stiff competition over the next few weeks to get interest in the NBL:

Cricket World Cup starts Saturday.

Super Ruby starts tomorrow.

"HoldenV8, just giving the home town boys an opportunity"

Should read: I was still in bed working on a crossword

HoldenV8, just giving the home town boys an opportunity

Would be nice if Sixers could do Taipans a favour and get the win but I don't think they'll be good enough in NZ. Prove me wrong!

What a cracker of a game we have tonight to kick off round 19! The Breakers will be keen to retake top spot and the Sixers have won 7 on the trot to storm into the Top 4 like US Forces storming into an oil rich nation. The Sixers are due to drop one soon and if it is this game I won’t shed a tear because I’ld rather this game dropped than one in the finals series.

Melbourne (dis)United will be watching this game closely too. A win to the Breakers will make for a very interesting Sunshine Swing this round, a win to the Sixers and they might as well take the 20-0 forfeits and save the airfares.

The Sixers have won over in the land of the long white sheep before and like Mystro says, the Breaker Boys need to bounce back after getting slapped around by the Crocs. The Breakers are playing well as a team and the guy who has got both hands on the most improved trophy this season is Corey Webster. He has quietly gone about his work and no doubt his mum has already cleared a spot on the mantle piece for it.

There are a few mismatches when these teams play and the coaches need to recognise and take advantage of those mismatches when they present themselves.

I'm not fussed if the Breakers win, just so long as there's not a dinosaur on court at half time. It would be un-patriotic for me to tip the Breakers, so I'm going to say "Let's make 8 great" Sixers