Monday, April 30, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Rose out of NBA playoffs
Reigning MVP Derrick Rose will miss the rest of the NBA playoffs after suffering a torn left knee ligament in the Chicago Bulls' victory over Philadelphia.
Rose, who had missed 27 games this season with various injuries, scored 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds while adding nine assists for the Bulls in their 103-91 home triumph to start the Eastern Conference best-of-seven clash with the 76ers.
But any joy for Chicago was short lived as the club revealed champion point guard Rose had torn an anterior cruciate ligament.
Rose was injured with just 1 minute, 20 seconds remaining and coach Tom Thibodeau was forced to defend his decision to keep Rose on court so late in the game, saying the Bulls had been struggling to finish off the 76ers even with leads of between 15 and 20 points.
"I don't work backwards like you guys. The score was going the other way," Thibodeau said. "We weren't closing the game out the right way.
He added: "A guy can get hurt any time. You have to deal with it. It's part of the game.
"Whatever the circumstances are we will deal with it."
Rose was injured when he landed hard as he planted for a jump shot and his left knee buckled.
Grimacing as he grabbed his left knee, Rose lay on the court while being examined by a trainer until he was helped up and aided to the locker room.
"I just feel bad for him,' Bulls teammate Carlos Boozer said. 'He has been through so much this season. The kid can't catch a break."
Fans briefly chanted 'M-V-P' as Rose got up from the court but most of the crowd was shocked.
"At first it's kind of scary for everybody, not just us, the whole city of Chicago," Bulls starter Richard Hamilton said.
Hamilton backed Thibodeau's decision to keep Rose on the court in the final minutes.
"Philly was making a run," Hamilton said. "In playoff basketball, you never want to give a team confidence. If you have a team down, you have to try to keep them down and keep the starters in the game after they made a little run."
In the other Eastern Conference opener, hosts Miami routed the New York Knicks 100-67 behind 32 points from LeBron James. The Knicks had 27 turnovers and matched their lowest one-game points total in playoff history.
AFP
Tags: sport, basketball, united-states First posted April 29, 2012 09:41:08Saturday, April 28, 2012
Lisch wins NBL top gong
Perth Wildcats star import Kevin Lisch took out the NBL's Andrew Gaze Trophy for the most valuable player of the season.
The rugged American guard took the award after polling 105 votes during the course of the regular season to finish ahead of Cairns Taipans guard Jamar Wilson on 97.
Sydney Kings centre Julian Khazzouh finished third with 94 votes and New Zealand's Cedric Jackson came fourth with 86.
Lisch led the NBL in scoring at 17.6 points per game and also averaged 3.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game, appearing in all 28 of the Wildcats fixtures.
The NBL's MVP award is named after Melbourne Tigers great Andrew Gaze, with the trophy being a specially commissioned sculpture of Gaze in action.
Australian Boomers swingman Brad Newley claimed the Gaze Medal for the first time in his career, for Men's International Basketball Player of the Year.
Newley was a key member of the Boomers' line-up that qualified the team for the London Olympic Games with a 3-0 sweep of New Zealand in September, 2011.
Australian Opals forward Abby Bishop took out the Women's Australian International Basketball Player of the Year Award, the Maher Medal.
AAP
Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, perth-6000 First posted March 27, 2012 07:15:18Breakers down Crocs to level series
The New Zealand Breakers scored a bruising 94-83 win over the Crocodiles in Townsville on Thursday night to send their NBL semi-final series to a deciding third game.
The Breakers were shocked 99-82 in Auckland in game one last Friday by the Crocs, who now need to repeat that effort to move into the championship-deciding series against Gold Coast or Perth.
Veteran CJ Bruton hit the clutch triples to finish with 18 points for the visitors, while centres Gary Wilkinson (14 points, six rebounds) and Alex Pledger (12 points, six rebounds) also had a big impact.
Dillon Boucher was also dominant in the first half before suffering a facial injury in the third quarter.
Townsville's Eddie Gill came to life late to finish with 24 points and five assists, and Michael Cedar scored 15 including a stunning 11-point second-quarter run that brought the Crocs back into the game after they trailed by 12 points.
New Zealand guard Cedric Jackson (14 points, five assists) shook off an ankle injury to get the visitors off to a solid start as he registered five points within a minute.
Townsville hit back through an impressive Todd Blanchfield alley-oop, but Boucher, Pledger, Bruton and rookie Leon Henry came off the bench to spark the Kiwis to a 27-17 quarter-time lead.
Michael and Chris Cedar put on a spectacular double-act in the second term for the Crocs, scoring 16 points between them to close the gap to four.
But eight points from Pledger, often from Boucher's exquisite passes, ensured New Zealand took a 14-point lead into the long break.
The third quarter proved a physical affair as emotions ran high amid a more committed rebounding effort from Townsville.
Boucher left the court with blood flowing from his mouth after a collision with Bruton in the sixth minute.
Consecutive baskets from Luke Schenscher and Peter Crawford, accentuated by a charge foul on Mika Vukona, then sent the crowd into overdrive.
Townsville surged within five points before two enormous triples from Bruton took the wind out of the crowd's sails and restored a double-figure advantage.
The intensity continued in the final quarter, a Gill three-pointer making the score 74-68 as he desperately rallied the home team.
But a tough Jackson fade-away and Daryl Corletto's first two buckets of the game - both long bombs - ended Townsville's hopes.
AAP
Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, qld, townsville-4810, australia, new-zealand First posted April 05, 2012 23:47:24Mills closing in on new NBA deal
Australian point guard Patty Mills is on the verge of reigniting his NBA career, and could find himself thrust straight into action.
Mills is understood to have agreed to an in-principle deal with the San Antonio Spurs and a delay in getting a United States work visa is believed to be the only impediment.
It would be a huge move for the 23-year-old, who would link up with Australian national team coach Brett Brown at the Spurs, where he is an assistant.
Should the Spurs' move come off, Mills could find himself press-ganged straight into big minutes after number one point guard Tony Parker injured a hamstring in their win over Minnesota on Thursday.
With backup TJ Ford forced into retirement recently because of injury, the Spurs had to use players out of position to fill the role against the Timberwolves.
Star Argentine swingman Manu Ginobili shared duties at the point with shooting guard Gary Neal, and the pair will probably have first call on the role.
Sources have told the San Antonio Express-News that Mills is already listed on the Spurs roster, but cannot participate in team activities until his visa issue is settled.
Mills has been in career limbo since a deal with China's Xinjiang Flying Tigers late last year fell apart after the club accused him of faking injury - an allegation he strenuously denied.
His NBA club Portland Trail Blazers had a full roster and, after a protracted battle to get his clearance from China, the Blazers decided to renounce their rights to his contract.
That frees the way for Mills to join the Spurs, who are on track for the NBA play-offs.
Mills had spent two seasons with the Blazers, playing 74 NBA games.
The Spurs have had previous success with Australians, with Andrew Gaze part of their 1999 championship-winning side.
Mills has also been nominated for the Australian NBL rookie of the year award to be announced next week after he started the season at the Melbourne Tigers during the NBA lockout.
AAP
Tags: basketball, sport, united-states, australia First posted March 23, 2012 18:00:45Stomach bug scare for Breakers
A stomach bug has struck three members of the New Zealand Breakers squad ahead of game two of the NBL finals series against Perth on Friday.
Already dealing with the absence of BJ Anthony for the series and an ankle injury which is keeping Thomas Abercrombie out of training, the bug forced Gary Wilkinson, Dillon Boucher and Dion Prewster out of training on Tuesday.
"As if there are not enough challenges in a week like this," coach Andrej Lemanis told media.
"Hopefully, it's just a 24-hour thing and they'll all be good to have a good session tomorrow because we need one."
Wilkinson, the starting centre, and Boucher, a defensive terrier who makes an impact from the bench, are key players the Breakers will not want to do without.
The Breakers beat the Wildcats 104-98 in overtime of a thrilling game one at Vector Arena in Auckland last Thursday and can secure the best-of-three series if they can win in Perth on Friday.
Should the Wildcats win, the title will be decided at Vector Arena next Tuesday.
Abercrombie did not play in the first finals match after injuring his ankle in the third semi-final against the Townsville Crocodiles but Lemanis says he is likely to play some part in Friday's match.
The Breakers are due to train again on Wednesday before flying to Perth on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Wildcats centre Luke Nevill and forward Matt Knight are expected to play on Friday despite setbacks.
A scan cleared Knight of major damage to his thumb, which he hurt last Thursday, while Nevill is expected to recover from an illness, the West Australian reported.
AAP
Tags: sport, basketball, perth-6000, wa, australia First posted April 17, 2012 14:25:51Crocs thump Breakers in first semi
Townsville has a great chance of knocking the top-seeded New Zealand Breakers out of the NBL finals after an upset 99-82 first semi-final victory in Auckland.
The Breakers could not overcome a strong Crocodiles defence in the first of the best-of-three semi-final series and were blown away with hot shooting by the visitors in a 30-18 third quarter.
The Breakers will now have to repeat last year's effort against Perth of scoring an away victory in their second semi-final to have a chance of repeating their 2011 title.
The Crocodiles made a quick start, but the home team held firm and a three-pointer in the last minute by Leon Henry took the Breakers to a 21-19 lead at quarter-time.
Seven straight points after the break took the Crocodiles to a 26-21 lead, though the Breakers quickly replied with a seven-point run of their own.
The Crocodiles stayed in touch for the rest of the quarter, and a three-point play from bench player Elvin Mims helped the Crocodiles take a 44-41 lead into the half-time break.
There was only one team playing in the third quarter.
Jacob Holmes was strong at both ends of the court, leading the visitors to 30 points, while the Breakers could not get any momentum offensively and were down 74-59 at the end of the quarter.
The locals tried to get going in the final quarter but were always playing catch-up and now face having to win in Townsville if they are going to make the final.
Mims, Holmes, Eddie Gill, Peter Crawford and Luke Schenscher all got into double figures for the Crocodiles, with Holmes and Schenscher also making a big rebounding impact.
"As good as it is to win one, you need to win two before you can actually say you've done anything," Crawford said.
Breakers coach Andrej Lemanis said it had been difficult to get the team going in the week leading up to Friday's game and they needed to improve their intensity to make it to the final.
"We didn't play to our normal level tonight," he said.
"I don't think that was a Breakers-style performance and I think we'll play better on Thursday."
The Crocodiles led by three at half-time but a 30-18 third quarter by the visitors forced the hosts into catch-up mode in the final quarter and they were unable to respond.
"I think we executed our game plan about as well as I could hope for, at both ends of the floor," Crocodiles coach Paul Woolpert said.
"We did a good job of executing at the offensive end and getting good shots and I think that helped take away their transition game."
AAP
Tags: sport, basketball, nbl, new-zealand, townsville-4810 First posted March 30, 2012 20:26:26Wildcats ready to pounce on grand final berth
The Perth Wildcats will try to ignore the lagging effects of a horror road trip tonight as they attempt to become the first team through to the NBL's grand final series.
Having taken game one from the Blaze on Sunday, victory tonight on the Gold Coast would ensure direct entry to the NBL's showcase series, while the hosts face sudden death elimination.
Flight problems at Perth Airport delayed the Wildcats over three hours, as their scheduled flight to the Gold Coast (via Sydney) was cancelled at short notice.
The team later boarded a connecting flight to Melbourne, before eventually arriving on the glitter strip after midnight on the morning of the game.
But Perth coach Rob Beveridge was not concerned about any potential impact it may have on his chargers.
"When we found out the flight was cancelled, it's just shrug the shoulders, alright boys, we got in late last night but that's the way it is," he said.
Perth trained strongly this morning at the team's shoot around as they ran through final set play scenarios.
"The guys seem very focussed and very switched on," Beveridge said.
"I think tonight we've got to play edgy and I think we're at our best when we're that way because we know the Gold Coast are going to throw everything at us. It's make or break for them tonight."
The Wildcats took a squad of 11 to the Gold Coast, all of whom made it through the session.
Jeremiah Trueman stood out of Perth's five-on-five drills and is expected to be the unlucky 11th man on the roster.
Mark Worthington was fouled out in game one and was held to just eight points.
The Australian representative will be pivotal for the Blaze if they are to keep the series alive, with Beveridge expecting Worthington to bounce back.
"I suspect that he'll get 15-20 shots tonight. I think he's their best player with [Adam] Gibson and [Adris] DeLeon," Beveridge said.
"He didn't get too many open looks the other night and he was a bit shitty about that.
"It's not often Mark Worthington plays two average games in a row. This is do or die for them, so we have to make sure we're switched on with him."
Gibson has been hampered by an ongoing calf injury over the past month which restricted him to just 18 minutes in game one.
The Boomers guard has also been troubled with his long range shooting of late, hitting just 7 of his past 37 three-point attempts.
All indications on the Gold Coast is he will be more prevalent on court in game two.
The Blaze have an impressive 10-2 record this season at the Gold Coast Convention Centre, including two wins against the 'Cats, while Perth boast the best travelling record in the NBL, 9-5.
Listen to tonight's semi-final on Grandstand Digital from 7:30pm EST, or via streaming online.
Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, southport-4215, perth-6000, wa, qld, australia First posted April 04, 2012 17:05:45Mills to sign with San Antonio
Patty Mills' NBA exile appears to be over, with San Antonio poised to sign the Australian free agent.
Mills, who started his career with Portland after being drafted in 2009, played in the NBL and China's Super Basketball League during this year's NBA lockout.
However, the 23-year-old remained contracted to the Xinjiang Flying Tigers when the NBA season started, meaning he was unable to return to the Trail Blazers.
When Xinjiang's season ended, FIBA gave the green light for Mills to return to the NBA.
There was more red tape for the Boomers star to cut through, as Portland did not have a roster spot available and he was unable to sign with a team until the Blazers renounced his rights.
That happened on Saturday and US website Yahoo! Sports reported on Sunday that San Antonio are finalising a contract agreement, citing league sources.
The point guard is expected to be confirmed as the Spurs' latest signing in the US on Sunday.
AAP
Tags: sport, basketball, united-states, australia First posted March 18, 2012 12:11:56Mills rejoins NBA with Spurs
Australian Boomers point guard Patty Mills is back in the NBA after signing with the San Antonio Spurs.
In a promising sign for the Boomers' London Olympics campaign, 23-year-old Mills will link up with Australian team coach Brett Brown, an assistant coach with the high-flying Spurs who are coming second in the NBA's western conference.
The Spurs announced they had signed Mills, a former back up player at the Portland Trail Blazers, after US work visa issues were resolved.
He fills the void left by point guard TJ Ford, who retired this month following another scare to his surgically-repaired spine.
But Mills could find himself pressed straight into action after the Spurs' number one guard Tony Parker injured a hamstring in their win over Minnesota last Thursday.
The Spurs said he would be in uniform on Tuesday night (1300 AEDT Wednesday) against the Phoenix Suns.
Mills's career had been in limbo since a deal with China's Xinjiang Flying Tigers fell apart in acrimonious circumstances late last year after the club accused him of faking injury - an allegation he strenuously denied.
Mills averaged 5.1 points and around 11 minutes a game in two seasons and 74 games with Portland.
His NBA club Portland Trail Blazers had a full roster and, after a protracted battle to get his clearance from China, the Blazers decided to renounce their rights to his contract, freeing the way for Mills to join the Spurs.
The Spurs have had previous success with Australian players, with Andrew Gaze part of their 1999 title-winning side.
Mills has also been nominated for the Australian NBL rookie of the year award - to be announced this week - after he started the season at the Melbourne Tigers during the NBA lockout.
AAP
Tags: basketball, sport, united-states First posted March 28, 2012 11:29:51Wildcats dowse Blaze to reach final
Perth Wildcats will meet the New Zealand Breakers in the NBL grand final series after downing the Gold Coast Blaze 88-67.
The victory gave the Wildcats a 2-1 series victory.
Shawn Redhage (19), Kevin Lisch (16) and Jesse Wagstaff (14) led the way for the five-time NBL champions.
Adris DeLeon (20) was the game's leading scorer but did not receive a great deal of scoring support from his team-mates.
After a competitive first quarter, which ended 29-23 the home side extended the lead to double figures at the break and continued to pull away in the second half.
The Wildcats will now play the Breakers in a best of three final series beginning in Auckland on Thursday.
Tags: sport, basketball, nbl, perth-6000 First posted April 08, 2012 08:18:59Blight on the game
The NBL's disjointed grand final series continues tonight in Perth on the back of an engrossing tussle last Thursday.
The Breakers can seal back-to-back championships with victory, while the Wildcats must win to push the series to a deciding third game.
Yet despite the importance, the series has struggled to gain momentum over the past week given the protracted schedule.
Game one delivered all that NBL promoters could have hoped for with an overtime result and a home town victory in front of a sell-out crowd in Auckland.
But instead of garnering the momentum generated from game one, the series took an eight-day spell ahead of its next fixture.
The structure of the NBL grand final series goes completely against the successful model used by sports premier competition, the NBA. In 2011, the NBA finals scheduled six games in 13 days.
The NBL has only three games, spread across the same period.
As a second-tier sport in this country, attracting the interest of the general public has proven a challenging task, while maintaining that focus during an eight-day break is near impossible.
This week, the Wildcats have encountered both local AFL teams being involved in blockbuster fixtures and Perth Glory qualified for its first A-League grand final.
In Perth the Wildcats and the Glory compete for the same slice of the media pie. The latter is often on holidays this time of year. But now the Wildcats must contend with a Glory grand final sandwiched between its two most important fixtures.
Adding to the problem is the NBL's unacceptable TV deal.
Under the present set-up, the league's showcase series is shown on delay up to six hours after tip-off. Australia's premier women's basketball competition, the WNBL, had its grand final telecast live nationally.
Yet for a myriad of reasons, the NBL is absent from the mainstream media focus in the two major markets, Sydney and Melbourne, while the NBL has no presence in Brisbane.
As a result, the NBL runs virtually in anonymity in those parts.
A national competition cannot be run on the edges. The NBL needs to tap into the major metropolitan markets to appeal to broadcasters, advertisers, investors and a greater fan base.
Wednesday's announcement on the TV deal for the next three seasons is a vast improvement, yet it will not assist Wildcats or Breakers supporters in the current series.
The Wildcats have initiated a live site at Challenge Stadium for fans that missed out on tickets to Friday's encounter.
From next season, the NBL's host broadcaster will telecast at least two games a weekend. A feature game will be shown live on a Sunday afternoon and a delayed telecast on the network's digital channel on a Friday evening.
Under the revised agreement, the NBL will also reclaim the rights to games that are not televised by the host broadcaster. This allows the NBL to potentially on-sell the rights to pay television, where discussions have already begun.
As for the on-court action this Friday, both teams appear to suffering the effects of a virus. Wildcats Shawn Redhage, Jesse Wagstaff and Luke Nevill are believed to be unwell, while Damian Martin missed training completely on Thursday.
Breakers trio Dillon Boucher, Gary Wilkinson and Dion Prewster missed Tuesday's session with a stomach bug, while Thomas Abercrombie has not trained fully since he injured his ankle during game three of the semi-final win over Townsville a fortnight ago.
Live coverage of game two can be heard on ABC NBL (ABC Extra) and streamed at abc.net.au/grandstand from 7:00pm (AWST), while 720 ABC Perth and Local Radio WA will join following AFL coverage from Docklands at approximately 8:30pm (AWST).
Tags: basketball, nbl, sport, perth-6000 First posted April 20, 2012 07:44:28Kings dump Taipans from play-off race
Sydney ended Cairns' NBL title hopes with an impressive 80-74 win in Cairns on Saturday night.
Needing a win to stay alive, the Taipans were out-sized by Sydney from the outset.
They gave up a 14-point headstart after 10 minutes and, despite constantly challenging, were never able to drag the Kings back.
Jerai Grant imposed his massive frame on the injury-hit Snakes with 21 points, 17 of which came in the first half.
He, Anatoly Bose (18 points, 11 rebounds) and Julian Khazzouh (17 points, 10 rebounds, five assists) led the way as Kings' coach Shane Heal had the last laugh in front of a near sell-out crowd.
On a night when they needed shooting guard Drew Warren to fire, he did not.
The rookie shot 1-of-11 and could only shake his head as his efforts rimmed out and he watched the final quarter from the bench.
After scoring 17 points, a shattered Alex Loughton limped off in the late stages of the third quarter, making the task even harder for Cairns.
Point guard Jamar Wilson battled hard again for 27 points but the Taipans could not make the big plays when needed.
In the opening stages Grant, Bose and Khazzouh were an unstoppable force inside as Taipans' enforcer Ian Crosswhite was kept to light duties on his dodgy left ankle.
Those three helped the Kings surge to an early 17-4 lead in front of the disillusioned crowd.
At 25-9, Taipans coach Aaron Fearne had finally seen enough and called time out.
Things marginally improved as the hosts when to the first break down 26-14.
The Kings shot at 61 per cent in the first quarter, a statistic helped by a staggering 20 of their 26 points coming in the paint.
While they cooled off to a still-impressive 51 per cent, they always seemed to make the shots needed to blunt repeated Taipans challenges.
AAP
Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, sydney-2000, nsw, australia, cairns-4870, qld First posted March 17, 2012 23:28:37Abercrombie positive ahead of NBL finals
Tom Abercrombie says he probably will not be 100 per cent for the New Zealand Breakers' first NBL grand final match on Thursday, but he still wants to be on the court.
The injury to the NBL All-Star's ankle in the Breakers' semi-final victory over the Townsville Crocodiles has been a talking point ahead of the first match of the best-of-three final series against the Perth Wildcats on Thursday.
It is a familiar story for the Breakers, whose other All-Star Cedric Jackson had an ankle injury ahead of game two of the Crocodiles series but took the court and played a big part in their victories.
Abercrombie, who sat out Tuesday's training session, says he is not feeling much pain in the ankle but it is still very swollen and he is getting plenty of ice and physio.
"If I play I'm probably not going to be 100 per cent so for me it's just about going out and contributing in any way that I can to the team," he said.
"I might not be able to do some of the things I usually can, but I'll be going out there and giving everything I've got with what I've got."
Abercrombie's ankle is big enough news that it has its own Twitter account, though the player has no idea who is behind the tweets.
"I'm a bit jealous, it's getting more followers than me," he joked.
"He's a comedian, that's for sure."
Breakers coach Andrej Lemanis said the team will not know until Thursday whether Abercrombie will be available, but they were still backing themselves.
"One of the strengths all year for us has been our depth, so regardless of who we're playing, who we have on the floor, we feel confident we can get the job done," he said.
AAP
Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, new-zealand, perth-6000, wa, australia First posted April 10, 2012 17:08:29Breakers clinch back-to-back titles
New Zealand held off a fighting Perth Wildcats outfit to successfully defend its NBL title with a 79-73 game three win in Auckland on Tuesday night.
The Breakers became the first side to win consecutive titles since Sydney Kings in 2002-2005, a championship team that veteran New Zealand guard CJ Bruton was also a part of.
The 35-year-old guard, who has won NBL titles with Sydney in 2004 and 2005, Brisbane in 2007 and New Zealand last year, showed his big game experience with a cool 16 points, going 4-of-7 from downtown and adding three rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Bruton was awarded the Larry Sengstock Medal for the Most Valuable Player of the series, to roars from the 9,000-strong home crowd at Vector Arena.
This time around Bruton put the Breakers up by seven with a three-point dagger with less than two minutes to play thanks to an offensive rebound from team-mate and 2011 finals MVP Tom Abercrombie.
"I'm never going to shy away, you've got to know that from the start of my career to the end," Bruton told Grandstand.
"At the end of the day I want to go down in history as one of the great players and if I shy away from stuff like that I'm not going to get there, I'm not going to go into that category."
Breakers forward Gary Wilkinson led all comers with 23 points while centre Alex Pledger went 4-of-6 for 13 points and Abercrombie had 12 and four rebounds.
Bruton was full of praise for his team-mates not only for their performances on Tuesday night but throughout the title defence.
"I also want to bring my team to special places and obviously they did all the legwork," he said.
"I was injured part of the year ... we had a great group of guys who committed to the team, committed to becoming one and the results are what they are."
Despite Bruton's heroics the Wildcats would not give up and, with a minute to play, Perth skipper Shawn Redhage made a huge three-pointer in the context of the game.
Bruton drained another three-pointer but star Wildcats guard Kevin Lisch hit back instantly with a slick lay-up at the other end.
Cedric Jackson then went to the charity stripe for the Breakers and coolly drained both free throws to push the margin back to six.
A steal from Jackson then saw Lisch dish off to Redhage under the basket, but he got a taste of his own game two medicine when his low-post shot was sensationally blocked by Abercrombie.
The Wildcats' foul count sent New Zealand to the line again where Bruton dropped two free throws to ice the game.
Having signed a new two-year deal with the Breakers, Bruton said his legacy was not yet complete at the club.
"All I know is back-to-back titles is something that hasn't been done in a long time," he said.
"But now I'm already thinking about the future of this club.
"I want to leave here with four titles.
"I plan on obviously everyone's going to get better over time and you've just got to keep doing the little things."
The Breakers scored eight of the first 10 points, but the game tightened up soon after.
New Zealand shooters found their range from three-point range, but the Wildcats worked several unopposed lay-ups and by quarter-time the home team was in front by just 22-21.
Despite centre Luke Nevill getting into foul trouble, the Wildcats got their noses in front in the second quarter, forward Matthew Knight outstanding with 11 points in the quarter.
The Wildcats dominated rebounds but a number of steals kept the Breakers in the game and two quick baskets to Breakers guard Jackson brought them to within two points at half-time.
The Breakers had the ascendancy in the third quarter, winning a number of turnovers and keeping Lisch quiet.
They neutralised all the Wildcats on offence bar Redhage, and would have taken more than a four-point lead into the final quarter but for some missed free throws from Jackson.
Some quick baskets to Pledger gave the Breakers an eight point lead shortly into the final quarter but the Perth defence tightened and three-pointers to Lisch and Cameron Tovey drew the Wildcats level with seven minutes to go.
Four points to Wilkinson put the Breakers back in front and the late heroics from Bruton and Abercrombie sealed the hometown victory.
The series was sent to a third and decisive contest after Redhage's incredible defensive play sealed the Wildcats an 87-86 win in Perth last Friday night.
New Zealand took the early lead in the best-of-three series with an overtime 104-98 victory at Vector Arena 11 days ago.
Both teams battled injury and illness concerns throughout the series with the Breakers suffering a stomach bug in their camp and key Perth players Damian Martin (ankle) and Greg Hire (illness) coming into game three at less than 100 per cent.
Martin told Grandstand that his injury was less painful than the result.
"I gave it my best shot with the ankle but obviously it wasn't good enough to try and keep up with Cedric Jackson and CJ Bruton," he said.
"I'm just really disappointed that I couldn't really participate as much as I'd have liked to.
"There were times where I thought I could go 70, 80 per cent then all of a sudden it would give way again.
"It was just a reminder that it wasn't to be tonight for myself or for the boys."
ABC/AAP
Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, new-zealand, perth-6000, wa, australia First posted April 24, 2012 19:30:18Blaze fend off Wildcats to force decider
The Blaze's NBL championship hopes remain alive after surviving a Perth Wildcats semi-final onslaught to claim a nail-biting 72-70 win on the Gold Coast on Wednesday night.
The series will now be settled with a third and final game in Perth on Saturday, with the winners to progress to the grand final.
The Queensland club surrendered a 20-5 first quarter lead and then several seven-point advantages as the six-time champions came at them again and again.
Controversially, Shawn Redhage was called for an offensive foul and his basket waived away with less than 30 seconds left, before Adam Gibson and Jason Cadee both made 1-of-2 from the charity stripe.
The game still hung in the balance until the final buzzer when a desperate Damian Martin heave went wide to hand the Blaze victory.
Hudson showed he had come to play with a monster dunk to open proceedings, while Mark Worthington stroked home an open three-pointer as Gold Coast set up its 15-point advantage.
That lead was slashed back to just three points at quarter-time as Perth capitalised on a spate of turnovers and fouls from the Blaze - including an unsportsmanlike one from Stephen Hoare and a technical foul called on Worthington.
Gold Coast streaked ahead again before Perth cut the margin to just one with little more than two minutes remaining in the second term.
But six straight points from Adris Deleon, the defensive pressure from the Gold Coast bigs and a buzzer-beating basket from Jason Cadee put the home team ahead 45-38 at half-time.
A huge block and a steal to Martin allowed the Wildcats to again close within one point in the third quarter through Matt Knight, but the desperate Blaze held them at arm's length with a 60-57 lead heading into the final quarter.
The Wildcats had two chances to take the lead with just over three minutes left on the clock, but Luke Nevill travelled on his way to the basket and then put a foot on the line with the ball in hand.
The Gold Coast's crowd had their hearts in their mouths in the dying seconds, but the Blaze did enough to win and now face a deciding semi-final in Perth on Saturday night.
AAP
Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, southport-4215, qld, australia, perth-6000, wa First posted April 04, 2012 23:18:59Wildcats force grand final decider
Shawn Redhage pulled off a last-second rejection to hand the Perth Wildcats a nail-biting 87-86 victory over the New Zealand Breakers in game two of the NBL grand final series at Challenge Stadium on Friday night.
In a bizarre finish to the match, the Wildcats hit the lead with a minute remaining after Breakers forward Gary Wilkinson accidentally tipped the ball into his own basket.
Then, with the clock counting down, Breakers guard CJ Bruton charged in for what he hoped would be the game-winning lay-up, only for Redhage to come over the top with a massive block to secure the win.
Redhage had endured a dirty night up until that point, but the forward erupted in pure joy after pulling off the game-deciding move in front of a sell-out crowd.
Perth's win levelled the series at 1-1, with the decider to be played in Auckland next Tuesday.
Wilkinson top-scored for the Breakers with 28 points, while CJ Bruton (20 points) and CJ Pledger (14) were also important for the visitors.
The Wildcats hit just one of 18 three-point attempts, but still managed to come away with the win courtesy of an even scoring load.
Star guard Kevin Lisch and Jesse Wagstaff each scored 15, while Matthew Knight (13), Greg Hire (12) and Redhage (12) also chipped in.
Wilkinson was unstoppable in the first half, with the centre nailing 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting to silence the Perth crowd early.
Bruton was deadly from long range as the Breakers opened up a 46-33 lead midway through the second quarter.
Tempers threatened to boil over late in the half as the teams engaged in a push-and-shove, and the extra heat seemed to help the Cats as they closed the deficit to six by the main break.
However, the half ended on a controversial note when Wilkinson was awarded a basket on the buzzer despite Wildcats players believing time had already elapsed.
The Wildcats failed to hit a three-pointer in the opening half, and it took them until the dying minutes of the third term to finally register one.
Several bombs from Bruton in the final term looked to be enough to give New Zealand the win, but the Wildcats kept plugging away and eventually wore down the Breakers.
Star Breakers swingman Tom Abercrombie managed just six points in his first game back from an ankle injury.
AAP
Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, perth-6000, wa, australia, new-zealand First posted April 20, 2012 23:12:35Hawks hold off fast-finishing Kings
Wollongong survived a blistering Kings fightback to score a 77-68 win in Sydney on Saturday night.
Hawks import point guard Ayinde Ubaka's back-to-back three-pointers midway through the final quarter, after the Kings had cut the Hawks' 16-point lead to two, were decisive.
It had been a quiet night for Ubaka until that point, with Joevan Catron (15 points) and Rhys Martin (12 points) stepping up for the away side.
The home side, though, will see this game as an opportunity missed.
The Kings appeared set to run over the top of Wollongong after their 7-0 surge reduced their deficit to just a basket late in the fourth quarter, but had no answer once Ubaka struck.
The home side's young gun Anatoly Bose (21 points) was inspirational throughout and was the early catalyst in a blistering opening.
The Kings led by as many as 13 points early in the game, with Ben Madgen and Jerai Grant dominating.
The Hawks were in a daze early, shooting just 26 per cent in the first quarter as the Kings dominated at both ends of the court.
A seven-point run from the Hawks to start the second quarter changed the landscape of the game and sparked the Hawks' three-point shooting into life, with back-to-back triples from Oscar Forman and Mat Campbell stunning.
And where the Kings dominated the rebounds in the first quarter, the Hawks were beginning to flex their muscles under the glass soon after.
When Ubaka's first points of the game early in the third quarter gave the Hawks a handy 14-point lead, the home side's task became a lot tougher.
Despite their sensational final-quarter run that brought the 7,282-strong crowd to life, the gap proved a bridge too far and the Hawks held on.
AAP
Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, sydney-2000, wollongong-2500, nsw, australia First posted March 24, 2012 23:26:04Taipans break three-game skid
It started slowly but finished a thriller in Cairns as the Taipans snapped a three-game NBL losing streak to defeat the Adelaide 36ers 79-75.
Missing Alex Loughton and Ian Crosswhite, the Taipans snuck home on the back of clutch free-throw shooting of Jamar Wilson (17 points) and some big plays from swingman Aaron Grabau (13 points, 75 per cent three-point shooting, seven rebounds, three assists).
The 36ers received great service from power forward Diamon Simpson, who had 20 points and 16 rebounds.
Adelaide had a chance to win it, but down by one point with 18.5 seconds on the clock Daniel Johnson had the ball ripped from his hands by Dusty Rychart.
Wilson then marched to the other end and slotted two free throws before a Johnson basket put the margin back to one point.
Wilson was again sent to the line, his second shot missing but Rychart swooping to clean up and ensure the Taipans finished the season with a win.
Missing its key bigs, Cairns was always going to struggle against the size of Adelaide, and from the tip-off the 36ers used that advantage to keep the hosts scoreless for the first four minutes.
But at separate times Brad Hill, Drew Warren and Jamar Wilson took over to keep them in the game.
First it was Hill driving to the basket, then it was Warren re-dialling his radar and then Wilson providing the hustle Cairns has become accustomed to.
All the while 36ers' point guard Chris Warren, Darren Ng and Stephen Weigh were shooting truly while Simpson controlled the interior in a dour first half.
The Taipans surged into the lead in the third but couldn't gain the ascendancy in the final quarter thanks to some big triples from Chris Warren.
Despite Adelaide's best efforts late the Taipans' composure was enough to deliver victory.
AAP
Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, cairns-4870, qld, adelaide-5000, sa, australia First posted March 23, 2012 23:36:11NBL grand final preview: Breakers v Wildcats
Game one of the NBL grand final series has arrived. After 126 regular season matches and six play-off games, tonight the two premier teams in the competition face off at Auckland's Vector Arena.
The rivalry between these two teams is anything but manufactured. It has been built on engrossing tussles and mutual respect.
These sides have shared the past two championships while New Zealand holds a 2-1 series split over the Wildcats this season, separated only by a thrilling overtime result in Perth in which the Wildcats blew a nine-point lead in the last quarter.
Adding to the hostilities, the Wildcats have not forgotten it was the Breakers who ended their championship defence 12 months ago.
"Last year I truly believe if we'd had (Shawn) Redhage we would have won the championship," Perth coach Rob Beveridge told ABC Grandstand.
"We won game one over here in the semi-final series and it was an incredible game by (Kirk) Penney and (Kevin) Braswell at home. We were very much disappointed we didn't go through to the grand final."
The Breakers have again provided an injury byplay to the week, this time centred around star swingman Thomas Abercrombie.
The reigning finals MVP landed awkwardly on his ankle late in game three against the Crocs, and the injury has been the most talked about topic in the lead up to tonight's fixture in Auckland.
It is a sight the Wildcats are all to familiar with, following Mika Vukona's starring comeback from a knee injury to pull in 10 rebounds in last year's semi-final in Perth.
"I'm not buying into it at all," Beveridge said.
"Right now I know Abercrombie will be playing, simple as that. We've prepared as if Abercrombie is going to be there. We haven't changed any game plan whatsoever."
Tonight will also be the first time the Wildcats have played at Vector Arena.
The stadium hosted five Breakers fixtures this season, of which the home side won four.
Their only loss came in game one of the semi-final series against Townsville.
The NBL has declared tonight's game a sell out. Vector Arena seats 9,190 spectators, and tonight's crowd is almost certain to set a new Breakers club and New Zealand basketball attendance record.
Coach Beveridge was impressed when Wildcats had their first look at the arena during today's shoot around.
"I keep saying to our players, this is a very special moment, six of us have experience winning a championship but for the other five players it's going to be fantastic for them to absorb this atmosphere."
Among those five players is Matthew Knight, who celebrates his 100th game, and Luke Nevill who reaches the 50-game milestone.
The Wildcats understand the importance of claiming game one as the traveling team.
"We think if we can win today, we feel fantastic about going home and closing it in two," Beveridge added.
"But that's the Cinderella story, we'd love to do it on our home court."
Of the past 26 grand final series, just four times has a side recovered from defeat in game one to win the championship.
Moreover, it has happened only twice in 20 attempts where travel is such a factor.
In the last 20 best-of-three series in the NBL, the team ranked higher has won 19.
Tickets for game two in Perth on Friday, April 20, sold out within minutes of going on sale to the general public yesterday.
Live coverage of game one can be heard on ABC Grandstand Digital and streaming online from 5:30pm EST, 3:30pm WST.
Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, new-zealand, perth-6000, wa, australia First posted April 12, 2012 13:54:29Martin return boosts Perth ahead of final
Two-time NBL best defensive player Damian Martin is playing in game three of the grand final series tonight in Auckland despite spending the past few days in a moon boot.
Martin tore ligaments in his ankle during Perth's come from behind victory in game two last Friday but the Boomers guard trained with the group this morning in a shoot around after missing yesterday's session due to the injury.
Martin completed a fitness test on his troublesome ankle under the watchful eye of Cats' physio Dave Philpot.
"We ran him today in the shoot-around, it's noticeable that's he got an injury there but he did function reasonably well," Philpot said shortly after practise.
"He's got a mild to moderate strain of a couple of ligaments high up in his ankle, which really stabilise the whole joint, and as a result it's obviously very painful. We had all the scans done which showed the instability there is only very minor, which means that's he able to play."
In contrast to what was initially thought, Martin will not have an injection to numb the pain before tip-off.
"Unfortunately because the ligament is a weight baring one, so you really cant inject it with a local because if he does anymore damage you really want to know about it," said Philpot.
"You can't afford to let him run around on a ligament that's busted, and at any stage there is that risk he's going to go out and do more damage, hopefully we've done enough to keep that risk pretty low. But it's always there. I'm pretty confident that he'll play and have his usual impact."
The Wildcats appeared in good spirits after arriving at the arena this morning, as Cameron Tovey and Shawn Redhage re-enacted the latter's game winning block from game two.
Compounding coach Rob Beveridge's injury concerns though is the health of Greg Hire, who played a pivotal role off the bench in game two.
"Right now, Greg (Hire) is very sick," Beveridge said six hours before tip-off.
"He couldn't train yesterday, he's had migraines and been vomiting, things like that, again this morning he couldn't do a whole lot either."
Hire hit a season-high 12 points, and played considerably greater minutes after Tovey found himself in early foul trouble.
Victory tonight for Perth would deliver the club a record sixth NBL championship in its 26th consecutive play-offs campaign.
Coverage of game three from Auckland can be heard live on ABC Grandstand Digital and online from 5:30pm AEST.
Tags: basketball, sport, perth-6000, wa, australia, new-zealand First posted April 24, 2012 15:38:18Breakers advance to grand final again
New Zealand will chase back-to-back NBL titles after winning through to the grand final series with a 97-80 game three win over Townsville in Auckland on Saturday night.
The best-of-three series was tied at 1-1 coming into the clash after both sides grabbed road victories in games one and two.
A tight affair was eventually taken by the defending champion Breakers after the hosts pulled away in the fourth period to win.
CJ Bruton led New Zealand with 20 points, while Tom Abercrombie and Daryl Corletto chipped in with 19 each in front of nearly 7,500 fans.
But in a sour note for the Breakers Abercrombie limped off in the dying minutes after a hard foul by Peter Crawford, who was called for an unsportsmanlike foul.
Crawford was the best of the Crocodiles with 24 points, with Luke Schenscher adding 19 and eight rebounds.
Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, new-zealand, townsville-4810, qld, australia First posted April 07, 2012 20:18:46Blaze into play-offs with 36ers win
Gold Coast guaranteed itself a play-off berth with a thrilling 84-83 win over a gallant Adelaide 36ers in their NBL clash at Adelaide Arena on Saturday.
The Blaze looked in control with a 14-point second-quarter lead, but only sealed the win with seconds to play after the 36ers produced a 25-point third term to almost pull off a major upset.
Mark Worthington scored 21 points for the Blaze including the winning basket, while 36ers forward Diamon Simpson also notched 21 points and grabbed 11 boards.
In the early stages, both sides scored freely but the height and power of Worthington and Will Hudson began to tell for the visitors.
With guard Adam Gibson running the show superbly, the Blaze led by 10 before 36ers guard Everard Bartlett launched a spectacular long-range three-pointer on the quarter-time buzzer to reduce the deficit.
Anthony Petrie, Chris Goulding and Tom Garlepp came out firing after the break for Gold Coast, stretching the visitors' lead to 14.
But Adelaide imports Chris Warren and Simpson helped turn the game and, while Hudson continued to terrorise the 36ers' defence, superb three-pointers from Darren Ng and Stephen Weigh had the home crowd roaring.
Simpson was in the mood, drawing fouls and sinking a series of free throws to wrestle back momentum.
When the half-time siren sounded, the Blaze looked happy to still have a 48-41 advantage.
Baskets from Simpson and Daniel Johnson quickly reduced the deficit to two points early in the third quarter.
Gibson and Adris Deleon replied, but a Warren three-pointer maintained Adelaide's pressure.
When Warren sank another the 36ers were in front and, with Johnson on fire, they took a 66-60 lead at the last break.
The Blaze fought back and, in a thrilling finale, Warren tied it up at 80-80 with 45 seconds left.
Gibson then restored the lead only for Warren to produce yet another three-pointer to put the 36ers up by one, before Worthington clinched it with six seconds to play.
AAP
Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, adelaide-5000, sa, broadbeach-4218, qld, australia First posted March 17, 2012 23:10:45Breakers down Wildcats in OT
New Zealand Breakers moved a step closer to defending their NBL title with a pulsating overtime victory against Perth Wildcats in game one of the grand final series in Auckland.
The Breakers and Wildcats were deadlocked at 84-84 at full-time, before the home side edged ahead in the extra period to triumph 104-98.
It was a thrilling game in which the Wildcats came back from a 15-point deficit at half-time to lead well into the last quarter before the Breakers, who were without swingman Thomas Abercrombie, came back to force overtime in the first of the best-of-three game series.
"It's really hard to take because we set very high standards with the Wildcats, with work ethic and intensity," Wildcats coach Rob Beveridge told Grandstand.
"We want to outwork teams and we didn't do that consistently enough."
Breakers coach Andrej Lemanis felt the game proved to be the ideal endorsement for the NBL.
"That's what grand finals should be about, two teams going at it giving it everything they've got," he said.
"Players making plays, massive swings of momentum throughout and everyone staying focussed on the task.
"So, I think that's good for the league."
The Wildcats started brilliantly, scoring the first 11 points and getting Abercrombie's replacement Leon Henry into early foul trouble.
But the Breakers offence, orchestrated brilliantly by Cedric Jackson, came quickly back with a barrage of three-pointers and a 14-0 run helped the hosts take a 28-24 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Breakers continued their momentum in the second quarter, keeping the Wildcats to just 11 points in the term with some stellar defence, while scoring 22 themselves to lead 50-35 at half-time.
Any thoughts the game would be one-sided were blown away when the Wildcats, led by Kevin Lisch and Matthew Knight, dominated the early stages after the break to take a 54-53 lead four minutes into the third quarter.
The Breakers managed to regain their composure and led at three-quarter time, but the Wildcats were the better team early in the last quarter. They had a six-point lead well inside the final period, but some late Jackson points earned a shot at overtime.
The Wildcats led for much of the overtime period but some crucial intercepts and two key plays from CJ Bruton helped the home team secure the points they needed.
Jackson top scored for the Breakers with 25 points, while Lisch posted a game-high 27 points for the Wildcats.
The Breakers will attempt to secure the series in Perth next weekend.
ABC/AAP
Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, new-zealand, perth-6000 First posted April 12, 2012 20:06:16Friday, April 27, 2012
Wildcats overcome spirited Tigers
Perth put an end to a disappointing season for the Tigers with a comeback 72-71 NBL win in Melbourne on Friday night.
Tigers import Myron Allen - who contributed 13 points, seven assists and six rebounds - was denied a game-winning fade-away three-pointer with 0.4 seconds remaining when his attempt hit the shot-clock.
Intensity was rife throughout with the Wildcats showing playoff-like desperation ahead of next week's semi-finals, and the Tigers looking to end their tumultuous season on a high.
With both teams utilising full-court defences, Matt Burston (15 points, 13 rebounds) and Lucas Walker (12 points, nine rebounds) led the home team from the inside with an array of buckets.
But Perth weathered Melbourne's early storm courtesy of Jesse Wagstaff (nine points), Luke Nevill (nine points) and Shawn Redhage (19 points, seven rebounds).
Ron Dorsey (22 points) came alive in the second period with a handful of jumpshots and three thunderous dunks, getting the home fans roaring as he totalled 14 points for the quarter.
Perth continued its poor shooting from its previous visit to Melbourne, falling behind 42-32 at the major break.
A three-point play got Kevin Lisch (19 points) going for Perth in the third term to help bridge the gap, and with help from a bandaged Damian Martin, the Wildcats went into the final quarter down 53-49.
A play-off atmosphere took over, with Redhage exploiting Burston's perimeter defence to keep the westerners within arm's reach.
Lisch carried his team down the stretch, a couple of clutch lay-ups ensuring the win and positive momentum going into the semi-finals.
The Tigers finished their season with 11 wins but a forgettable 2-11 record since New Year's Eve.
Referee Ray Hunt officiated in an NBL record 946th match to break fellow Victorian Bill Mildenhall's mark.
AAP
Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, melbourne-3000, vic, australia First posted March 23, 2012 22:34:30Woman pleads guilty to robbing basketball player
A Melbourne woman has pleaded guilty to robbing Olympic basketball team member, Rachel Jarry, and three other people in January.
Rachel Jarry was walking to her car with a friend when they were approached by five young people who demanded the pair hand over their belongings.
Jessica Croucher, 18, pleaded guilty to the robbery.
Croucher also pleaded guilty to two other charges of robbery and two of assault, in relation to offences against other people on the same night.
The charges of assault against Jarry and her friend were dropped.
Croucher has been released on bail and will face the Victorian County Court again in July.
Tags: courts-and-trials, crime, olympics-summer, basketball, melbourne-3000 First posted April 18, 2012 13:17:25NBL to continue as nine-team competition
The National Basketball League will remain a nine-team competition for the 2012/13 season, Basketball Australia announced on Friday.
"We are taking a deliberate decision, in line with our plans for sustainable and strategic growth, to not proceed with two bids for licensed teams," NBL Commission chair Justin Milne said.
The NBL Commission has received licence bids from a Brisbane-based group as well as a second Melbourne team and, for the past few months, has undergone an exhaustive due diligence process to determine their viability.
Unfortunately, neither bid was able to satisfy fully the entry criteria to be granted a licence for the 2012/13 season.
"We have made no secret of our plan to establish a team back into the Brisbane marketplace and add a second Melbourne team," BA chairman Kristina Keneally said.
"I realise this may be a controversial decision, but we are not going to expand the NBL for expansion's sake. We must insist any new team is financially sustainable. We make no apologies for that.
"Both bids had merit and were therefore seriously considered by the NBL Commission for the 2012/13 season. Our final determination is that neither team is ready for a licence at this time."
Milne said the NBL would work with both groups with the aim of including them for the 2013/14 season.
He said the decision might surprise some, but was in the best interest of basketball to grow the NBL with clubs that could demonstrate long-term staying power.
"Since the governance reform of late 2009, the league has already recorded tremendous growth in all key performance areas, successfully building a platform for sustainability and reclaiming the trust and respect of our stakeholders and fans," Milne said.
"All that good work would be undone if we were to grant a licence to a group that simply wasn't ready to enter the competition."
The nine teams for the 2012/13 NBL season are the Adelaide 36ers, Cairns Taipans, Gold Coast Blaze, Melbourne Tigers, New Zealand Breakers, Perth Wildcats, Sydney Kings, Townsville Crocodiles and Wollongong Hawks.
The finals system with its top-four format will be retained, with the draw to stay at 28 games for each team.
The 2012/13 season is expected to tip-off in early October.
AAP
Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, australia First posted April 20, 2012 21:07:10Breakers Wildcats pull up sore after first final
New Zealand and Perth are sweating on the health of key players in the wake of the Breakers' victory in the first match of the NBL grand final series.
The home side prevailed 104-98 on Thursday night without their NBL All-Star swingman Thomas Abercrombie, while Wildcats forward Matthew Knight picked up a thumb injury which forced him off court during overtime.
"We need to get some scans, but right now he can't buy a trick," Wildcats coach Rob Beveridge said of Knight.
"When he does something he does it pretty good."
The left ankle Abercrombie injured in the third semi-final in Auckland became a major talking point leading into the game and is likely to remain so as the Breakers try to get him fit for game two in Perth next Friday.
"Obviously eight days gives us a bit of hope," coach Andrej Lemanis said.
"It's shown improvement each day and if it shows that same sort of improvement then hopefully he'll be able to at least contribute something."
The first final added another chapter to a sometimes fractious rivalry and Beveridge promised even more passion as they try to prevent the Breakers securing the title in game two.
"I think that we'll be a lot more consistent with our effort levels and intensity levels (in Perth)," he said.
"If we don't we're going to lose the game."
Meanwhile, Basketball Australia (BA) announced late Friday that Larry Sengstock had resigned as chief executive officer of the organisation.
He took on the job in 2009 after NBL clubs and state and territory associations passed a unanimous vote for the unification of basketball at all levels under the governance of BA.
AAP
Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, perth-6000, wa, australia, new-zealand First posted April 13, 2012 18:21:20Bogut to miss Olympics
Australia's Andrew Bogut says he is shattered to miss the London Olympics after being forced to withraw on Sunday.
NBA star Bogut will have arthroscopic surgery on the ankle he broke in January, and will not be fit enough to play for the Boomers at the Games in July.
"After seeing a specialist I have decided it would be best to get my ankle cleaned out via arthroscopic surgery," Bogut said on Twitter.
"There is simply not enough time to rehab and be fully fit for the games.
"Shattered thinking about missing the 2012 Olympics.
"They truly are a life-changing experience and something that you will always remember."
Bogut was always facing an uphill battle to be fit for London after fracturing his ankle, then being traded to Golden State Warriors, for whom he is yet to play a game.
As Australia's highest-profile basketballer and a two-time Olympian, Bogut was to be one of the cornerstones of Australian coach Brett Brown's plans for London.
While the 27-year-old's withdrawal is a blow, the Boomers do at least have strong depth in the centre's role.
European-based David Andersen will most likely shoulder the bulk of the inside responsibility in Bogut's absence.
Emerging Aleks Maric, who was outstanding for Australia in the recent Olympic qualifiers, AJ Ogilvy and Aron Baynes are also playing in Europe.
Golden State Warriors general manager Larry Riley said Bogut's surgery was likely to ensure he would be fit for the start of next NBA season, and labelled the procedure "routine".
"I characterise it as something that is as much a preventive thing than anything else," Riley told The Associated Press.
Bogut's NBA career has been blighted by injuries despite his imposing record when he has been fit for previous club Milwaukee Bucks.
The 2005 number one overall draft pick had serious elbow and wrist injuries hinder him last season, before the NBA lockout, personal issues which forced a mercy dash to Australia and his ankle injury hampered his 2011-12 campaign.
It is the second blow to Australian basketball's Olympic hopes after women's star Penny Taylor was ruled out of the Opals team for London following a serious knee injury.
AAP
Tags: basketball, sport, olympics-summer, united-states First posted April 22, 2012 07:19:24Hawks come home strong to top Tigers
Wollongong turned up the heat on Melbourne after half-time to cruise to a 71-61 victory at The Cage on Sunday night.
Hawks forward Oscar Forman scored 18 points on a dead-eye 7-of-10 shooting, 12 of those from three-point range, and retiring guard Mat Campbell added 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting.
The Tigers erased a two-point quarter-time deficit to tie things up by half-time, but Wollongong kept its nose ahead after three periods and then stormed home 20-12 in the final quarter.
Melbourne swingman Benny Lewis and big man Matthew Burston had 11 points each for the Tigers, while Tom Greer chipped in seven points and eight rebounds.
Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, melbourne-3000, vic, wollongong-2500, nsw, australia First posted March 18, 2012 21:39:30Blaze enter finals with Breakers win
Gold Coast Blaze hammered an undermanned New Zealand Breakers 94-71 in the final regular season match of the season on Sunday night.
With the minor premiership already wrapped up, Breakers coach Andrej Lemanis rested strike weapons Cedric Jackson, Gary Wilkinson, Daryl Corletto and CJ Bruton ahead of the play-offs.
In their place development players Josh Bloxham, Dion Prewster and Morgan Natanahira were called into the side.
Blaze coach Joey Wright ran his full roster to get some form ahead of the play-offs after recent losses to New Zealand and Townsville, and they punished the Breakers with a staggering 12 three-point buckets.
Guard Chris Goulding led the shooting spree with four straight triples in the first quarter on his way to 20 points, while Mark Worthington (13 points) and Adris Deleon (14) also reached double figures.
Tom Abercrombie (15) and Alex Pledger (12) toiled for the visitors, but with the depth of talent rested for the match the Breakers could never truly threaten.
But Leon Henry (11 points, nine rebounds) and Bloxham (10 points, two assists) showed glimpses of the club's future.
The game opened as a three-point shootout with Goulding - promoted to the starting line-up - burying three-consecutive long bombs on his way to 14 points for the quarter.
Worthington added 12 including two triples to hand the Blaze a 31-23 advantage at the first break.
Deleon caught fire in the second term, peeling off 10 quickfire points to set up a commanding 55-34 half-time lead.
The young Breakers showed some pluck in the third quarter as the Blaze took the foot off the pedal, winning the term 22-15, before rallying in the final quarter with a 9-0 run to seal the win.
Gold Coast (third) travels to Perth (second) for its first play-off match on Sunday while New Zealand (first) hosts Townsville (fourth) in Auckland on Friday.
AAP
Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, broadbeach-4218, qld, australia First posted March 25, 2012 21:48:09Hawks farewell Campbell in style
Wollongong gave its inspirational captain Mat Campbell a deserving farewell in his final NBL game, chalking up a 92-78 win over the Adelaide 36ers on Sunday.
The Hawks unleashed a phenomenal 9-of-15 three-point shooting display in the first half, sending Campbell off with a string of three wins and deferring the wooden spoon to Adelaide in the process.
Elsewhere, Gold Coast (17-11) completed a confidence-boosting home 94-71 home win over New Zealand (21-7).
The Breakers were scorched by a Blaze team that shot at 63 per cent from three-point territory.
A crowd of 5,032 flocked to the Sandpit to celebrate the career of their leader who reciprocated with six points and four assists, his final score coming off a trademark fallaway jumper.
"I was a bit emotional at the start and I really wanted to focus on the game tonight," Campbell said.
"It was really important for me to win the game, I didn't want to go out on a losing note, especially with the wooden spoon up for grabs.
"I was trying to block out all that emotional stuff, but ... it was something special."
Oscar Forman (22 points) and Larry Davidson (16 points) led the way for the Hawks, while Stephen Weigh (15 points) and Daniel Johnson (14 points) topped the 36ers.
Campbell got into the action early with a driving lay-up, the rest of the Hawks then swooped with three-pointers by Forman, Davidson and Ayinde Ubaka pushing the score to 15-4.
Wollongong featured eight scorers as they claimed the opening quarter 31-19, while Johnson and Diamon Simpson accounted for nine of Adelaide's points.
The 36ers crept within 10 points on a three from Weigh, but another flood of triples by Rhys Martin, Tim Coenraad and Glen Saville secured a commanding 59-38 half-time lead for the Hawks.
Adelaide took the third 15-12 as the scoring pace slowed down, leaving Wollongong with a 71-53 buffer to protect in the final quarter.
The 36ers threatened with a 6-0 run to pull within 12, but were quickly stifled when Forman knocked down his fifth triple to shut down his former team.
Campbell was presented with a key to the city of Wollongong by Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery prior to tip-off.
He was subbed with just over a minute to play and was saluted to a deafening standing ovation as he exited the floor for the final time.
AAP
Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, wollongong-2500, nsw, australia First posted March 25, 2012 19:56:33Wildcats go one-up in Blaze series
Gold Coast stars Adris DeLeon and Anthony Petrie both had big nights but it was not enough to get past the Wildcats as the Blaze went down 85-70 in Perth on Sunday evening.
The home side won the first three quarters and came into the final period with a 17-point advantage which proved far too great for the Blaze to overcome.
DeLeon's 23 points came on an inefficient 8-of-19 shooting whilst Petrie (8-of-17) was little better as league MVP Kevin Lisch poured in 20 of his own on just eight field goal attempts to go along with seven assists.
Lisch had scoring support from team-mates Jesse Wagstaff (16 points, five rebounds, four assists) and Luke Nevill (14, six rebounds).
Gold Coast struggled from long range, making just 7-of-26 from three-point range, and was outscored in the paint as the Wildcats bigs went to work down low.
The Blaze were also left hurting by the Perth defence, giving up eight points from 14 turnovers.
The series now shifts back to the south-east Queensland tourist strip where Gold Coast will look to level up the series on Saturday night.
Tags: sport, basketball, perth-6000, wa, surfers-paradise-4217, australia First posted April 01, 2012 20:27:15Opals lose Penny Taylor for Olympics
Australian basketball coach Carrie Graf has described the loss of Penny Taylor to injury as a devastating blow to the country's Olympic hopes.
Basketball Australia this morning confirmed Taylor will miss the London Games with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
The 30-year-old will have an operation in Melbourne next week and will miss the rest of the year.
"It's a devastating blow to our team and certainly to Penny herself as an athlete," Graf said.
"You know she was going to her third Olympic Games, she's a legitimate world superstar player and a huge part of her campaign, so devastating for Penny and certainly a big blow to our team."
Taylor injured her knee playing for her Turkish club Fenerbahce in the EuroLeague.
Scans have shown she has torn her anterior cruciate ligament and will have to undergo surgery.
The 30-year-old has been part of every major Australian women's basketball success for the past decade, including their 2006 world championship win and Olympic silver medals in Athens and Beijing.
Taylor has also won an American WNBA championship with the Phoenix Mercury.
The Victorian would have been a certain selection in the Opals' final 12 for London, which would have been her third Olympic Games.
Taylor's injury will also rule her out of the Mercury's upcoming WNBA season starting next month.
She has been in superb club form, recently being named European player of the year for 2011 by respected web site Eurobasket.com after averaging more than 19 points a game for Fenerbahce.
AAP
Tags: sport, olympics-summer, basketball, australia, united-kingdom First posted April 11, 2012 08:05:25