Basketball On The Internet.

TOWNSVILLE last night secured its second consecutive win when Omar Samhan sank a back-breaking three to leave Sydney floundering and with sole occupancy of the NBL's bomb shelter.

The Crocs were ahead 89-88 when Kings superstar Josh Childress split their defence but was rightly called for a regulation travel.

At the other end, Samhan rolled free outside the 3-point line, received the pass and buried the bucket (below) for 92-88 and Sydney was shot.

As the clock wound down on a terrific 96-88 win by the Crocs, after having trailed by as many as 10, Sydney's Joe Connelly took a late timeout, largely, it seemed, to berate officials over the Childress violation.

Like his fellow American coach at United, Dean Demopoulos, who previously against Adelaide was telling the refs who Melbourne intended to foul - clearly blissfully unaware the NBL and NBA rules are different and his team instead was staring at a USF ... plus the player he wanted fouled wasn't even on the court! - Connelly seemed to believe that Childress' move was legal.

Well yeah, if he was LeBron James and this was the NBA. Three, four steps, or two plus some stutters, that's all OK in The Show if the move entertained.

But this is the NBL so it's mostly FIBA rules. He travelled. They called it. You lost. Deal with it. Deal with blowing a 10-point lead and being outplayed by a younger, less-talented team which just wanted it more.

And maybe the Crocs aren't that much behind on the talent level. After all, sticking at it is a talent too. They lead the league in that.

Tonight: DON'T let Kirk Penney's absence fool you. Yes, he will absolutely be missed against Adelaide, but Illawarra coach Rob Beveridge fired a calculated and accurate salvo at his Hawks after their Perth debacle, labelling them "mentally soft". No professional athlete (or amateur for that matter) wants to publicly be called out as soft in any sense so don't doubt Illawarra will be fired up tonight at The Sandpit to prove - No Penney? No problem - and serve up a resolute game against the 36ers. Penney had hurt his hamstring and wasn't on the floor when Kevin Lisch went off for 40 points to lead the Hawks to a double o/t win over New Zealand in Auckland. So it will be on tonight for young and old, the confidence of Jerome Randle and a six-win streak a key to why the Sixers should prevail.

Last night: TOWNSVILLE CROCODILES 96 (Jett 24, Samhan 15, Steindl 14, Kay 13, Maynard 10; 15 rebs; Jett 6 assts) d SYDNEY KINGS 88 (Childress 27, Cadee 18, Brandt 13, Thornton 12, Garlepp 10; Childress 9 rebs; Thornton 4 assts) at The Swamp, Townsville Entertainment Centre.