Basketball On The Internet.

ILLAWARRA Hawks coach Rob Beveridge may be inclined to agree with Breakers boss Dean Vickerman that maybe the Blitz foul count needs to be revisited.

Vickerman made the call on Friday after endeavouring to get Charles Jackson back into NZ's game for the last quarter against Perth after he had fouled out, his team depleted by injuries.

Vickers cited the NBA Summer League as an example where players can have 10 fouls, new refs boss Alby Joseph saying he was open to a discussion on the merits of expanding the foul count but it could not be introduced mid-Blitz.

Others were against it on the basis some players might abuse the opportunity to vent frustrations with relative impunity.

The fact the Blitz is played for the Loggins-Bruton Cup and carries an MVP medal named after Ray Borner most likely precludes anything such as a 10-foul situation.

Yesterday Hawks centre A.J. Ogilvy set a new Blitz record, fouling out in 7:29, making Bevo wonder about the merits of Vickerman's pontifications.

Realistically, refs - just as the players - are not near their best in the preseason and if you can concede they may make the odd (albeit, very rare) error, surely there should be some failsafe for the teams who are trying, after all, to get their own (playing) houses in order.

Even without visiting the merit of a foul count extension, how about this idea?

Either a) the referees are brought together before any NBL club opens its preseason schedule so already around the nation points-of-emphasis are consistent? That way, by the time teams get to the Blitz, it should be more about refining how the game will be played and called?

That would prevent the mish-mash of interpretations through club-arranged preseason games which then are in stark contrast to how the Blitz is called.

Or b) have the Blitz tip off the preseason so from there forward through other preseason games, the calling is consistent.

SEPARATED AT BIRTH? Cop Mick Belker (Hill Street Blues) above and "The Mechanic", Everard Bartlett (below)

Blitz Bitz

*Referee Jon Chapman, Melbourne United's Kyle Adnam and Sydney Flames coach Shannon Seebohm walk into a bar ... and promptly get thrown out, bouncers believing their ID is fake.

*Mercifully, the music at the Blitz occasionally was turned down somewhat yesterday, apparently because the Townsville Cup was on at the nearby races, horses getting spooked by the loud noise.

*Sydney import Josh Childress brought a grin from Tyson Demos after the Hawks guard drew a charging foul on Angus Brandt. "All them tattoos out there flopping man," Childress chided.

*Jordair Jett is the unofficial winner of the "best dreads" competition, narrowly beating out Charles Jackson, Luke Schenscher, Marcus Thornton and Matt Adeponya.

*Breakers Grand Final hero and recently released Melbourne import Ekene Ibekwe has signed a two-month deal with Giessen of the Bundesliga meaning he can continue to hoop and also be at the birth of his first born.

*Nothing like watching two players with high basketball IQs trying to outsmart each other with a heads-up play. Cedric Jackson, falling out of court, trying to throw the ball out off Mark Worthington who was trying to throw it back out off Jacko was priceless.

*Ahead 66-65 with a quarter to play, Cairns only needed to win by two to take six Blitz Premiership Points from its match with New Zealand which would have given it 18 points and an unassailable lead for the Loggins-Bruton Cup. Melbourne would have been 7.5 points behind so even with maximum points against Sydney today, could not have caught the Taipans. It was 2.2 seconds from claiming the Cup too, ahead 90-88. But Shea Ili made it from end-to-end to lay in the tying basket with 2.1 seconds left in regulation. That also gave the Breakers the quarter so even though Cairns won in overtime, the door still is ajar for Melbourne today, behind by 6.5.

*Marcus Thornton's three to close the second quarter saved Sydney from a six-point period. A few hours later, Leon Henry's three with 43 seconds to go in the final quarter, doubled Townsville's output for the period!

*Henry did well to win the Blitz Dunk Contest but spare a thought for Adelaide guard Kenyon McNeaill. It was 15 years to the day Vince Carter jumped over France's Frederic Weis for his memorable dunk at the Sydney Olympics and one of Kenyon's slams in the dunk contest was over the top of 36ers' mascot Murray Magpie.

TOO SOON: Kenyon McNeaill should have saved his mascot dunk for last

Blitzkrieg
(Who shot out the lights)

*Jason Cadee delivered a Blitz-high 30-point haul yesterday, with a 25-point second half, shooting it at 71 per cent.

*Oscar Forman had a 13-point second period in a 23-point return against the Kings and was shooting it at 50 per cent.

*Everard Bartlett had 6-of-10 triples in his 26-point game, releasing it at a wicked 63 per cent overall.

*Breakers teammate Shea Ili was just as potent with 13 points after three-quarter-time in his career-high 21 on 8-of-11 shooting.

*Charles Jackson's 19 points came at 62 per cent, NZ shooting at 51 per cent overall.

*In response, Cairns shot at (only) 50 per cent, Stevie Weigh leading the win with 22 points on 7-of-8 shooting, Cam Gliddon's 18 including 4-of-6 threes.

*Adelaide shot out of the blocks against United with a 57 per cent first quarter but Melbourne came up with a 63 per cent third period which included a devastating 8-of-11 threes.

*Chris Goulding, who finished with 17 points, swished 4-of-5 triples in the third quarter while teammate Daniel Kickert's 14 points were at 60 per cent.

*Mitch Creek's 15 points were at 55 per cent, Matt Hodgson 3-of-3 from the floor.

*Perth's Tom Jervis went 6-of-6 from the floor, 2-of-2 from the stripe, in a perfect 14-point final quarter.

*The Wildcats were 52 per cent on the night against the Crocs, 62 per cent in the final period.

HOT HAND: Jason Cadee just never cooled down.

Blitz Glitz
(Celebrities at the Blitz)
Spotted in the crowd at Townsville RSL Stadium...

*Calvin Bruton Esq - the original and the legend whose name is adjoined to Leroy Loggins on the Blitz Cup - PLUS C.J. Bruton, a joint six-time NBL champion.

Blitz Biff
(Why can't we all just get along?)

*Shaun Bruce and Reuben Te Rangi briefly exchanged unpleasantries.

*Matt Burston and Charles Jackson bumped into each other.

*Brian Conklin warded off Matt Knight and copped a USF for his trouble.

*Mitch Norton and Jesse Wagstaff copped a double foul.

WILDCAT PRESSURE: Jarrod Kenny harassing Crocs playmaker Mitch Norton

What we learnt

*Just how much the NBL has improved ahead of this season when last year's respective starting centres Larry Davidson (Hawks) and Angus Brandt (Kings) are coming in as back-ups for A.J. Ogilvy and Julian Khazzouh.

*Indiana Faithful was smart enough to get a quick foul as soon as he came in for Sydney, ensuring he had a stat.

*Julian Khazzouh (Gesundheit!) came out fired up after fouling out in just 9:40 against Adelaide, scoring Sydney's first seven points and finishing with an 18-point, 14-rebound double-double.

*If Hakim Warrick is going to struggle from the free throw line (3-of-8 yesterday) clubs may employ the hack-a-Shaq strategy, in this case, the "Hack-him".

*Judd Flavell's long-overdue debut in a one-shot as Breakers coach brought 19 points at 62 per cent, 16 boards and two blocks out of new import Charles Jackson, easily his best return. "See how well he can play when he gets good coaching?" Judd didn't say.

*The 36ers' new camouflage away uniforms were so effective, United couldn't even see them as Adelaide opened with a 9-0 run en route to a 35-18 lead.

WHERE ARE THEY? The 36ers stretch post-game in their camouflage suits. Or are they?

*New Zealand may have been down key players but showed no lack of heart against Cairns, Everard Bartlett and Shea Ili, in particular, sensational. How can Everard have been a spectator of our league so many times? And Ili, who previously did his best work for New Zealand in the haka, was superb.

*Big shots aren't exclusively the domain of superstars with the Cairns-NZ overtime giving us five consecutive 3-pointers in breath-taking end-to-end long-range bombing. First it was Cam Gliddon for three (97-94), then Shea Ili (97-97), then Alex Loughton (100-97), then Shane McDonald (100-100), before Markel Starks' triple made it 103-100. And that lot was without any of Everard Bartlett's six 3-pointers.

 

New Section: BlitzShitz

*Did someone new to the Kings have the dreaded "BlitzShitz" when he was subbed yesterday? Being a thorn in the team is no way to make your mark, specially if you want to go back home with your reputation enhanced, a la James Ennis or Scottie Wilbekin. But then again, Jordan McRae is another example you can follow too, I guess.

NICE SHOT: Marcus Thornton in action for Sydney yesterday.

BlitzWrap
G7: ILLAWARRA HAWKS 78 (Forman 23, Coenraad 13, Martin 10; Davidson 9 rebs; Demos 5 assts) d SYDNEY KINGS 73 (Cadee 30, Khazzouh 18, Thornton 8; Khazzouh 14 rebs; Carter 4 assts). Premiership Points: Illawarra 5, Sydney 2
G8: MELBOURNE UNITED 89 (Goulding 17, Blanchfield 15, Kickert 14, Holt 13, Warrick 11; Blanchfield 11 rebs; Goulding 4 assts) d ADELAIDE 36ERS 85 (McNeaill 16, Creek 15, Johnson 14, Sobey, Teys 10; Petrie 8 rebs; Gibson 4 assts). Premiership Points: Melbourne 5, Adelaide 2
G9: CAIRNS TAIPANS 105 (Weigh 22, Starks 20,  Gliddon 18, Burston 10; Weigh 9 rebs; Gliddon, Starks 4 assts) d NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 100 (Bartlett 26, Ili 21, Ch Jackson 19, McDonald 12; Ch Jackson 16 rebs; C Jackson, Bartlett Te Rangi 4 assts) in overtime. Premiership Points: Cairns 5, New Zealand 2
G10: PERTH WILDCATS 84 (Wagstaff 16, Jervis 14, Redhage 13, Knight 10; Jervis 7 rebs; Jawai 6 assts) d TOWNSVILLE CROCODILES 47 (Kay 14, Maynard 8, Conklin 7; Maynard, Kay, Conklin 4 rebs; Maynard 3 assts). Premiership Points: Perth 6, Townsville 1

Blitz Points
Taipans 17
Wildcats 13
*United 10.5
Breakers 8.5
*Hawks 6.5
*36ers 6.5
*Kings 4.5
Crocodiles 3.5
(*One game to play)

Today: 11am, Sydney Kings v Melbourne United; 1pm, Adelaide 36ers v Illawarra Hawks.
Be there or be square and watch it on a square or rectangle at nbl.com.au or foxsports.com.au