Basketball On The Internet.

EARNEST congratulations tonight to Adelaide 36ers rookie Josh Giddey who, at 18 and a half, became the youngest Aussie in recorded NBL history to deliver a triple-double, compiling 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in the loss to New Zealand.

Television commentators have been driving those without a stake in his NBA future to annoyed distraction with their weekly "Giddey triple-double watch," increasing the pressure on the young man to join South East's Keifer Sykes and New Zealand's William McDowell-White as triple doublists this season.

Finally tonight after he stuck a 3-pointer from the top of the key for his 12th point, he shortly thereafter secured a defensive rebound for his 10th, then fed Tony Crocker on the break for a transition jumper and his 10th assist.

Can we all get on with life again now?

We can survive without mentioning his six turnovers or the fact the 36ers are 10-16 and one of the frauds of the competition because Giddey unquestionably is a talented athlete.

But it remains extraordinary the extent to which the NBL and its TV cheerleaders and apologists pump up the young man, yet can turn quickly quiet about the spill he took slipping on a totally unnecessary league-promoting decal that easily could have cost him his immediate career.

Oops, sorry. Just remembered. The decal issue is "fixed".

  ROUND 15 - GAME BY GAME

MITCH Creek sizzled for South East Melbourne but was largely a Lone Ranger as all of the Kings got into the act and continued to expose the Phoenix as their bunny team.

Jordan Hunter, Casper Ware, Jarell Martin, Craig Moller all did their bit but it was kids such as Lochlan Hutchison who also seized their day and made the most of their moments, Sydney again showing great heart.

Cam Gliddon started scoring when it didn't matter and the game was shot to pieces in the last quarter in another confusing Phoenix performance. 

SYDNEY KINGS 101 (Hunter, Ware 19, Moller, Martin 11; Hunter 11 rebs; Ware 5 assts) d SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX 81 (Creek 29, Gliddon 16, Adnam 13, Wetzell 12; Wetzell 7 rebs; Adnam 5 assts) at the Phoenix Fallanx, John Cain Arena. Crowd: 1,268

* * *

YOU'RE not exactly off to a flyer when you go 0-of-13 from three as New Zealand did at the Silverdome where Cairns' understudies stepped up to lead by as many as 19.

Nate Jawai was huge in this one, Jordan Ngatai's first three of the second half keeping Cairns ahead despite Corey Webster's best efforts and Finn Delany's 23-point, 14-rebound double.

Webster gave NZ the lead before Tad Dufelmeier coolly sank a 3-pointer for 70-68. Venky Jois rejected a shot by Webster which originally was signalled a goal-tend but fortunately, upon review, correctly was reversed. The Breakers then couldn't find a match-winner.

CAIRNS TAIPANS 70 (Jawai 21, Dufelmeier 14, Machado 13; Jawai 8 rebs; Machado 7 assts) d NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 68 (Delany 23, C.Webster 15, Iverson, Loe 8; Delany 14 rebs; C.Webster 7 assts) at the Silverdome, Launceston. Crowd: 1,287

COVID ensured a smaller crowd at the Jungle where John Mooney produced a 16-point, 13-rebound, 7-assist tour de force for Perth as Brisbane again folded along the dotted lines.

The Wildcats' 33-point final quarter left the Bullets floundering and certainly not looking like any sort of Final Four threat in NBL21.

PERTH WILDCATS 92 (Cotton 21, Mooney 16, Wagstaff 12, Norton 11; Mooney 13 rebs; Mooney 7 assts) d BRISBANE BULLETS 74 (Froling 20, Patterson 19, Sobey 14, Drmic 11; Patterson 11 rebs; Sobey 6 assts) at The Jungle, RAC Arena. Crowd: 4,737 

* * *

MITCH McCarron had his way with the 36ers who were competitive for three quarters before a 14-0 run by United turned the final quarter into a runaway win.

McCarron enjoyed a season-high 21-point return as Melbourne burst away after some great defence by Chris Goulding opened Sam McDaniel up for a transition three which followed a Jock Landale 3-pointer in the previous United offence.

And just like that, this was over.

MELBOURNE UNITED 92 (McCarron 21, Landale 19, Lual-Acuil, Goulding 13, Peatling 11; Lual-Acuil, Landale 10 rebs; McCarron 5 assts) d ADELAIDE 36ERS 78 (Paul 20, Johnson 16, Giddey 14, Dech 12; Giddeey 10 rebs; Giddey 8 assts) at The UN, John Cain Arena. Crowd: 3,034

* * *

THEY'VE often played classics during this intense NSW rivalry and this was no exception, the Hawks home crowd revved up by the celebration of the club's 2001 championship team.

When the noise abated, Jarell Martin's step-back three gave Sydney a 69-64 lead inside the final two minutes and it took a Tyler Harvey triple to keep Illawarra alive.

Justin Simon with the steal and layup made it 69-69 to send the game into overtime where Casper Ware was hurt early, replaced by burgeoning rookie Lochlan Hutchison. Hutch was just on long enough to drive and score for a 73-69 Kings lead.

Illawarra had it back to 75-76 before Craig Moller caught the ball outside the arc and set sail with the threeball that clinched victory. You see what working on your weakness can get you?

SYDNEY KINGS 79 (Ware 18, Hunter 16, Moller 12, Martin 11; Bruce 13 rebs; Ware 4 assts) d ILLAWARRA HAWKS 75 (Froling 22, Harvey 18, Simon 16; Froling 12 rebs; Naar 12 assts) in Overtime (69-69) at The Sandpit, WIN Entertainment Centre. Crowd: 3,724 

* * *

BACK in his former digs at Cairns - though Pop-Up Arena was a new one - Cam Gliddon found his stroke and led South East to a convincing win.

Its fullcourt pressure for an early 24-4 lead didn't break the Taipans though, who fought their way back and even cut it to 44-52 when Fabijan Krslovic threw in a rare skyhook (pictured above).

But the Phoenix were not giving this one up, slipping back into top gear to leave the depleted Taipans in their wake.

SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX 86 (Gliddon 22, Te Rangi 13, Adnam 12, Creek 11; Creek 9 rebs; Mauriohooho-Le Afa 6 assts) d CAIRNS TAIPANS 66 (Jois 12, King, Dufelmeier 11, Jawai 10; Jois 8 rebs; Machado 4 assts) at the Snagpit, Cairns Pop-Up Arena. Crowd: 1,905

* * *

WHEN Sunday Dech was called for a defensive foul at the third quarter's death, Adelaide's chances of upsetting New Zealand in Launceston evaporated.

The Breakers were ahead 69-59 when Levi Randolph was put to the stripe, 36ers coach Conner Henry then going on a rant which cost him a tech foul.

That led to Randolph stroking two of his three freebies before the Breakers continued on with a 7-0 opening to the fourth. From 69-59 in the third, they moved clear to 78-59 - 9-0 in all - and Adelaide pulled up its tent pegs and collapsed.

So much for talk about reaching the playoffs, New Zealand ahead 80-60 and still by 20 at 85-65 before Josh Giddey secured his triple-double and all was suddenly right in Adelaide's world.

NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 93 (Delany 23, Abercrombie 19, C.Webster, Randolph 15, Iverson 10; Iverson 9 rebs; McDowell-White 13 assts) d ADELAIDE 36ERS 77 (Johnson 20, Humphries 14, Crocker 13, Giddey 12; Giddey 10 rebs; Giddey 10 assts) at the Silverdome, Launcston. Crowd: 893

TOMORROW: Team of the Week