Basketball On The Internet.

THERE was a shining bright full moon across Australia last night. Wild brumbies ran thundering across the valleys. Wolves bayed at the night sky. Kings were beheaded, Wildcats tamed. Kids and outlaws hunkered together around Mitch Creek as legends were born. The NBL's annual "upset round" was underway.    

As Creek himself admitted, pre-game he shuddered at the thought of a 40-point pounding as his South East Melbourne gathered before the truly faithful at Wantirna's State Basketball Centre, hosting defending dual-champion Sydney.

The event in Melbourne would close as one of the greatest upsets in the Phoenix's sometimes chequered history.

And the evening would close with Illawarra, so often the bunnies in Perth when facing the powerhouse Wildcats, striding from RAC Arena and its stunned Red Army with the against-the-odds win that keeps alive the Hawks playoff hopes.

THE night began with news Phoenix import Gary Browne again was ruled out, joining fellow import Alan Williams on the sideline. 

The injury report card did not improve from there. Matt Kenyon was the third regular starter who only would be in attendance in street clothes.

He joined Craig Moller - South East's starting small forward who is out for the duration - on the sidelines. And while third import Abdel Nader (wrist) suited up, he was a game-time decision. And that decision was that no, he would not play.  

Effectively, five of the team's first six would be spectating against a Sydney team which came to town desperate to shore up its position in the top four. And also a Kings outfit which a previously undermanned - though nowhere near to this extent - Phoenix team shocked in Sydney.

There was no excuse for the Kings to come in unprepared or, worse yet, with such an air of arrogant entitlement that compelled any non-Sydney fan to join in the jubilation of South East's total triumph.

South East has sucked and played so poorly for so long, it appeared to have willingly accepted the keys to the league bomb shelter.

But walk into the SBC and the sign is unmissable. It screams HEARTLAND in capital letters. And while it refers to the venue and its geographical location reflecting the heartland of Victorian basketball, last night it meant HEART-land.

That's precisely what this team showed from tip-off to siren - HEART. It has been the very aspect so clearly and often missing during the Phoenix's steady fall from grace.

Last night, South East Melbourne was Magic, a collection of young men with hearts like *barking pumpkins.

Kody Stattmann started and scored 16 points, 3-of-5 threes with six rebounds. Gorjok Gak started and scored 9 points, was as active as possible and when he drained his solitary 3-point attempt, the roof almost blew off the SBC.

Reuben Te Rangi was simply steady, which isn't a lot but sometimes just what's needed. Creek and Ben Ayre, were the standouts.

Creek had a 25-point first half and after Denzel Valentine opened the game's scoring, his triple put the Phoenix ahead and it was never caught.

Ayre, no longer acting like an angry and easily distracted little man, instead focused on playing to his true ability and strengths, rewarding himself - and his team - for the work he has done to be a quality NBL player. He stroked 5-of-9 threes in his 23-point haul.

The Phoenix exploded for a 36-point first quarter and nailed 6-of-7 threes until Creek's miss on the first term buzzer. Sydney was gobsmacked.

The Kings did a little better in the second period but this time it was someone named Luke Rosendale icing a corner 3-pointer on the halftime buzzer, SEM ahead 61-54 and taking a huge roar of appreciation into the changerooms.

There had been a wicked Creek two-hand slam to savour and some outstanding play from the ever-reliable Owen Foxwell (12 points at 50 per cent, six assists in 20 minutes).

The supporting cast thrived on centre stage and while Kings coach Mahmoud Abdelfattah wisely chose to double-team Creek at every opportunity in the second half, the damage already was done.

Even with Valentine stroking a couple of threes and Jaylen Adams pairing 24 points with nine assists, the Kings' rallies to get back into it were never at full throttle - quite amazing considering all the circumstances.

The old saying "a champion team will beat a team of champions" was not even applicable here. It was a team of focused and committed hardy battlers beating a team of entitled chumps. For SEM it was its best win of the season ... and maybe any season.

It's one for songs around the campfire for eons to come. 

SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX 104 (Creek 31, Ayre 23, Stattmann 16, Foxwell 12; Creek 10 rebs; Foxwell 6 assts) d SYDNEY KINGS 98 (Adams 24, Noi 19, Valentine 13, Bolden 10; Valentine, Galloway 5 rebs; Adams 9 assts) at State Basketball Centre. Crowd: 3,422

FAST forward to Perth, which historically has been anything but a happy hunting ground for Illawarra, its Hawks team limping in off terrible home losses last round, to face a Wildcats unit challenging for the pinnacle on a six-win streak and with 13 wins from their past 15.

As per script, Perth was cruising to a 19-15 mid-first quarter lead on a pair of Bryce Cotton free throws when, as remarkably as it occurred in Melbourne, Illawarra's "second string" entered the fray.

Rightly relegated to the bench after going 0-of-13 in the Hawks' home losses to Cairns and Adelaide, Justin Robinson drove hard to create a successful three-point play.

Then unwanted Wildcat, Todd Blanchfield, struck a perfect 3-pointer and the Hawks were ahead 21-19. Next it was Lachlan Olbrich's turn for a successful three-point play, Illawarra out 24-19.

Jordan Usher pulled a bucket back for Perth, only to have Blanchfield swish another triple and Robinson add a free throw, Illawarra up 28-21 after one.

Blanchfield further rubbed salt into the Wildcat wounds with a three-point play to start the second period, then another 3-point bomb, Illawarra ahead 34-21 and The Blanch with 12 points to his name inside a minute of the second quarter!

Olbrich's layup bumped the lead to 36-21, alarm bells ringing so loudly the Red Army was bracing for a decisive air, land and sea attack.

They got it too, Illawarra ahead 53-30 on an Olbrich dunk and 55-35 at halftime, by which point Sam Froling, Tyler Harvey and Gary Clark all were joining in the festivities.

Unfortunately and worryingly typically, Perth coach John Rillie slipped into panic mode, recalling the season's early days when his substitution pattern was impossible to follow.

He had 13 players in the game this time around - 13! Perth apologists will say he was looking for some sort of combination to stall the Hawks onslaught. His detractors will say he lost track of what he was doing.

Here, it just looked all too familiar for those who can cast their minds back. When you have been winning one way and that is challenged, why revert?

The Hawks again showed coach Justin Tatum has the formula for neutralising Cotton, whose 13 points came off 2-of-12 shooting, supplemented by 8-of-8 from the free throw line. 

Kristian Doolittle had an 11-point, 10-rebound double, but his four steals were erased by his five turnovers. Beyond that, no particular Wildcat did much of anything, and it's not as if they didn't have their chances.

Never losing focus, sticking steadfastly to their game plan, the Hawks again flew out of Perth with the W, their playoff hopes still alive, against all odds.  

ILLAWARRA HAWKS 95 (Clark 17, Blanchfield 16, Harvey 13, Froling 12, Lee 10; Olbrich 7 rebs; Robinson, Harvey 4 assts) d PERTH WILDCATS 77 (T.Webster 16, Cotton 13, Doolittle 11; Doolittle 10 rebs; Cotton 3 assts) at RAC Arena. Crowd: 12,771

(*Barking pumpkins. Thank you to NBL playing and coaching legend Bruce Palmer for that totally applicable term. Bruce may no longer directly be involved, but he sure isn't forgotten.)