Basketball On The Internet.

IT was magnificent. Yesterday's "open roof" NBL game between Melbourne United and league-leading Perth Wildcats at Hisense Arena was a spectacle worthy of the 10,200 sell-out in attendance. 

The atmosphere already was charged with electricity - you get that with a sell-out - but when the roof opened during the warmups, it was as if Naismith himself was smiling down on the NBL's 2015-16 achievements.

As light bathed the court, the crowd roared and we were on course for one of the great sporting events of 2015.

Truly, it was that good.

United's fan involvement is excellent and its show is first class. There's a few clubs which could learn from it - Perth, of course, NOT being one of them, doing it pretty well for yonks - but something always is happening.

The game itself was terrific and worthy of the event - dunks, threes, blocks, shake-&-bakes, drama and excitement.

If I had any negative observation it was only minor in that as night set in, there was a slight coolness which I wondered whether it might affect players on the bench before they headed back in.

The flood of positive post-game tweets from players involved suggested that wasn't an issue.

THE NZ Breakers yesterday against the Kings played their 400th NBL game and took their record to 216-184 or 54 per cent.

For the Kings, veteran Ben Knight ran out for his milestone 400th game, his W-L mark now 204-196 or 51 per cent.

The Breakers also lead Knight four championships to one, although the big guy has been in three championship series.

Referee Brad Giersch ALSO reffed his 400th game, his record now 400-0 and challenging the Harlem Globetrotters' success rate.

IT was tough finding a team to support in yesterday's United-Wildcats clash.

Frankly, with Jermaine Beal hitting 10 threes in their previous meeting, I couldn't help feeling the opening of the roof was a Melbourne ploy to ensure the wind would be a factor in reducing his effectiveness.

He only hit one triple - a gem it was too to close the first quarter - so the strategy worked!

In the end, I decided to support referee Matt Townsend, hoping he'd stay free of controversy and/or a dud decision at Hisense Arena - the venue his nemesis - and you know what? He was doing well there until his foul call on Perth captain Damian Martin when the Wildcat produced an amazing clean steal off Stephen Holt with 14 seconds left.

Matty was so ready to make the call, he did it regardless of what transpired.

At that point in the thriller, Wildcats GM Nick Marvin was staring at the heavens praying for sudden rain.

 

WHAT the!!

According to the impeccable @nblfacts, Sydney import Damion James - who was a stellar 0-of-6, with two boards, three turnovers and three fouls in 14:17 of (in)action yesterday - now has the worst field goal shooting percentage in NBL history of any player with more than 40 shot attempts!!

He's even worse than Scott Christopherson as far as imports go. But to be the worst of any player in NBL history - he's shooting 23.4% - why is Sydney persisting with this guy?

Damn. Having "NBA" on your resume must be a leave pass to any sort of performance.

 

BASKETBALL ON THE INTERNET, PLAYER OF THE WEEK

IT was tight again for the B.O.T.I. PotW award because Daniel Johnson, Jerome Randle and Corey Webster had such outstanding individual performances.

Randle went close to a triple-double as the 36ers beat Melbourne, DJ set a bunch of records in the same game. And yesterday, Chris Goulding also put his hand up, hitting 6-of-8 threes in his game-high 27 points. 

Unfortunately for Chris, his Adelaide game wasn't of the same calibre so in the final analysis, sadly neither of the above stars got the nod. Instead, Breakers shooting star Corey Webster, delivering 38 points at 50 per cent, with five boards, a couple of assists, steals and even a block, is our Round 12 winner.

Webster becomes our first three-time winner this season which entitles him to the full gamut - a pie, pasty AND sausage roll to help him on his healthy way.

NBL PotW

Rd1 Todd Blanchfield
Rd2 Kirk Penney
Rd3 Jerome Randle
Rd4 Corey Webster
Rd5 AJ Ogilvy
Rd6 Al Harrington
Rd7 Corey Webster (2)
Rd8 Kirk Penney (2)
Rd9 Tom Abercrombie
Rd10 Jermaine Beal
Rd11 Kevin Lisch

 

YEAH, NO KIDDING

REALLY enjoyed the bulk of the Adelaide-Melbourne call this round, Shane Heal continuing to grow as a commentator and providing insights, with his personal biases less evident.

I also do enjoy Dwayne Russell's enthusiasm, except where facts get lost.

I am happy to hear Shane called as an NBL star and also as a Boomers star. But when Dwayno describes Heal as an "NBL and NBA star" then whoops, we've crossed a credibility line.

When Heal played his 45 games for Minnesota Timberwolves in 1996-97, NBA "stars" were guys named Malone, Hill, Olajuwon, Jordan, Hardaway, Pippen, Rice, Ewing, Payton, Richmond, Anthony Mason, Vin Baker, Shaquille, Stockton, Mutombo, Mookie Blaylock, Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury, Marcus Camby, Antoine Walker, Kerry Kittles, Ray Allen, Travis Knight and even a young buck at the Los Angeles Lakers named Kobe Bryant.

WHAT AN NBA STAR LOOKS LIKE: Ray Allen

When Heal played his six games with the San Antonio Spurs in 2003-04, NBA "stars" included Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O'Neal, an older Kobe Bryant, Jason Kidd, Peja Stojakovic, Jermaine O'Neal, Ben Wallace, Tracy McGrady, Sam Cassell, Ron Artest, Dirk Nowitzki, Yao Ming, Baron Davis, Michael Redd, Bruce Bowen, Andrei Kirilenko, Theo Ratliff, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Kirk Hinrich, Udonis Haslem, Josh Howard.

I'm not knocking Shane one iota for his 51 NBA games and 2.0ppg average through them. But an "NBA star" Dwayne? That's taking it waaay beyond credibility. In the same way we don't need to hear Chris Goulding blown up to be "better than this league" we don't need to be throwing out false praise for someone who genuinely has NBL star status and Boomers star on his playing resume.

Talking Goulding, I'm reminded too how good it was to go a full Melbourne TV game without once hearing "CG43" smashed down our throats.

Of course, that was the only negative aspect to yesterday's United-Wildcats event, with social media again awash with people complaining about their growing desire to commit homicide on one particular caller.

Sorry folks. The "smarter-than-the-paying-customers" folks at Fox Sports know better so please stop turning to me for help and start sending the pay-TV network your complaints. I already know the mute button is taking a hell of a beating.

 

BIGGEST WINNERS/LOSERS

IT must be the time of year or something but yes, I'm going to do it. Here it comes - the grandest cliche of them all ... Basketball was the biggest winner this week. There. It's done. Truthfully now, the three-game round started with Adelaide 36ers enjoying their first sell-out crowd at Titanium Security Arena in almost two years. Sydney's Kings are back out at Homebush and the fans come regardless! Melbourne hosts a sell-out at Hisense Arena and the roof is opened as well. OK, originally I had the Sixers as the biggest winners because their playoff hopes have been reignited. But Melbourne, after what happened yesterday, wasn't really a loser. Was Sydney, when the fans came to support what is now, without doubt, the worst team in the league? It gave a great account of itself. Was Perth? It played its part in a super game in a super event. So yes basketball - or more specifically, the NBL - was the biggest winner this week at a time when Boxing Day Tests and even Sydney-to-Hobart races paled in comparison.

OK, had United lost yesterday, it definitely WOULD have been the big loser, having gone 0-2, opened the door more widely to the top four and disappointed 10,200 fans at Hisense. Not only that, but coach Dean Demopoulos would have been on very shaky ground, as would imports Stephen Halt and Hack-him Warrick. But United won. And today, all is right with the world instead.

NBL, Round 12

ADELAIDE 36ERS 91 (Johnson 31, Randle 29, Ere 9; Johnson 16 rebs; Randle 9 assts) d MELBOURNE UNITED 81 (Warrick, Kickert 20, Holt 12, Blanchfield, Goulding 10; Blanchfield 9 rebs; Holt 3 assts) at The Fortress, Titanium Security Arena. NZ BREAKERS 93 (Webster 38, Abercrombie 14, Wesley 11; Pledger 10 rebs; Ce Jackson 4 assts) d SYDNEY KINGS 83 (Garlepp 25, Carter, Cadee 14; Prewster 6 rebs; Cadee 6 assts) at The King-hit, Homeboush. MELBOURNE UNITED 92 (Goulding 27, Holt, Warrick 16, Kickert 14, Blanchfield 11; Warrick 11 rebs; Holt 7 assts) d PERTH WILDCATS 87 (Prather 24, Knight 19, Jawai 15, Beal 10; Kniht 10 rebs; 3 with 3 assts) at Hisense Arena.

 

Time-Out

MAYBE Dean Demopoulos has been here long enough to understand FIBA rules, but maybe not. Instructing his United players to foul Lucas Walker at his last time-out of the loss to Adelaide was wrong for two reasons. Bear-hugging Walker to get an immediate foul also equals no play on the ball so it would be a USF. As assistant coach Mike Kelly informed him, only to cop a foul-mouthed spray heard nationwide on Fox television, that type of "hack-a-Shaq stuff" isn't legal. And secondly, um, Walker wasn't even on the court at the time. D'oh! The best part of this whole last-gasp drama-turned-comedy? The magnificent look of utter bemusement, disbelief and disinterest combined on the face of referee Raoul Kirsten as Demopoulos informed him of the intention to foul Waxy, before his players first told him that wasn't an option. But yes, he still holds the record for nine straight wins to start an NBL coaching career. Ian Stacker anyone?

PS

DAMIAN ... and Kotter