Ants swarm to spoil Melbourne's picnic plans
TASMANIA turned the tables on Melbourne United in Game 2 of the best-of-five NBL Grand Finals tonight in Hobart, the JackJumpers giving them a devilish time, Jack McVeigh leading the way with 16 points, eight rebounds, four assists and a block in a series-tying 82-77 win.
Grand Final G2, Season reviewed, as we pod on
HAD the pleasure of joining Jovial Joseph Corr and Angst-ridden Andrew Canion for an "NBL Forum" focusing on the Melbourne-Tasmania Grand Finals, the season in review and quite a bit more at the NBL Pocket Podcast. Who were the successes and who were the busts of 2023-24?
Brad&Boti: Southside are champs, Ants in danger
THE WNBL has crowned its 2023-24 champion and Melbourne has a 1-0 lead on Tasmania in the NBL Championship Series as former Sydney Kings assistant coach Brad Rosen and I thrash it all out in this week's Brad&Boti podcast, and we're not pulling any punches.
United stands and it's hit the road, Jackies
MELBOURNE flexed its NBL Championship muscles today, inflicting a virtual go-to-whoa tale of woe on Tasmania in Game 1 of the best-of-five Grand Final, Chris Goulding leading a long-range missile bombardment which sent the JackJumpers down into the bunker in a smouldering 104-81 heap.
Then there were two, United, Jackies for the crown
MELBOURNE versus Tasmania for the NBL crown. It's the best-of-five Grand Final Series most craved - other than the stampede of fans Illawarra corralled during its extraordinary season and post-season, or anyone living in Western Australia. Shea Ili and Jack McVeigh ensured we'd get it.
Brad&Boti: LJ to Olympics, WNBL Final, NBL Semis
THE WNBL already is into its Grand Final Series, Perth owning a 1-0 lead in the Best-of-3 Final. But the NBL settles its issues in a double-header basketball bonanza of Game 3 semi final deciders tonight, and Brad Rosen and I are down for it at our Brad&Boti podcast.
The odds don't look great for underdogs
SHOULD it really be a surprise come NBL playoffs time that suddenly a number of factors fall the way of our Melbourne, Perth or Sydney-based clubs? They run marquee programs in our biggest cities, regularly drawing five-figure attendances. Places such as Hobart or Wollongong can't match that.
Milton 'the monster" as Jackies tame Wildcats
DESPITE the outrageous intervention of the NBL's amorphous "Games Review Panel" which ridiculously and quite embarrassingly outed Tasmania centre Marcus Lee from its semi final Game 2 against Perth, Milton Doyle was an absolute monster as the JackJumpers levelled the series at 1-1 tonight in Hobart.
Hickey leaves a bruise as Hawks rally in G2
FOR the second time in their NBL best-of-three semi final series, Illawarra and Melbourne could not settle the issue in regulation but this time Will "Davo" Hickey, Gary Clark, Tyler Harvey and Sam Froling led their Hawks to a home 113-108 overtime win, sending it back to Melbourne for a decider on Wednesday.
Pinder tears up JJ's scouting report
KEANU Pinder last night ruined Tasmania's gameplan with a career-best outside-the-arc blitz JackJumpers coach Scott Roth - nor anyone else - saw coming and which ensured Perth would head to Hobart and Monday's Game 2 full of confidence nursing a 1-0 NBL Semi Final Series lead.