ROUND 1 of the 2024/25 National Basketball League (NBL) season delivered plenty of excitement as HoopsFest was launched in Perth over the weekend.

All five clashes took place in Western Australia’s capital from Thursday to Sunday, as the nation’s premier men’s basketball competition descended on Perth to open the 2024/25 season, as well as delivering some WNBL preseason action and the Under-18 Club Championships.

Following Melbourne United’s opening night win over the Tasmania JackJumpers, the action continued on Friday night, with the Perth Wildcats taking down the SEM Phoenix by eight points in front of their home crowd at RAC Arena. Big man Keanu Pinder was back to his best, producing 29 points and six rebounds in a return to form from his Cairns Taipans.

Despite impressive preseason form, the Brisbane Bullets found themselves on the end of an upset at the hands of the New Zealand Breakers, with the latter claiming a four-point triumph on Saturday afternoon. Although the Bullets produced a massive comeback in the fourth term, the Breakers managed to hold on, largely thanks to the efforts of point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright, who delivered 20 points and 11 assists.

Coming into the season with high expectations, the Illawarra Hawks got off to the perfect start with an emphatic 27-point win over the Cairns Taipans. The Hawks were simply a class above the Taipans, and slammed the door shut with a 30-15 final quarter. Star import Darius Days was an excellent contributor in his regular season debut, posting 20 points and 12 rebounds in the win.

The final game of the round was also the most anticipated, with the Sydney Kings taking down the Adelaide 36ers to close out HoopsFest. Both teams were expected to perform well this season, and delivered an even contest, that was ultimately decided in the fourth quarter, which the Kings won 32-19 en route to an eight-point win. Former NBL MVP Jaylen Adams was at his best with 25 points, while new Sixer import Montrezl Harrell ignited the crowd in his debut with a double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds off the bench.

NBL Ladder after Round 1

1. Illawarra Hawks (1-0)
2. Melbourne United (1-0)
3. Sydney Kings (1-0)
4. Perth Wildcats (1-0)
5. New Zealand Breakers (1-0)
6. Brisbane Bullets (0-1)
7. SEM Phoenix (0-1)
8. Adelaide 36ers (0-1)
9. Tasmania JackJumpers (0-1)
10. Cairns Taipans (0-1)