THERE were some monster numbers posted in Round 6 of the National Basketball League (NBL) over the weekend, with some of the biggest names in the competition standing up and delivering match-winning performances.

Teams were hitting their straps on the offensive end and it resulted in some high-scoring encounters that contained some big moments. There was no shortage of standout performances as a whopping eight games took place from Thursday to Sunday.

With that in mind, Rookie Me Central will be taking a look three of the top performances over the weekend, with some new and old faces catching the eye and making their mark in their respective wins.

Montrezl Harrell – Adelaide 36ers

36 points, 16 rebounds, five blocks

The NBL’s biggest name delivered the biggest performance of the 2024/25 season to date as his side recorded an overtime victory over the Cairns Taipans at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Friday night. In many other clashes, the remarkable shooting of the Taipans (9/16 3PT at one stage) would have been a matchwinning factor, but Adelaide’s stars delivered down the stretch, forcing overtime and getting the job done in the extra period.

Harrell was a monster in the win over Cairns, stuffing the stat sheet for a performance that will be remembered in NBL history. He posted a whopping 36 points on 11/20 shooting from the field, 3/3 shooting from behind the arc and 11/15 shooting from the charity stripe, showing a broad range of scoring methods. On the glass, he was just as immense, pulling down 16 rebounds (five offensive), while Harrell protected the paint as good as anyone with a whopping five blocks and got the win to cap off a career night.

Keanu Pinder – Perth Wildcats

34 points, four rebounds, four steals

The Wildcats were considered heavy underdogs heading into their clash against the Sydney Kings at RAC Arena on Friday night after Bryce Cotton was ruled out with a rib injury. However, Perth defied the odds to pull off its best win of the season, defeating the Kings by three points in a thriller. The Wildcats were ruthless in their desire to win, and although the Kings had the more talented roster, the visitors missed some crucial shots late as the Wildcats held on for the win.

Perth needed someone to step up in the absence of Cotton, and Pinder was the hero against Sydney, posting a whopping 34 points on 11/18 shooting. He was relentless when attacking the basket, using his strength to get past the opposition and maintaining a soft touch around the hoop. He had proven himself as a viable number one option in the past, and stepped up in the role again. To step up against such a quality opposition was a huge step in the right direction for Pinder, who certainly bounced back after a quiet few weeks.

Parker Jackson-Cartwright – New Zealand Breakers

21 points, five rebounds, eight assists, one steal

They say cometh the hour, cometh the man, and Jackson-Cartwright did exactly that in the impressive win over Sydney at Qudos Bank Arena on Sunday afternoon. New Zealand was coming off a tough loss against the SEM Phoenix on Thursday night, and facing the Kings on the road is always a big ask. However, the Breakers justified their placing inside the top two in the standings with a gutsy win to finish the round in style.

Jackson-Cartwright’s impact on the match was huge in determining the result after four quarters of play. The point guard was electric with 21 points on 8/16 shooting from the field, and was vital in New Zealand’s match-defining second period. In the final term, his passing was extremely important in getting the Breakers over the line, and he finished the match with eight assists to continue a remarkably consistent campaign.