ROUND 7 of the National Basketball League (NBL)’s 2024/25 season is mostly wrapped, with seven of the eight games taking place as of Monday afternoon.

It is a bumper round of NBL action, with a rare Monday night clash in Melbourne set to coincide with the public holiday eve. The ladder was shaken up once again with a new leader emerging after the weekend’s action.

As is the case every week, Rookie Me Central will be providing a game-by-game rundown of the weekend’s action and how it has affected the race for the finals.

NBL Wrapped – Round 7

Melbourne United (87) def. Sydney Kings (83)

United furthered their championship credentials with a gutsy win over the Sydney Kings to kick off the round’s action at John Cain Arena on Thursday night. It was a tight contest all night, with Melbourne and Sydney trading blows and neither side able to get a match-winning lead. However, United delivered down the stretch and chalked out a thrilling four-point victory.

For Melbourne, Jack White was the hero in the clutch, producing a pair of crucial three-pointers and sealing the match with a defensive board. He finished the game with 14 points and 11 rebounds, while point guard Matthew Dellavedova was productive with 16 points and five assists. Sydney was led by a strong showing from Cameron Oliver who had 18 points and 16 rebounds.

Top performers:
Jack White (MEL) – 14 points, 11 rebounds
Cameron Oliver (SYD) – 18 points, 16 rebounds, two assists

Tasmania JackJumpers (77) def. by SEM Phoenix (79)

Josh King had the perfect start to his time as head coach of the Phoenix, with South East Melbourne sneaking past the JackJumpers at the Silverdome on Friday night. Despite Tasmania taking a seven-point buffer into the main change and leading by 12 in the third quarter, the visitors rallied in the second half, closing out the game in style to secure a two-point win.

Import Matt Hurt was the star of the show for South East Melbourne, justifying his claim as one of the premier scorers of the NBL over the first seven rounds of the 2024/25 season. He delivered a game-high 24 points and was vital in the Phoenix’s third win of the season. Big man Will Magnay was Tasmania’s best with 19 points.

Top performers:
Matt Hurt (SEM) – 24 points, six rebounds
Will Magnay (TAS) – 19 points, five rebounds, three assists

Perth Wildcats (113) def. Illawarra Hawks (105)

The Wildcats claimed a second upset in the absence of star point guard Bryce Cotton, knocking off the ladder-leaders in a high-scoring affair at RAC Arena on Friday night. Perth shot 17/31 from three-point land in a remarkable shooting display, and its ability to find the bottom of the net from deep ultimately gave it a match-winning edge against Illawarra.

Rising young gun Ben Henshall delivered his best performance in a Wildcats jersey in the win, posting 26 points and six assists on 8/15 shooting from the field and 5/8 shooting from behind the three-point line in a breakout showing. Tyler Harvey was also efficient (10/13 FG) on his way to 25 points to lead the Hawks.

Top performers:
Ben Henshall (PER) – 26 points, five assists
Tyler Harvey (ILL) – 25 points, two assists

New Zealand Breakers (109) def. Adelaide 36ers (82)

The Breakers delivered a statement performance at home on Saturday evening, defeating the red-hot 36ers by 27 points at Spark Arena. Adelaide was one of the in-form teams in the NBL coming into the clash, with its star-studded roster gelling extremely well. However, the Breakers were far too good for the visitors, producing dominant performances in the first and third quarters to cruise home to a big result and send a message to the rest of the competition.

Point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright continued to press his case for the MVP trophy at season’s end with another outstanding performance, delivering 25 points and six assists. He has been orchestrating New Zealand’s offence to perfection, and his consistency over the first seven weeks has played a big role in the Breakers’ success. Fellow MVP candidate Montrezl Harrell still did his thing with 25 points and six boards.

Top performers:
Parker-Jackson-Cartwright (NZ) – 25 points, six assists
Montrezl Harrell (ADL) – 25 points, six rebounds

Cairns Taipans (88) def. by Brisbane Bullets (92)

The Bullets delivered an outstanding comeback win over the Taipans, fighting back in the last quarter to emerge four-point winners at Cairns Convention Centre on Saturday night. Brisbane was down by 12 points in the fourth quarter, but silenced the crowd to come from the clouds and secure its best win of the 2024/25 season to date. The undermanned Taipans showed plenty of courage despite missing over half of their starting lineup, but were overrun by a hungrier Bullets side.

Big man Tyrell Harrison was a massive factor in Brisbane getting over the line, posting a huge double-double of 14 points and 20 rebounds (14 in the first half), while import James Batemon was again the leading scorer for the Bullets with 21 points. For the Taipans, Rob Edwards tried to drag his side over the line with 27 points.

Top performers:
Tyrell Harrison (BRI) – 14 points, 20 rebounds
Rob Edwards (CNS) – 27 points, three assists

SEM Phoenix (100) def. Perth Wildcats (76)

The resurgence of the South East Melbourne Phoenix continued on Sunday afternoon, blowing out the Wildcats to the tune of 24 points at John Cain Arena. The Phoenix’s offence looked as good as ever at home in Round 7, breaking out to a commanding advantage on the scoreboard in the first quarter and immediately putting Perth on the back foot. Although the Wildcats had strong patches of play throughout the match, it was to no avail as South East Melbourne snatched its fourth win of the season.

Veteran guard Nathan Sobey was the man of the hour for the Phoenix, posting 20 points and five assists in the win and showing why the team brought him in over the off-season. He has stepped up in the absence of Derrick Walton Jr, and played a key role once again. If the two guards can gel when the latter returns from a hamstring injury, it will be huge for the team’s finals chances.

Top performers:
Nathan Sobey (SEM) – 20 points, five assists
Matt Hurt (SEM) – 17 points

Sydney Kings (88) def. Tasmania JackJumpers (60)

In an impressive return to form, the Kings broke their losing streak and put the JackJumpers’ season on the ropes with a 28-point belting at Qudos Bank Arena on Sunday afternoon. Sydney looked the better side early, and slammed the door shut on any sort of miracle comeback by restricting Tasmania to just nine points in the fourth quarter as the JackJumpers’ offensive woes continue to haunt the reigning champions.

It was a career night from Kouat Noi in the win over Tassie, posting 26 points and five triples in a standout showing for Sydney. He nailed just as many three-pointers as the JackJumpers did as a team, and looked the Kings’ best, although he did have some help from Oliver, who continued his strong run of form with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

The round will conclude tonight when Melbourne United host the New Zealand Breakers at John Cain Arena at 7:30pm AEDT.