THE NINTH round of the National Basketball League (NBL)’s 2024/25 season had it all, leaving plenty to unpack as the competition enters a week off for the FIBA qualifying window.

Although there were only six games that took place over the weekend, there was plenty of action throughout the span of Friday and Sunday, with the final day of play delivering lots of talking points moving forward.

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.

Tasmania JackJumpers (95) def. Brisbane Bullets (92)

The JackJumpers made it two in a row as they defeated the Bullets by three points in a thriller at MyState Bank Arena on Friday night to open the round. Tasmania trailed by as much as 14 points in the second quarter, before flicking a switch to take the lead early in the fourth. Although the Bullets made things interesting in the final few minutes, Tassie held on for an important victory as it looks to keep up with the top six.

Star guard and vice-captain Milton Doyle was the star of the show for the JackJumpers, posting a game-high 32 points thanks to going 8/11 from behind the arc. Doyle had found his groove in recent weeks and kept that trend rolling as he looks to recapture the form that saw him named to the All-NBL First and Second team in recent seasons.

Top performers:
Milton Doyle (TAS) – 32 points, seven rebounds, two assists
Keandre Cook (BRI) – 23 points, five steals

Perth Wildcats (97) def. SEM Phoenix (84)

Reigning MVP Bryce Cotton returned to the Wildcats lineup and made an immediate impact to lead his side to an impressive 13-point win over the Phoenix at RAC Arena on Friday night. South East Melbourne was one of the form teams of the competition in recent weeks, but Perth was regaining its most important player, and broke the game open with a 40-22 second term that proved defining in the context of the match.

Cotton wasted no time in his return to action, posting a whopping 33 points on 8/17 shooting from the field and 13/14 shooting from the free throw line. It looked as if he had not missed a second of action and showed he still can tear a game wide open. Fellow gun scorer Matt Hurt was the Phoenix’s best with 27 points on 11/23 shooting.

Top performers:
Bryce Cotton (PER) – 33 points, five rebounds, four assists
Matt Hurt (SEM) – 27 points, 10 rebounds

Cairns Taipans (69) def. by New Zealand Breakers (77)

In a scrappy contest, the Breakers did enough to walk away with an eight-point win over the Taipans at Cairns Convention Centre on Saturday evening. The Taipans trailed for most of the match, before Rob Edwards erupted on the offensive end to help Cairns hit the front in the fourth quarter. However, the import fouled out after an offensive foul, allowing the Breakers to take back control of the match and secure the road win.

For New Zealand, Matt Mooney led the way with 15 points, two rebounds, three assists and three steals in a solid showing. Edwards finished the match with 33 points and five rebounds on 13/23 shooting from the field in a near match-winning performance from the import guard.

Top performers:
Matt Mooney (NZ) – 15 points, two rebounds, three assists, three steals
Rob Edwards (CNS) – 33 points, five rebounds, one assist

Illawarra Hawks (86) def. Sydney Kings (79)

The latest instalment of the Freeway Series between the two New South Wales-based sides saw the Hawks outlast the Kings to secure a seven-point win at WIN Entertainment Centre on Saturday night. Illawarra was in control for the first three quarters, but the Kings came home with a wet sail in the fourth quarter, making things interesting in the final minutes of the game. However, the Hawks did enough to hold on for an impressive triumph that could spark a return to their early-season form.

For the Hawks, Trey Kell III led from the front with another impressive outing, continuing a strong season from the import. He poured in 19 points (9/10 FT) to be the leading scorer for Illawarra, along with four rebounds and five assists. For the Kings, point guard Jaylen Adams was the most impactful, posting a game-high 23 points, three rebounds and six assists.

Top performers:
Trey Kell III (ILL) – 19 points, four rebounds, five assists
Jaylen Adams (SYD) – 23 points, three rebounds, six assists

Melbourne United (113) def. Adelaide 36ers (93)

Although the final quarter of the game was filled with drama and controversy, the end result remains the same, with United claiming an emphatic 20-point win over the Sixers at John Cain Arena on Sunday afternoon. Tempers flared to start the fourth quarter, with Montrezl Harrell and Shea Ili ejected after exchanging shoves following a foul. Things escalated when Harrell and his Sixers teammates became involved in an altercation with a fan courtside. It all resulted in a hefty delay to play, but United still finished strong to claim an impressive win on their home deck.

Emerging Melbourne guard Flynn Cameron was excellent again for United in the win, coming off the bench to impact in a big way. He knocked down seven triples and finished with 21 points in 23 minutes of court time. Sixers import Kendric Davis was huge for Adelaide in a tough loss, stuffing the stat sheet with 30 points (17/18 FT), six rebounds and 11 assists.

Top performers:
Flynn Cameron (MEL) – 21 points, one rebound, one assists
Kendric Davis (ADL) – 30 points, six rebounds, 11 assists

Brisbane Bullets (105) def. Perth Wildcats (84)

The James Batemon game. Led by a record-breaking performance from one of their imports, the Bullets claimed a thumping 21-point win over the Wildcats in the final game of the round at Nissan Arena on Sunday afternoon. Batemon erupted on the offensive end to help Brisbane post one of its highest-scoring totals of the 2024/25 season, which proved to be too much for the visiting Wildcats to handle.

Batemon posted the highest score of the 40-minute NBL era with a whopping 51 points against the Wildcats, stunning the competition. He shot 19/28 from the field and 9/15 from behind the arc, notching up the 50-mark with an and-one in the final seconds of the game. It was a historic scoring showing and one that will be remembered in the coming decades.

Top performers:
James Batemon (BRI) – 51 points, four rebounds, three assists
Keanu Pinder (PER) – 27 points, two rebounds