THE National Basketball League (NBL) Blitz continued on Tuesday night, with the Brisbane Bullets and Perth Wildcats both snagging wins in their respective outings on the Gold Coast.

The Blitz has seen some surprising results so far, and paints a picture of the 2024/25 season to come by showing how the sides have changed over the off-season.

With the season set to begin in just eight days, these preseason clashes are the final look at all 10 teams, and have built even more excitement surrounding next week’s opener.

NBL Blitz – Tuesday, September 10

Brisbane Bullets (111) def. Melbourne United (104)

The Bullets continued their marvellous preseason form to kick off the action on Tuesday, defeating United by seven points in a high-scoring clash at Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre.

It was an excellent first half from Brisbane, jumping out to an early lead and showcasing how potent this team can be offensively in the upcoming season. The Bullets posted 60 first-half points to lead by 11 at the main break, and did enough in the final two quarters to hold off Melbourne and keep their tremendous form going.

In the absence of Next Star Rocco Zikarsky, it was starting big man Tyrell Harrison that was the standout, as he continues to build towards a big season for the Bullets. He had already produced eye-catching preseason performances, and kept that trend going with a massive double-double against United.

He produced 21 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two blocks on 7/12 shooting from the field and 7/10 shooting from the free throw line, and looks destined to take the next step and join the elite big men of the competition.

Also continuing a strong build-up to the season was Deng Adel, who looms as a central figure for the Bullets, and had another 19 points in the win, while Casey Prather posted 17 points in 21 minutes and his building back to his best.

For United, Ian Clark continues to justify his standing in the starting lineup, and posted a game-high 23 points, while Jack White delivered a double-double of his own with 17 points (7/10 FG) and 13 rebounds, indicating that he too will be a big performer this season.

Illawarra Hawks (93) def. by Perth Wildcats (98)

The action rolled on at Gold Coast Sport and Leisure Centre later in the night, with the Wildcats emerging five-point winners in their clash against the Hawks, highlighted by a standout performance from Ben Henshall.

The Wildcats set the tone early, posting 30 points in the opening term to lead by 14 at the first change, fully in control of the match. However, the Hawks returned serve in the second period to cut the deficit to six at half time to bring themselves back into the contest.

Proceedings were much tighter in the second half, and neither side experienced the same level of momentum they experienced in the first half. Ultimately, time ran out for Illawarra as Perth claimed a five-point victory despite missing some key pieces.

Henshall was elevated to the starting lineup and made the most of the opportunity, delivering 18 points (4/8 3PT) and 10 rebounds in a breakout showing from the exciting youngster. If he can continue to make every post a winner when on the court, it is a big addition for Perth.

Sharpshooter Elijah Pepper was also impressive, delivering 17 points on 7/14 shooting from the field in just 20 minutes of court time, while Bryce Cotton was quiet by his lofty standards, but still did his thing to finish with 13 points in 20 minutes.

For the Hawks, Tyler Harvey led the way with a team-high 16 points, while Sam Froling was not far behind with 15 points (7/8 FG), four rebounds and four assists in a solid display from the big man, with Illawarra hoping he elevates his game even further this season.