HEADING towards the conclusion of his final season as a Next Star in the National Basketball League (NBL), Malique Lewis was one of the standouts as the SEM Phoenix defeated the New Zealand Breakers last Thursday.

The Phoenix are well-placed heading into their upcoming finals campaign, having established a strong identity on both ends of the floor under head coach Josh King. They were coming up against a Breakers side looking to keep their season alive in a tight battle for sixth spot, so New Zealand would still present a strong challenge.

Although the home side got off to a strong start at Eventfinda Stadium on Thursday night, South East Melbourne offence started rolling in the final three quarters, pushing the tempo and snatching control of the contest on the road. In the end, the Phoenix got the job done by 31 points to show why they are one of the biggest championship contenders.

Although there were plenty of contributors for the Phoenix in the win, Lewis was one of the best performers on the road, producing one of his most productive and balanced outings since joining the NBL.

New Zealand Breakers (83) def. by South East Melbourne Phoenix (114)

Malique Lewis – 13 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, two steals, two blocks

Lewis was everywhere for the Phoenix on Thursday night, reflecting how balanced his team’s dominance was on the night and demonstrating how many facets of his game he has improved since joining the NBL at the start of last season.

The young gun played to his strengths with ball in hand, not looking to force shots from behind the arc and instead looking to drive to the basket. With a solid frame and impressive touch around the basket, he had four makes for the game and also drew plenty of contact, nailing all five of his attempts from the charity stripe to finish with 13 points off the bench.

On the glass, the Phoenix outsized the Breakers with the loss of big man Sam Mennenga, and it allowed the visitors to feast on the rebounding count, with Lewis at the forefront. He pulled down 10 boards for the match to record a double-double, with three of those coming on the offensive end and resulting in second chance scoring opportunities.

Although not a noted playmaker, Lewis distributed the ball nicely against New Zealand, and drove it inside and dished out once the defence collapsed to open up nice looks for his teammates. He finished with six assists, three more than the next best for South East Melbourne to show that he could potentially play point guard minutes in the future if needed.

Defensively he was no slouch either, maintaining active hands, rotating nicely to cover the weak side and helping trap the opposition when they headed towards the sideline. Lewis’ efforts were rewarded with a pair of steals and a pair of blocks to showcase his athletic traits as well as his timing on the defensive side of the ball.

In one of his best two-way performances in the NBL, Lewis was the standout for his ability to contribute in multiple ways as the Phoenix defeated the Breakers, and showed that he may have a significant role to play in the coming weeks as finals approach.