ROUND 15 of the National Basketball League (NBL)’s 2023/24 season was another unpredictable batch of games, and one of the best weekends of the fixture.

With just six rounds to play, each game is as important as ever, and the race for a spot in the finals is one of the closest in recent memory. Each side has shown the capability to defeat any other side on their day, making it extremely tough to predict who would win each match.

Spanning from Wednesday to Sunday, there were eight games that took place, each one having a memorable moment or surprising storyline, as the conclusion of the season continues to approach at a rapid pace.

With that in mind, Rookie Me Central will continue its As It Stands series, unpacking all the action from the round and what it means moving forward.

As It Stands

Brisbane Bullets (80) def. Tasmania JackJumpers (77)

Round 15 started with an upset, as the Bullets defended Nissan Arena in style, downing the JackJumpers by three points in a thrilling affair. In a grind of a match, the home side slowly, but surely edged ahead in the second and third quarters, but the JackJumpers tied things up late in the match. However, forward Chris Smith hit a go-ahead three-pointer with just seconds left on the clock to give the Bullets an important win.

Smith was also the game’s leading scorer, finishing with 19 points and three rebounds in a match-winning performance. For the JackJumpers, Milton Doyle came alive late and ended the game with 19 points, four rebounds and three assists.

Adelaide 36ers (95) def. Sydney Kings (82)

It was another shock result for Round 15, with the bottom-placed 36ers stunning the reigning champions by 13 points at Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Thursday night. The hosts were suffocating on the defensive end, as Sydney’s offensive woes continued with just 27 points registered in the first half. The Kings could not come back from this in the second half, and slid to fourth with another loss.

Import Trey Kell III produced one of his best performances of the season, posting 27 points, seven rebounds and five assists on 6/13 shooting from the field, while Dejan Vasiljevic had 12 points and eight assists against his former side in one of Adelaide’s strongest outings as a side.

New Zealand Breakers (81) def. by Melbourne United (82)

The first thrilling game of Friday night saw the ladder leaders hold on for a one-point win against the Breakers at TSB Stadium. After New Zealand broke out of the blocks early, United brought things back as the game wore on, and held a one-point lead in the final stages of the match. The Breakers had the chance to take the win to close out the match, but Zylan Cheatham attempted to call a timeout during live play, which gave possession back to Melbourne and sealed the game.

Melbourne skipper Chris Goulding was at his best with 24 points in the win, showing his offensive prowess and knocking down some big shots. Guard Matthew Dellavedova registered a double-double of 14 points and 10 assists continuing his strong form as a playmaker.

Tasmania JackJumpers (107) def. Illawarra Hawks (108)

In one of the games of the season, the Hawks emerged one-point winners in a thrilling contest against the JackJumpers at MyState Bank Arena on Friday night. It looked like the visitors had things sewn up with just a few minutes left of regulation, before Tasmania stormed home with four triples in a row to force overtime. Although missed free throws made things interesting, the Hawks held on in double overtime for a win for the ages.

Although he fouled out, import Gary Clark recorded a big double-double of 25 points, 15 rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block, as he continues to play a big role in Illawarra’s resurgence of late, while Tyler Harvey knocked down some clutch free throws en route to 23 points for the match. For Tasmania, Jordan Crawford had 24 points and four assists, stepping up when many of his teammates fouled out of the match.

Cairns Taipans (111) def. Adelaide 36ers (101)

The Taipans ended Adelaide’s impressive winning streak by defending Cairns Convention Centre in style with a 10-point win on Saturday evening. It was a nail-biting affair that ended up going to overtime after the two sides could not be separated after four quarters. However, Cairns ended up rallying behind the home crowd to outscore the visitors 17-7 in the extra period.

Cairns’ backcourt was as damaging as ever in the win over the 36ers, as the team’s star imports got the job done. Tahjere McCall stuffed the stat sheet with 30 points (10/19 FG), eight rebounds, nine assists, two steals and a block, while his partner in crime in Patrick Miller had 25 points, three rebounds and eight assists. For the 36ers, Isaac Humphries was immense in the low block and finished with 28 points, 11 rebounds, two steals and a block.

Perth Wildcats (100) def. SEM Phoenix (79)

The Wildcats maintained second spot in the standings with a dominant performance over the Phoenix at RAC Arena to close out Saturday’s action. Perth has pulled off one of the more impressive in-season turnarounds of the season, and showed just how well the team is performing with an offensive masterclass against a struggling South East Melbourne side.

Try as they may, the Phoenix could not stop the scoring power of MVP favourite Bryce Cotton, who was in his bag on Saturday night. He had 26 points in the first half alone, and finished the match with 34 points on 11/22 shooting from the field. Cotton was bested on the scoring front by Phoenix star Mitch Creek, who had 36 points of his own on 12/20 shooting.

Brisbane Bullets (110) def. Illawarra Hawks (103)

Sunday’s action kicked off with a high-scoring cracker between two in-form sides, with the Bullets emerging victorious to the tune of seven points at Nissan Arena. Brisbane claimed its fourth win in a row for the first time in four years, enjoying the return of some key figures to put Illawarra’s winning streak to an end.

In his return to the team following an injury, Nathan Sobey was immense with 25 points and five rebounds, showing he has not missed a beat, while Smith had 19 points in just 21 minutes of court time. Harvey delivered another strong outing on the scoring front with 29 points, three rebounds and two assists.

Sydney Kings (105) def. New Zealand Breakers (76)

The Kings bounced back in style in the final game of the round on Sunday afternoon, blasting the Breakers to the tune of 29 points at Qudos Bank Arena. Sydney stormed out of the gates with an emphatic opening term, outscoring the visitors 34-19 in the first period, which set the tone for the rest of the match, a one-sided affair.

Former MVP Jaylen Adams had 39 points in 26 minutes in an offensive explosion, making his first five three-pointers as Sydney lit up the opposition from behind the arc in the first half. Teammate Denzel Valentine was also impressive with 23 points and five assists.

Ladder

1. Melbourne United (16-5)
2. Perth Wildcats (13-7)
3. Tasmania JackJumpers (11-11)
4. Sydney Kings (11-11)
5. Brisbane Bullets (11-11)
6. Illawarra Hawks (9-10)
7. Cairns Taipans (10-12)
8. SEM Phoenix (9-12)
9. New Zealand Breakers (8-12)
10. Adelaide 36ers (7-14)