ROUND 3 of the National Basketball League (NBL) took place over the weekend, and there was once again no shortage of excitement in this batch of games.

Although there was not quite the same amount of drama as the previous week, there was still plenty to unpack as there were a fair few surprising results and performances.

From Thursday to Sunday, there were seven games, and although the first two went as expected, there were still a number of intriguing outcomes over the span of four days.

With that in mind, Rookie Me Central will continue the As It Stands series, which takes a look at how each game went down across the round. Kicking things off was a one-sided match down at MyState Bank Arena.

As It Stands

Tasmania JackJumpers (103) def. Illawarra Hawks (73)

The JackJumpers continued their red-hot form with a blistering performance to start the round, defeating the Hawks to the tune of 30 points on the former’s home deck. Tasmania was never really challenged after the first change, cruising home to a hefty win in front of a sold-out crowd. Illawarra simply had no cohesion on either end, and looked a step behind the JackJumpers for almost the entire game.

There were a plethora of contributors for the winning side, with Milton Doyle leading the way with another 19-point performance. Also playing a key role was Jordan Crawford, with the import guard building nicely over the opening three weeks of the season. Gary Clark was Illawarra’s best with 16 points of his own.

Brisbane Bullets (102) def. by Sydney Kings (113)

Despite a valiant effort from the home side in the final quarter, Sydney proved too classy at Nissan Arena en route to an 11-point win to continue its hot start to the season. The Kings won the opening three quarters, always looking slightly ahead of a Brisbane side that was missing star big man Aron Baynes through suspension. Although the Bullets stormed home to remain a mathematical possibility, it was too little, too late as Sydney held on.

Star guard Jaylen Adams top-scored for the Kings with 26 points to go with three rebounds and three assists, producing his best offensive output of the season. Jonah Bolden also produced his best return since re-joining the NBL this season, delivering a double-double off the bench with 12 points and 12 rebounds. As has been the case for the opening three rounds, Nathan Sobey was Brisbane’s strongest performer with 26 points, resuming his excellent start to the fixture.

Perth Wildcats (81) def. by Melbourne United (88)

United claimed an impressive road win to close out Friday night’s action, handing the Wildcats a seven-point loss at RAC Arena. Melbourne managed to block out the vocal home crowd with a 22-17 opening term, which was the most one-sided period of the match. Perth drew within three points in the final minutes of the match, but some consistent work at the free throw line ensured the visitors escaped with a win.

It was a balanced team performance from the victors, with five players registering double-digits in the points column. Chris Goulding and Ian Clark equal top-scored with 18 points each, while Matthew Dellavedova was just as impressive with 11 points, six rebounds and six assists. Big man recruit Keanu Pinder produced his best performance in a Perth outfit with 25 points and seven rebounds, showing what he can do if let off the chain.

Adelaide 36ers (89) def. Illawarra Hawks (80)

After a slow start to the season, the 36ers are finally on the board in 2023/24, besting the Hawks to the tune of nine points at Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Saturday evening. It was a tense affair, with Illawarra hitting the front and remaining so until the start of the final term. From there, Adelaide fired from behind the arc to storm home and claim a nine-point win to get on the winners’ list.

The result would not have been possible if not for the performance of NBL Next Star Trentyn Flowers, who was match-winning for the 36ers. He scored 18 points in the first seven minutes of the final term, standing up when the game was up for grabs, and knocking down four three-pointers in that stretch to steer his side to victory.

SEM Phoenix (86) def. Tasmania JackJumpers (85)

The Phoenix pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the round, downing the in-form JackJumpers by one point at John Cain Arena on Saturday night. After Tasmania got off to a flying start in the opening term, the Phoenix took control of the match, hitting the front after a resurgent second term. Tasmania had the opportunity to send the game to overtime, but missed a free throw in the dying seconds as South East Melbourne held on by the slimmest of margins.

Gary Browne was far and away the best player for the winning side, producing 20 points, nine rebounds and four assists, all of which were team-high figures. The JackJumpers opted not to double-team the talented guard, and he made them pay as a result. Crawford was immense for Tasmania, delivering 27 points and six assists in his best showing of the year.

Melbourne United (89) def. Brisbane Bullets (78)

Melbourne did enough to hand the Bullets their second 11-point loss of the round, getting the job done at John Cain Arena on Sunday afternoon. United delivered their trademark suffocating defence and rallied behind some hot shooting in the first half to jump out to a commanding lead, which stood as high as 27 points. Brisbane once again delivered a strong final term, but the damage was already done, falling to 0-2 for the round.

Sharpshooter Chris Goulding was tremendous for United, proving the catalyst for the match-winning run in the first half. He broke the game open with his ability to knock down a shot from behind the arc, pouring in 15 points in the first half en route to 18 for the match. For Brisbane, Shannon Scott was the standout with 19 points.

Sydney Kings (99) def. Perth Wildcats (86)

The Sydney Kings have resumed their rise up the rankings with a 13-point win over the Wildcats to close out the action for Round 3. After the visitors stormed away to a 21-9 lead early, the Kings overcame a tough performance shooting the ball to control the remainder of the match. It means the reigning champions sit nicely with a record of four wins and one loss to start the season, beginning their quest for a third consecutive title in fine fashion.

One of the breakout stars to start the season, Jordan Hunter continued to thrive in the starting center position and came awfully close to a double-double in Sydney’s win. He posted numbers of 20 points and nine rebounds and has thrived since joining Sydney’s starting lineup. Despite a slower start to the season than usual, Wildcats star Bryce Cotton was his side’s best player with 20 points.

Ladder

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