WITH the season flying by at a rapid pace, Round 6 of the 2023/24 National Basketball League (NBL) season wrapped last night, with eight games taking place over five days.

The standings were given a shake in the fifth round of play, and things changed once again as the ladder saw plenty of movement. Some sides made the most of their chances and made a positive move, while others will be left to rue missed opportunities and are left in less-than-ideal position. However, the gap between contenders and hopefuls got even smaller and there will be even more changes in the coming weeks.

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 (108) def. SEM Phoenix (92)

The Bullets made the most of their home court advantage, handing the Phoenix a 16-point loss at Nissan Arena on Thursday night. A 33-19 second quarter proved to be the difference, giving Brisbane a serious buffer heading into the second half. Although South East Melbourne delivered a valiant fightback in the third and fourth quarters, it was not enough as the Bullets continued to rise up the standings.

Having made a name for himself in Brisbane’s frontcourt in the past few weeks, rising youngster Josh Bannan was tremendous in his side’s win with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Crafty guard Gary Browne was the catalyst for the Phoenix’s second half surge and finished the match with 25 points.

New Zealand Breakers (91) def. Cairns Taipans (81)

The Breakers secured a much-needed win over the Taipans at Spark Arena to breathe some life into their season. After a tight affair for the first two quarters, New Zealand broke away in the third, going on a match-winning run and holding on in the last quarter. After falling out of form of late, the Breakers needed this result to stay within striking distance of a top-six spot in the coming weeks.

Having only joined the team recently as an injury replacement player, Anthony Lamb starred for the victors, producing a team-high 19 points and breaking the game open with three triples in the game-defining third quarter. For the Taipans, Lat Mayen was strong with 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

Illawarra Hawks (83) def. by Sydney Kings (103)

In the latest installment of the Freeway Series, it was the Kings that proved too good for the Hawks, and claimed a 20-point win. The reigning champions got control of the match in the second and third quarters, and gave themselves a significant lead on the scoreboard heading into the last, which proved too much for the Hawks at WIN Entertainment Centre on Friday night.

There were plenty of contributors for Sydney, with four of the five starters producing double-digits in the points column. Naturally, it was Jaylen Adams leading the way with 16 points and seven assists, but he had plenty of help. Illawarra import Gary Clark continued to be a shining light for his side with a valiant offensive performance en route to 23 points.

Tasmania JackJumpers (87) def. Brisbane Bullets (85)

After going 0-2 last weekend, the JackJumpers bounced back and inflicted some revenge on the Bullets with a two-point win at MyState Bank Arena on Saturday. The difference in the match proved to be Tasmania’s accuracy from behind the arc, with the JackJumpers going 13/35 from behind the arc, while the Bullets made just two triples on 13 attempts. This allowed Tasmania to break away in the third quarter and hold off a Brisbane comeback in the last term.

Star guard Milton Doyle was back to his best after a down period with 25 points, standing up for the home side with some big plays down the stretch. For the Bullets, big man Tyrell Harrison showed why he is deserving of the starting spot with 20 points and eight rebounds.

Perth Wildcats (99) def. Adelaide 36ers (88)

The Wildcats got themselves back on the winners’ list with a much-needed victory over the 36ers at RAC Arena on Saturday night. Perth got on top in the second quarter with some of the best offence it has produced all season, and slammed the door shut with a 26-20 final term to claim its third win of the season.

The Wildcats needed their big guns to lead from the front and Bryce Cotton did exactly that with 29 points and four assists as he got back to his best when his team required it most. For the 36ers, Trey Kell III was a constant offensive presence with 25 points, five boards and six assists.

SEM Phoenix (91) def. Cairns Taipans (78)

The Phoenix remained in the top three of the standings with a bounce back win over the Taipans at John Cain Arena on Sunday afternoon. South East Melbourne slowly edged ahead over the course of the match, and eventually got the job done to record their sixth win of the season. One of the biggest factors in the match was the Phoenix’s dominance on the offensive glass, producing 16-4 in this category and generating an important win in second chance points.

Star forward Mitch Creek was at his best with 21 points and 11 rebounds, while big man Alan Williams was just as impressive with 18 points and 15 rebounds of his own, as the duo proved too much for the opposition. For the Taipans, it was a reasonably balanced team performance, with five players posting 10+ points.

Sydney Kings (87) def. New Zealand Breakers (85)

In a match that went down to the wire, the Kings proved their status as contenders once again with a thrilling two-point win over the Breakers at Qudos Bank Arena on Sunday afternoon. In a match that could have gone either way, a Shaun Bruce triple late in the match was the difference, giving the Kings the match-winning lead as the reigning champions held on in dramatic fashion.

Off-season recruit DJ Hogg was an immense presence in Sydney’s win, doing it all to finish with a statline of 18 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two blocks, having fully settled into the Kings’ starting lineup. Although New Zealand fell short, it was Lamb’s second big performance of the weekend, as the former Golden State Warrior delivered 29 points and seven rebounds off the bench.

Melbourne United (95) def. by Perth Wildcats (102)

In one of the games of the season, the Wildcats continued their apparent resurgence with a road win over the ladder-leaders that may prove massive in the context of their season. Perth headed to John Cain Arena as massive underdogs, given Melbourne was on a six-game winning streak. In a game that had it all, proceedings went to overtime, where Perth got the upper hand and snagged a seven-point win to move into sixth spot in the standings.

Superstar guard Cotton emphatically cemented his return to the big stage, with the three-time MVP leading Perth from the front with 24 points, six rebounds and three assists. For United, star duo Jo Lual Acuil (25 points, 10 rebounds) and Matthew Dellavedova (23 points, four rebounds, six assists) were massive all game.

Ladder

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