IT was another big round of NBL action with South-East Melbourne Phoenix notching up their third consecutive win while it went down to the wire in the grand final rematch with Perth Wildcats clenching the game in the dying seconds.

Sydney Kings (96) defeated New Zealand Breakers (91)

In the first match of the round the Sydney Kings asserted themselves on the competition with a hard-fought win. It was tense couple of minutes in the last quarter with the Breakers leaving nothing to chance and working hard to break the Kings winning streak. But Casper Ware stood strong increasing the lead and ultimately helping to secure the win for his side. Ware finished the game with 27 points and five assists while Brad Newley also proved vital in the Kings win posting 17 points. Big man Andrew Bogut showcased his strength and knowledge positioning well under the ring and gobbling up anything that came his way recording 15 rebounds for the match along with five assists. For the Breakers, Scotty Hopson was handy on the scoreboard drawing level with Ware, notching up 27 points while Corey Webster also showed his hot hands with 21 points.

DC Medal: 3 – Andrew Bogut (SK), 2 – Scotty Hopson (NZ), 1 – Casper Ware (SK)

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Perth Wildcats (76) defeated by Cairns Taipans (99)

The Taipans were not intimidated about playing the reigning premiers and entering the fortress of RAC Arena on Friday securing a 23-point win. Cairns came out with a real point to prove denying the Wildcats their usual ball movement and quite literally blocking their chances racking up five blocks. Perth struggled to make the most of their opportunities sitting at 32 percent for field goals compared to the Taipans 57 percent. Majok Deng was a game changer for the Taipans top scoring with 22 points while Cameron Oliver also accumulated 22 points and nine rebounds. Scott Machado also flexed his muscles for the Taipans in the convincing win with 18 points while Nathan Jawai racked up nine rebounds. Wildcats, Damian Martin played his part for the team with six assists and six rebounds while Nick Kay managed to throw his weight around and hit the scoreboard with 15 points.

DC Medal: 3 – Cameron Oliver (CT), 2 – Scott Machado (CT), 1 – Majok Deng (CT)

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Adelaide 36ers (104) defeated Brisbane Bullets (98)

Both sides got out to a fast start before the 36ers put on the afterburners in the second quarter piling on 30 points to Brisbane’s 18. They controlled the flow and tempo of the game making the Bullets work for every pass but Brisbane did not let up staying in the match. Eric Griffin was crucial for Adelaide plying his trade and posing a threat amassing 22 points for the game and six rebounds. Daniel Johnson was handy across the court piling on 16 points while also imposing himself off the board with seven rebounds and four assists. Jerome Randle proved to be crafty with ball in hand releasing clever passes with five assists while also finding the net with 13 points. The Bullets were not without contributors with the likes of Lamar Patterson leading the way with a team-high 21 points. Matthew Hodgson had a solid outing for Brisbane with 16 points, five rebounds and two assists while Nathan Sobey and Jason Cadee both contributed 13 points apiece.

DC Medal: 3 – Eric Griffin (AD), 2 – Daniel Johnson (AD), 1 – Lamar Patterson (BB)

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South East Melbourne Phoenix (106) defeated Illawarra Hawks (102)

It was a high intensity battle from the first buzzer with the Phoenix claiming the early ascendancy in front of their home crowd. The packed arena rode every second of the match with the game going down to the wire with Hawks, Tim Coenraad hitting a three-point shot to reduce the margin to four points, leaving their run all but a little too late. LaMelo Ball was influential once again with the youngster showcasing his talent with 11 points, seven rebounds and four assists. John Roberson proved too much to handle for the Hawks with the point guard running rampant across the court and backing himself from range scoring 26 points, four rebounds and 10 assists. Teammate, Mitch Creek was influential once again for the Phoenix notching up 23 points, six rebounds and five assists while Ben Madgen also posted a handy 14 points to get South-East Melbourne over the line and continue their unbeaten streak.

DC Medal: 3 – John Robertson (SEM), 2 – Mitch Creek (SEM), 1 – Dane Pineau (SEM)

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New Zealand Breakers (66) defeated by Sydney Kings (76)

The Sydney Kings kept their unbeaten record with a 10-point win over the Breakers. It was a see-sawing affair with the Kings getting out to an early lead before the Breakers pegged it back with a 24 to 15 second quarter to head into the main break with a five point lead. But that did not seem to faze the Kings who pulled out all the stops in the last term keeping the Breakers to just eight points compared to their 19. New recruit, Ware did not look out of place hitting the scoreboard with ease and notching up a game-high 17 points. Bogut put on a masterclass off the backboard once again with a whopping 16 rebounds- double of the next closest, opposition player Robert Loe with eight. Jae’Sean Tate did not muck around posting 15 points while Bogut also managed 13 points to cap off his impressive afternoon. Webster was influential for the Breakers scoring 14 points for the game along with three assists while teammate, Hopson found the basket with 13 points but unfortunately their efforts were not enough to quell the Sydney Kings momentum.

DC Medal: 3 – Andrew Bogut (SK), 2 – Jae’Sean Tate (SK), 1 – Scotty Hopson (NZ)

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Melbourne United (93) defeated by Perth Wildcats (95)

Cometh the moment cometh the man with Bryce Cotton sinking the sealer in the last seconds of the game to snatch victory from Melbourne United. It was an intense battle with both sides fighting hard and the lead changing hands continuously throughout the game credit to the intensity of the game. After only just touching down from their games in America, United well and truly put their best foot forward and were composed with ball in hand, making the most of their opportunities. Once again Chris Goulding led from the front pulling off an unthinkable pass and flexing his skill on the court with 17 points for the game. He was ably assisted by Melo Trimble who has not skipped a beat since swapping to United posting a team-high 21 points while Shawn Long also made his presence felt with 19 points and 12 rebounds. For the Wildcats, Cotton stood tall once again with 27 points, five rebounds and two assists with the most timely shot with 11 seconds left of the game. other key players such as Terrico White (19 points) and Kay (15 points) also played a major role causing havoc on the scoreboard.

DC Medal: 3 – Bryce Cotton (PW), 2 – Shawn Long (MU), 1 – Nick Kay (PW)

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Illawarra Hawks (92) defeated by Adelaide 36ers (98)

It must have been a sense of déjà vu for these sides, with both teams finishing the game in almost identical circumstances to their earlier games over the weekend. Adelaide got up in a thriller, while the Hawks went down in an equally heart-breaking loss in a result that saw Adelaide move to just nine points differential behind Brisbane with a game in hand, while the Hawks remain in seventh, only ahead of the winless Melbourne United and New Zealand. In the match, it was Johnson who lit up the court with 21 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and one block for the 36ers, while Randle (15 points, two rebounds, three assists and one steal) and Ramone Moore (16 points, four rebounds and four assists) were also productive scorers. Anthony Drmic had nine rebounds to go with his six points to be an influence off the boards, as was Eric Griffin with seven and eight. For the Hawks, Aaron Brooks played his best game of the season, pouring on 31 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals for the Hawks, while Ball was again prominent all over the court with 15 points, six rebounds and eight assists. Sam Froling (12 points, five rebounds and three assists) was the other prominent scorer for the losers.

DC Medal: 3 – Aaron Brooks (IH), 2 – LaMelo Ball (IH), 1 – Daniel Johnson (AD)

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DC Medal Leaderboard:

8 – Mitch Creek (SEP)
7 – Jae’sean Tate (SK), Bryce Cotton (PW)
6 – Andrew Bogut (SK)
5 – John Robertson (SEM), Lamar Patterson (BB), Scott Machado (CT), Aaron Brooks (IL)
4 – LaMelo Ball (IH), Nick Kay (PW), Shawn Long (MU), Daniel Johnson (AD)
3 – Melo Trimble (MU), Nathan Sobey (BB), Brad Newley (SK), AJ Ogilvy (IL), Casper Ware (SK), Scotty Hopson (NZ), Cameron Oliver (CT), Eric Griffin (AD)
2 – Matt Hodgson (BB), Dario Hunt (PW)
1 – Terrico White (PW), D.J. Newbill (IL), Majok Deng (CT), Dane Pineau (SEM)