ROUND 11 is close to wrapping up, with 14 consecutive days of NBL seeing it conclude on Tuesday night.

Although the round is still going, there has been no shortage of big performances over the span of the weekend, particularly on Sunday where one contest had the best duel of the 2022/23 season.

As is the case every week, Rookie Me Central will be highlighting the three strongest individual outings, with plenty making quite the impact in their respective outings.

Mitch Creek – SEM Phoenix

In the game of the season, Creek and the Phoenix snuck past the Kings in a double-overtime thriller in Gippsland. It was an extremely high-scoring affair and leading the way was the Phoenix’s most reliable offensive weapon, with the veteran forward exploding for a career-high 45 points on 15/27 shooting from the field.

He hit what appeared to be the match-winning three pointer towards the end of the first overtime period, before the next man on our list answered with a triple of his own. Whenever his side needed a bucket, it was Creek that stood up time and time again, and also pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds in a truly game-altering performance in an all-time classic.

Derrick Walton Jr – Sydney Kings

Speaking of game-altering performances, the Kings’ star import fired in the very same game as Creek, and was the second half of the most entertaining duel of the last few years. Walton Jr. had shown the capability to score the rock at a high clip earlier in the season after a 32-point debut, and after a quiet period scoring the ball, there were rumblings the guard was back after some solid showings.

Those expectations were thoroughly exceeded in Gippsland when he produced his best numbers in the NBL, and joining Creek in the 40-point club. He racked up a team-high 45 points with 14 of his 27 shots finding the bottom of the net. Walton Jr. had a strong balance of inside and outside scoring, registering five triples for the match while going an accurate 12/13 from the free throw line. While he shot the ball a bit more than recent weeks, it did not take away from his playmaking, still dishing out 10 assists over the course of the extended match in a towering performance.

Keanu Pinder – Cairns Taipans

Prior to Sunday’s blockbuster match, Pinder was able to set a season-high NBL points total as his side took down the JackJumpers behind his dominance inside. The big man has been touted as a strong MVP candidate and furthered those claims on Saturday night when he posted 34 points on 11/17 shooting.

Often an inside threat, Pinder was so confident in his form on the night that he even chimed in behind the arc, with both of his three-point attempts finding the bottom of the net. Tasmania’s interior defence had been exposed in the past, but had improved in recent weeks with the injection of Will Magnay. However, Pinder had his way at MyState Bank Arena, thriving as the team’s primary avenue to scoring.