THE THIRD round of the National Basketball League (NBL) changed the state of play in a big way, with some upsets seeing the ladder become even closer after another exciting batch of games.

There were seven games that took place from Thursday to Sunday, and the race for the title continues to be an extremely close affair with most clubs producing strong performances over the first 21 days of the 2024/25 season.

As is the case every week, Rookie Me Central will be providing a game-by-game rundown of the weekend’s action and how it has affected the race for the finals.

NBL – Round 3

Adelaide 36ers (93) def. SEM Phoenix (83)

The Sixers have secured their first win of the NBL season after defeating the Phoenix by 10 points at Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Thursday night. Adelaide led by as much as 20 points in the first half, and finally got the reward for effort after some tight losses over the first fortnight of play and are finally on the board.

After a slow start to the season, big man Isaac Humphries found some form in a vital game for Adelaide’s season, posting 22 points and six rebounds in his best performance of the fixture, while Dejan Vasiljevic matched that output on the offensive end with 22 of his own. For the Phoenix, Matt Hurt was a one-man army with 32 points.

Adelaide 36ers | 25 | 27 | 19 | 22 | 93
SEM Phoenix | 16 | 19 | 23 | 25 | 83

Top performers:
Isaac Humphries (ADL) – 22 points, six rebounds
Matt Hurt (SEM) – 32 points, six rebounds

Cairns Taipans (90) def. Tasmania JackJumpers (78)

The Taipans delivered the first of two statement wins for the round on Friday night, handing the reigning champions a 12-point loss at Cairns Convention Centre in an impressive result. In a game that had multiple swings of momentum, the Taipans did enough to hold off the JackJumpers and record a second consecutive win.

In his first game of the season, Taran Armstrong showed his value to Cairns with a masterful performance, posting a game-high 20 points along with four rebounds and five assists, and had some massive moments when the game was in the balance. Milton Doyle was Tasmania’s best with 19 points of his own.

Cairns Taipans | 27 | 26 | 18 | 19 | 90
Tasmania JackJumpers | 21 | 16 | 24 | 17 | 78

Top performers:
Matthew Dellavedova (MEL) – 18 points, 10 assists
Chris Goulding (MEL) – 19 points

Perth Wildcats (68) def. by Melbourne United (97)

Friday’s action concluded with an emphatic 29-point thumping from United in a huge result from Melbourne against the Wildcats at RAC Arena. Despite Perth playing its third week in a row at home, United was simply too good in one of their best wins in recent memory to show they are well and truly in the hunt for the title.

Import guard Ian Clark was a weapon on the scoring front with 25 points, the most of any player on the floor, while reigning NBL Best Defensive Player Shea Ili almost recorded a triple-double with 16 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in a stat-stuffing performance.

Perth Wildcats | 22 | 19 | 13 | 14 | 68
Melbourne United | 31 | 33 | 19 | 14 | 97

Top performers:
Ian Clark (MEL) – 25 points
Shea Ili (MEL) – 16 points, nine rebounds, nine assists

Illawarra Hawks (100) def. by Adelaide 36ers (102)

In one of the games of the season, the Sixers made it two from two in Round 3 after handing the Hawks their first loss of the fixture to the tune of two points at WIN Entertainment Centre on Saturday evening. It was a game that saw big shot after big shot down the stretch, it was the visitors that had the answers in the dying stages to hold on for a tremendous win.

Import guard Kendric Davis was the star of the show for the Sixers, posting 32 points (5/9 3PT) along with four assists to completely announce his arrival in the NBL after showing glimpses in the first two rounds. Fellow import Montrezl Harrell was also excellent with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Hawk Trey Kell III continued his strong patch of form with 29 points.

Illawarra Hawks | 32 | 22 | 27 | 19 | 100
Adelaide 36ers | 27 | 25 | 29 | 21 | 102

Top performers:
Kendric Davis (ADL) – 32 points, four assists
Trey Kell III (ILL) – 29 points, four assists

Brisbane Bullets (82) def. by Sydney Kings (91)

Sydney’s class came to the fore as it defeated the Brisbane Bullets by nine points at Nissan Arena in the final clash of Saturday night. The Kings were simply too good for the home side, always looking in control of the game and leading by as much as 29 points before the Bullets rallied late to make the margin much more respectable.

It was the Kings’ frontcourt that proved the most damaging aspect of the game, with former MVP Xavier Cooks leading the way with 23 points, seven rebounds and five assists in a huge showing that demonstrated his capability to take over a match. He combined well with Keli Leaupepe, who had 22 points of his own.

Brisbane Bullets | 17 | 10 | 28 | 27 | 82
Sydney Kings | 22 | 25 | 28 | 16 | 91

Top performers:
Xavier Cooks (SYD) – 23 points, seven rebounds, five assists
Keli Leaupepe – 22 points

Melbourne United (88) def. by Cairns Taipans (101)

The Taipans continued their hot run of form with a 13-point victory over Melbourne United at John Cain Arena on Sunday afternoon. Cairns looks truly at its best over the past two weeks, with head coach Adam Forde giving United no opportunity to get any sort of run going throughout the course of the match, and finishing the round with a record of 2-0.

Star import Rob Edwards continues to light the NBL world on fire with another emphatic showing on the scoring front, this time pouring in 23 points to show how high his ceiling really is if not given enough defensive attention. His run of form has certainly helped the Taipans turn their season around, and he has a key role for the remainder of the season.

Melbourne United | 27 | 27 | 17 | 15 | 88
Cairns Taipans | 23 | 35 | 22 | 21 | 101

Top performers:
Rob Edwards (CNS) – 23 points
Jack White (MEL) – 15 points, 11 rebounds

Tasmania JackJumpers (84) def. Perth Wildcats (79)

In an overtime thriller, the JackJumpers have claimed an exciting win over the Wildcats at MyState Bank Arena in the final game of the round on Sunday. Tasmania trailed by as much as 14 points, before storming home and forcing overtime thanks to a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Milton Doyle, and it was the JackJumpers that reigned supreme in the extra period.

It was a balanced performance from the victors, with Doyle again leading the way with 20 points and four assists, including a clutch triple to tie the game after the buzzer had sounded. He had strong help from Majok Deng, who came off the bench and had 16 points and six rebounds, nailing a vital three-pointer of his own that sealed the game in overtime.

Tasmania JackJumpers | 9 | 21 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 84
Perth Wildcats | 23 | 13 | 17 | 18 | 8 | 79

Top performers:
Milton Doyle (TAS) – 20 points, four assists
Majok Deng (TAS) – 16 points, six rebounds, two assists