THE CLOSE nature of the 2024/25 National Basketball League (NBL) season continued over the weekend, with Round 4 giving the ladder another shakeup as it remains to be anyone’s championship in the early stages of the fixture.

There were six games that took place from Thursday to Sunday, and sticking to the unpredictable nature of the season thus far, a lot of underdogs emerged winners and with just two wins separating second and seventh, all it takes is one weekend to shuffle around who is in contention.

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 4

Cairns Taipans (87) def. by Perth Wildcats (90)

The Wildcats kicked off the round by breathing some life into their season with an important road win over the Taipans at Cairns Convention Centre on Thursday night. Perth had lost its previous three encounters and its campaign was on the line heading into a daunting away matchup, but it was a vintage performance from the team’s best player.

Four-time Most Valuable Player (MVP) Bryce Cotton was an absolute star for the Wildcats, justifying his status as the competition’s most important player. The superstar point guard posted 35 points and knocked down seven three-pointers in a blistering scoring performance that dragged his side over the line.

Cairns Taipans | 23 | 18 | 26 | 20 | 87
Perth Wildcats | 29 | 19 | 27 | 15 | 90

Top performers:
Bryce Cotton (PER) – 35 points, four rebounds, two assists
Rob Edwards (CNS) – 24 points, seven rebounds, one assist

Adelaide 36ers (89) def. Sydney Kings (79)

The Sixers ensured their dominant form continued with a statement victory over the Kings to the tune of 10 points in their first home game of the season. Adelaide rallied the crowd to deliver plenty of energy and the hosts were clinical when it mattered most, holding on down the stretch to claim a 10-point victory against the championship favourites.

Import big man Montrezl Harrell was electric for the Sixers in his best performance at NBL level to date, posting a massive double-double of 18 points and 14 rebounds including the game-sealing and-one dunk late in the piece. His performance will certainly give the Sixers plenty to think about considering he is on a short-term injury replacement deal as it stands.

Adelaide 36ers | 26 | 23 | 19 | 21 | 89
Sydney Kings | 22 | 15 | 25 | 17 | 79

Top performers:
Montrezl Harrell (ADL) – 18 points, 14 rebounds
Dejan Vasiljevic (ADL) – 26 points, seven rebounds, three assists

Illawarra Hawks (109) def. Tasmania JackJumpers (76)

The Hawks justified their spot in the top two of the standings with a thumping victory over the JackJumpers at WIN Entertainment Centre on Saturday evening. Illawarra has been one of the best teams in the competition so far this season, and bounced back from last week’s loss with a dominant win over the reigning champions.

Big man Sam Froling produced one of his most impactful games in a Hawks jersey, tormenting Tasmania’s defence and attacking the JackJumpers’ highly regarded interior defence. Froling scored a game-high 21 points and pulled down five boards in a tremendous showing that displayed what he is capable of if in form.

Illawarra Hawks | 32 | 25 | 27 | 25 | 109
Tasmania JackJumpers | 17 | 22 | 13 | 24 | 76

Top performers:
Sam Froling (ILL) – 21 points, five rebounds
William Hickey (ILL) – 15 points, eight rebounds, three assists

SEM Phoenix (85) def. by Brisbane Bullets (87)

The Bullets are finally on the board for season 2024/25, defeating the Phoenix by two points in a thriller at John Cain Arena on Saturday night. Both sides were searching for their first win of the fixture after slow starts, and it was Brisbane that held on to snag an important result, while South East Melbourne cemented the bottom spot in the standings.

Big man Tyrell Harrison threatened to post a breakout campaign throughout the preseason and finally delivered on that form with a dominant display against the Phoenix. Harrison stuffed the stat sheet with 21 points and 17 rebounds in an emphatic showing that ultimately decided the game.

SEM Phoenix | 23 | 26 | 17 |19 | 85
Brisbane Bullets | 18 | 27 | 23 | 19 | 87

Top performers:
Tyrell Harrison (BRI) – 21 points, 17 rebounds
James Batemon (BRI) – 20 points

Sydney Kings (99) def. Cairns Taipans (73)

The Kings bounced back from Friday night’s loss with a tremendous win over the Taipans at home at Qudos Bank Arena on Sunday afternoon. Sydney faced two of the form sides of the competition in Round 4, and ended up breaking even after proving too good for Cairns to produce an outstanding response and get themselves back on track.

Star big man Xavier Cooks was exceptional for the Kings, posting 18 points, 10 rebounds and four assists as he continues to be one of the most influential players in the competition. His ability to score, rebound and pass is terrific, and he is consistently giving the opposition a headache with his impact on games.

Sydney Kings | 28 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 99
Cairns Taipans | 18 | 21 | 18 | 16 | 73

Top performers:
Xavier Cooks (SYD) – 18 points, 10 rebounds, four assists
Shaun Bruce (SYD) – 21 points, four assists

Melbourne United (106) def. Adelaide 36ers (79)

United may have been made to wait until the last game of the round for some action, but they made it count, defeating the red-hot Sixers by 27 points at John Cain Arena on Sunday afternoon. Adelaide was just about the form team of the competition coming in, but were blitzed by a Melbourne side that was firing on both ends of the floor en route to a big win.

Import guard Ian Clark was the leading scorer for Melbourne with 18 points, showing just how balanced this team is. With at least four players scoring double-digits in most matches, United are a tough team to match up against given their depth, and it certainly helped them here.

Melbourne United | 24 | 34 | 21 | 27 | 106
Adelaide 36ers | 29 | 23 | 8 | 19 | 79

Top performers:
Ian Clark (MEL) – 18 points, three assists
Jack White (MEL) – 15 points, seven rebounds