ROUND 1 of the 2024\/25 National Basketball League (NBL) season delivered plenty of excitement as HoopsFest was launched in Perth over the weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All five clashes took place in Western Australia’s capital from Thursday to Sunday, as the nation’s premier men’s basketball competition descended on Perth to open the 2024\/25 season, as well as delivering some WNBL preseason action and the Under-18 Club Championships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following Melbourne United’s opening night win over the Tasmania JackJumpers<\/a>, the action continued on Friday night, with the Perth Wildcats<\/a> taking down the SEM Phoenix<\/a> by eight points in front of their home crowd at RAC Arena. Big man Keanu Pinder<\/a> was back to his best, producing 29 points and six rebounds in a return to form from his Cairns Taipans<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite impressive preseason form, the Brisbane Bullets<\/a> found themselves on the end of an upset at the hands of the New Zealand Breakers<\/a>, with the latter claiming a four-point triumph on Saturday afternoon. Although the Bullets produced a massive comeback in the fourth term, the Breakers managed to hold on, largely thanks to the efforts of point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright<\/a>, who delivered 20 points and 11 assists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Coming into the season with high expectations, the Illawarra Hawks<\/a> got off to the perfect start with an emphatic 27-point win over the Cairns Taipans<\/a>. The Hawks were simply a class above the Taipans, and slammed the door shut with a 30-15 final quarter. Star import Darius Days <\/strong>was an excellent contributor in his regular season debut, posting 20 points and 12 rebounds in the win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The final game of the round was also the most anticipated, with the Sydney Kings<\/a> taking down the Adelaide 36ers<\/a> to close out HoopsFest. Both teams were expected to perform well this season, and delivered an even contest, that was ultimately decided in the fourth quarter, which the Kings won 32-19 en route to an eight-point win. Former NBL MVP Jaylen Adams<\/a> was at his best with 25 points, while new Sixer import Montrezl Harrell <\/strong>ignited the crowd in his debut with a double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds off the bench.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. Illawarra Hawks (1-0) <\/p>\n\n\n\nNBL Ladder after Round 1<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
2. Melbourne United<\/a> (1-0)
3. Sydney Kings (1-0)
4. Perth Wildcats (1-0)
5. New Zealand Breakers (1-0)
6. Brisbane Bullets (0-1)
7. SEM Phoenix (0-1)
8. Adelaide 36ers (0-1)
9. Tasmania JackJumpers<\/a> (0-1)
10. Cairns Taipans (0-1)<\/p>\n\n\n\n