Is Flynn trying to do too much? Had some great moves, that mutiple dribbles behind his back, crossing over and spinning to the basket was ..........wow. Martin was left standing on the spot. Yet he still didn't score because of the help defense.

I've enjoyed watching the Kings this season. Credit to Heal, he's got them playing with solidarity and purpose. I like their mongrel attitude.

Thought Ballinger and Flynn were gonna win it at first
Later Bruce got going.

Went from not being able to buy a bucket early on to dominating defensively, to nearly giving it up at the end...

HUGE credit to Heal for getting this undermanned (both from an overall quality-wise [I'm a huge fan and really dig the guys we've got, just being honest] and actual numerical perspective [they're still running with only 9 players]) team... He's got the guys working really hard on defence so when shots aren't dropping as they were in Q1, they can still not panic and do what they need to do to get back in the game... Not the first time that they've come back from double figures (or close to) to win in recent times, and it's great that the guys are buying into the system that sometimes sees them sitting down for longer than they would like, for the greater good of the team... Both Lazare and Henry sat for significant stretches tonight (at least it felt like that) as the local players on the court were making a difference, but when they came on, they were straight to business... With imports especially you sometimes get the feeling that when they've been sitting they want to come out and get theirs, and that doesn't seem to be the case with these guys...

Another great game from Madgen, but I think the turnaround was behind some great rebounding from Crossy... Old Dog found some big strength out numbered by other bigs and managed a great double double...

5-4 and leap frogging the Wildcats into the Top 4... Not saying that it will stay like that, but who would have thought that that would have been a possibility this season? Great effort...

Lobcity in LA, Flopcity in Sydney... Terrible 3rd qtr for the refs getting sucked in.

Think tigers would have taken it if the hot head scott didnt get thrown out.

Opt, what happened?

Aaron Bruce proving again while he is the new Shane Heal of the league that everyone hates, what a flopper, not good for the NBL.

2 intentional fouls = 4 shots + possession.
Looked like an intentional foul to me , even though Bruce made it look worse. Then Scott gave a clip to the ear and sent off.

That Bruce flop would make Rivaldo proud

If Madgen keeps this play up a euro contract would be at his doorstep

Bruce went down clutching around his nose and eyes as if he'd been clocked high and it was clear that the arm was on the shoulder and under the chin. Ok the foul was there but that was a bad look from Bruce.

Scott got suckered by Madgen. What beats me is one ref was looking right at the two of them when Madgen first gave the bump to Scott yet it was Scott who copped the brunt of the refs wrath so to speak for his clip behind the ear. Agreed it should have only been an unsportsman like foul, he didn't deserve to be ejected.

Well done to Melbourne for grinding their way back into it but Sydney had enough to hold them out. Flynn the best ever to play in Oz? He hasn't proved it yet, I'd still take Leroy or Mark Davis any day.

Scott should have been ejected and reported for his choke hold on Petrie. The guy is a petty thug and got his dues today. Flynn so far has been far from impressive. If a newbie watched the game and was asked which player was the #6 pick in the NBA I doubt they would pick him.

Goulding vs. Bruce:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJqaVcDUnxw

Scott vs. Madgen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsvmtjEFTo4

At first I thought it was a despicable flop by Bruce, but upon reviewing the replay I think it is possible that his own teammate Dann might've clipped Bruce on the face, in which case that reaction is reasonable.

Watching the first three quarters, the term 'hungo' refers to Johnny Flynn. On numerous shots, he could have passed it off to someone open but chose the hard shot. Reminiscent of Hodge (let me do the hard yards)

Its great to have a mercurial player, but its also pivotal to have a player who is a team player. And he aint

I agree with rjd, it looks like Dann may have caught him in the eye.

I didn't agree with the commentators' suggesting that Flynn flopped early on - he got quite a shove.

I reckon Dann misses Bruce by about 5cm and that's a flop.

Goulding lashed out a bit, but I hate these calls where the player gets the ball, is quite roughly surrounded (contact to body and arms preventing a pass or dribble exit) and the defense is rewarded despite such awkward play. E.g., Schenscher against four Wildcats that forced him out of bounds.

I reckon Dann got Bruce with a fingernail which cause the reaction

Re Scott you cant hit people in the head regardless of the cause, got suckered into reacting....again.

I agree with Isaac, clearly Dann did not touch Bruce. Once again Bruce acting as the classless weak person that he is. It should have been a no call or double unsportsmanlike foul for the acting job by Bruce.

In the Scott case the umpire was looking right at it and somehow decided not to give anything to Madgen.

It shows how amateurish our NBL umpires are when In both cases the umpires were looking at the play and didn't make the right call. Scott wont get suspended for it as the NBL will see how the umpire watching the play magically didn't see Madgen's push to start it and will just wash their hands of the incident. It is a shame as that was a good contest until the umpires showed how amateurish they are.

I think the game answered lotsa questions about both clubs. Kings disciplined under Heal & Tigers quite the opposite under Anstey. This Tigers outfit is talented & imagine if Goorgian was at the helm. But they will under achieve as he doesnt appear a great coach. Bad call happen & Sydney made the most of it. Flynn needs a stricter coach & doesn't look like he works hard at all. He's no superstar at all!!

People disagreeing on just about everything
even after watching it many times
iofbeholder
refs saw it once.

Dann did not hit Bruce in the eye. The angle at the 0:36 mark of the above video clearly shows at least a couple of inches of fresh air in between hand & face.

Dunkin Dan, take that same angle and watch it frame by frame. While in normal speed it looks like it misses, slowed down it looks like Dann's finger does in fact graze Bruce's eye.

i am with you Paul, if Bruce was going to flop it would have been when Goulding's elbow hit him. Reaction seems legit to me as it is consistent with the swing of Dann's hand past his face.

BTW when did GHOULding become GOLDing?

Does Dann get a fine for hitting his own team mate? 2nd offence you know.

Graham Dann needs the book thrown at him for his act of thuggery and Bruces eye shouldn't escape without penalty for retaliating.

It's funny that in slow-mo it doesn't actually look like Dann makes contact, but Bruce's reaction is quite immediate to Dann's downward motion... weird... I agree that the defence should get whistled for agressive pressure, and didn't Bruce get the foul called on him before Goulding continued on with the forearm? He should be able to try to move and if the D physically stops him, they should get the whistle, but what he did was an overreaction...

Any hate coming at Bruce for other than this action is really mental... I think that this season he's really pulled his head in, played tough and really stepped up his game...

As for calls that Madgen should have been ejected are just as stupid... Look at the video again... White was coming on to sub him out, he turns and bumps into Scott both to get a bit of niggle I would assume and to avoid White who had come into the huddle and was in his way... There was no overly aggressive shove that would have warranted an USF under any normal circumstances it's just that Scott was already having a huge whinge and reacted impulsively and did the wrong thing... He didn't have to have a swing, he was that close he could have given him a nice kiss on the cheek, or more reasonably a bit of shove back... he chose to take a swing, he got what was coming to him... he's lucky they didn't pull a "video review after the game" thing and cite him as Peach look like he was going a bit red under there! lol...

Clearly a flop from Bruce, come on guys he is reknown for it!
And it should have been a double foul on Madgen and Seth that's all.

Bruce grabs Goulding around the body (unnecessary) then Goulding tries to get him out of the way in an overly physical manner. Back of his hand barely touches Bruce's jowl. Bruce flops like a soccer player.

From the main angle, I can't see Dann's hand getting within 2-3" of Bruce's face.

Southern Wookie Nerf. Your Kings bias is bordering on a skit. You cannot be serious?

The two cheap shots on Scott did little to help his reputation. Scott was dumb to retaliate, but you can only take so much.

Yes play hard, but play fair.

Reputations are irrelevant, keep to the facts of the matter and the evidence.

Character and previous behaviour is at best circumstantial and best left for penalties once guilt has been established or empathically proven by the evidence.

Cinnibon, you're saying that Scott was an innocent bystander in the lead up to this incident? That it was only Madgen bullying and provoking him all 2 1/2 quarters? Come on now, even a one eyed Wildcats fan wouldn't be as dense as that! (no offense to the actual rational/nice Wildcats fans out there, Wildcats were randomly selected and any resemblance to any parties involved is purely coincidental, I'm sure).

"but you can only take so much" could be said for both parties, and as has been said elsewhere, the bump itself was barely anything, but since Scott had been spoiling for a fight already (he'd had to be dragged back to the Tigers huddle before the incident), he overreacted, plain and simple...

As for my Kings bias, I've already admitted that Bruce shouldn't have exaggerated the hit from Goulding, what else do you want? Madgen gave a little bump that you see throughout other games without any reaction from players (it's not just ME having that opinion, so that rules out my Kings bias) and Scott took a swing, it's there in every single replay and indisputable... He made contact with Madgen's head... The NBL is already on the record as saying that they're taking a hard line on that which we've already seen so far this season...

Just because I'm defending a player on my favourite team does not automatically rule out my opinion as being wrong... It's not like I'm defending a player throwing a ball into an opposing players face from point blank, or continually flopping throughout the course of a game...

Enlarged slo-mo:
http://members.iinet.net.au/~wildermuth/121118_Slo_Mo.mp4

The second giveaway is that Bruce's "reaction" comes at exactly the time the poke in the eye would have taken place, which is not the way one reacts in reality. His throwing back of his head was to draw the refs' attention to the contact that occurred around his neck.

Btw I have no issue with Bruce milking the contact for a foul. What bugged me was him clutching his eyes and staying on the floor for an extended period when he did not get hit anywhere near the eyes and the contact that he did get would obviously not have hurt him.
Take a bit of a flop, sure. Get yourself the call, but don't act like you need a freakin' ambulance.
I know we're competing with the A League for tv ratings but leave that stuff to the pros in the Italian national team.

Mills was the leagues premier flopper last season, once he departed Bose carried the torch

Dan, yep, can't see Dann's hand getting close to Bruce's face. Flop, flop, flop.

"Mills was the leagues premier flopper last season, once he departed Bose carried the torch"

Redhage says hi.

I think there might be a FIBA rule against flopping
tech foul or so . Don't think NBL have ever panalised anyone , I think .
Seems there's no FIFA rule about flopping , but A-League penalise it.
Seth Scott may ask for a fair and equitable share of his fine be paid by Bruce.

last post was me sorry

Seth Scott may ask for a fair and equitable share of his fine be paid by Bruce.

^ Where do people get this stuff? Did Dann's finger get them in the eye as well?

Nice try Bruce fan but the video doesn't lie

Bruce Flop (provided by Dunkin' Dan)

What did I get wrong exactly? The camera doesn't lie.

Have you actually used the freeze frame option on your youtube clip? You can actually see a frame between 36 and 37 seconds where the finger is very close to the eye. Close enough for there to be definite doubt.

Dont want to have Bruce's family chasing you like Hickert's did!!