this is just awesome for the game - love to see some more in the future.

I'm impressed... wow.

Yeah absolutely impressed. Still 1 qtr to go but OKC even with the 3 superstars on the floor looked tense. They weren't expecting this I bet!

Westbrook acting for a foul when it was a clear strip. Classic

Well, that was impressive, wish I got to watch the 1st half as well. I'd like to see a replay of that 2nd last block, looked pretty close to a goaltend.

Those 3 superstars played significant minutes, PG 39 mins, Melo 31 and Westbrook 28 mins. OKC called emergency timeouts and struggled to score at times. Kudos to Vickerman, tremendous defence.

Paul George played 39 minutes, Melo 31, Adams 27, Westbrook 27 and Roberson 26. Outside of Ferguson getting 35 minutes for 3 points, OKC played their guys.

Great result. Put Goulding in there, knowing he can make some NBA-length threes, and who knows...

The people who say "it's just preseason" would have been happy to gloat if Melbourne lost by 40, I am sure.

Pretty interesting game to watch. OKC played their starters pretty big minutes as well so nothing to scoff at. Enjoyed watching the differing styles of play. Barring a couple of United's players, most of them stood up well and their physical brand was well suited.

I really wish Adelaide or Perth were the last teams to play, as I have a feeling Brisbane are going to get flogged. Not hating on them, I just dont think they will match up well (seriously hope Im way off on this).

Stating the obvious, it would have been good to see Chris playing out there. Would have given them the extra shooter, particularly late.

That call was 50/50 I think. Watched it a couple of times and it could go either way live.

Great effort after that flight.

Haters going to hate. That was a great game of basketball. and thank you their big 3 played huge minutes. Pre season or not, Aussies took it to them.

Ware was outstanding and so were Utd's talls.

Watching stats on live betting app and reading the international comments was awesome. Losing their minds over the contest and actual chance of utd causing an upset.

Great effort by United! Took it to them.

Close call on the block/goal tend on Boone's shot too.

Will Casper get an NBA tryout?

As complex as the game of basketball is, it is also awfully simple - the NBA is a make shot league. If you can score/shoot at a comparative % (and keep TOs low) you'll be in the game.

Credit to United..i was most impressed when OKC got a 6-8 point lead in the 3rd (i think) and yet they managed to chip away and keep it tight - when I was expecting OKC to run away with a 20-25 point win at that point.

^ with respect, no way Weasley gets an NBA call up anytime soon. Weasley doesn't really have good size - he is a tweener; 6"7 playing the 4 spot.

Really gutted Goulding couldn't play - I could have easily seen him putting up a nice 20 odd and catching some interest. His game reminds me of Alexey Shved.

You guys must be a hit at parties.

I agree having 3 G League guys was crazy. That meant there were 7 U.S. born players on the roster. Aussie players combined for only 16 points and only about 70 total minutes.

I think it was a monumental effort by a big underdog and that is commendable. Vickerman especially deserves praise, so too Andersen and Boone who's experience I think helped settled the team. Regardless of being a pre season game they played above against a team with far better talent. Well done to them.

But lets not get carried away. Those saying its a "great day for Aussie basketball" or "makes you proud to be aussie" are absurd.

This is also not a sign that nbl teams can match it with NBA teams regularly. This was an exception. Its a nice one, but there is still a chasm between these teams.

Yep. Team with 7 Americans and 5 Aussies plays well. Great day for Australian basketball.

It was only a week ago people here said that OKC could play none of the big 3 and they would run away with a 20 point win. Now it's they didn't play the big 3 together much and it was just a practice and so on. Yeah... ok... obviously OKC aren't taking this game like a season match. However they got exposed at times by a team they should theoretically destroyed with ease. Any NBA team watching this game is going to realise that OKC aren't as strong as they may have originally thought after the trades.

Cram, obviously still a bit salty about the end of the mighty Melbourne Tigers.

Let it go.

It is indeed a great day for Aussie Basketball. Just had a workmate come up to me "Hey did you hear about Melbourne United nearly beating OKC?". He knows I follow NBL but he generally is only into NBA.

More Aussies follow NBA than NBL- and the coverage of this game might make a few of them pay more attention to the NBL.

That's what was significant about this game- it boosts the profile of the NBL.

I really wish Adelaide or Perth were the last teams to play, as I have a feeling Brisbane are going to get flogged.

The NBL twitter handle is embarrassing right now.

And tired of hearing commentators make out like they were close to beating OKC

But when there are claims about being "proud to be Aussie" because of this effort, surely having 7 Americans on the roster is significant. Even by the standard of showing off the nbl as a league, this team would be illegal in the nbl. Why not fill out the Roster with aussies?

If this team had the standard 2 Americans and 10 Aussies I'd be proud no matter the result. 7 and 5 though? What is there to be proud of? We have some rich dude (for the moment) who is willing to buy some decent players. Wow. Inspiring.

Because a 1pt loss with some ring-ins (who didn't really contribute much) achieves the NBL's goal more than a 10+ pt loss with some random SEABL guys? I mean, you do realize what the point is with these games, yeah? And it's working.

Where did I say it wasn't impressive? I think I quite clearly said the opposite.

"I think it was a monumental effort by a big underdog and that is commendable. Vickerman especially deserves praise"

Ah LV, "let it go". Wow, what an amazing argument.

Angus, Why bother with the ring ins? Why not take all of your development squad instead? If this is about showcasing our league, showcase the great talent we have that will actually be playing here.

Because most people (outside of this forum and probably some facebook posts by the NBL or ESPN AU) won't know or care about the ring-ins, but will be impressed by the final margin?

Possibly. But when he gets bored/broke/dies/goes down foe fraud the model he has built will collapse and be proven for the fools gold it is.

I'm making no accusations of fraud against LK. Simply showing how fleeting the good times have been in our league when we rely on rich guys with no sustainability plan. Our league is littered with good times turning quickly into the worst of times.

Cram - This is a glorious day for the NBL, drop the hate and embrace it.

I think you're thinking of LV who is blindly devoted to whatever team is currently in front of him.

I grew up watching a Tigers team filled with Aussie talent. This is not that.

There's no hate here. I'm just perplexed as to why we should be proud as Aussies that a g league team had a good night

Why bother with the ring ins? Why not take all of your development squad instead? If this is about showcasing our league, showcase the great talent we have that will actually be playing here.

That's all fine. But again, those claiming that we should be proud as Aussies from this?

I love the tough guy anons who come out name calling and who've clearly not read my posts or willfully ignoring parts. As if I'm advocating that the nbl should have no foreign players.

Keep trying big fella. You'll find a point if you keep swinging

If the argument is that OKC was weaker as they were running some of their least experienced players, it is worth countering that point by noting that United were playing ring-ins and were missing their most potent scorer.

I suppose United felt they needed ring-ins to handle the 48 minute game with an undermanned side, but their actual worth was like playing development players.

You'll note I wasn't arguing anything regarding the worthiness of the result. In fact, again, I explicitly said otherwise

"Regardless of being a pre season game they played above against a team with far better talent. Well done to them".

This thread is great.

Good to see everybody realises the significance of this day. Instead of getting belted by 44, or 25, United lost by a solitary point to an NBA side featuring 3 guys who have 20 or 30 all star appearances between them. It's all over the news. Brilliant for the NBL.

Some can't handle it, well bah humbug to them.

I hate to say it Cram but Copeland, Simmons and Timmons were crucial to the Tigers championships in the 90's. As were D-Mac, DT, Tucker and Lampley in the 00's. I don't remember you decrying the lack of Aussie talent.

At the end of the day, NBL is a representation of Aussie Basketball because it's the Aussie national league, irrespective of how many US players suit up for a given team on a given day. It's bizarre that this obvious point needs to be stated, but there is one guy in this thread who's trying to rain on the grand parade because he doesn't like LK. Shame.

Cram, the only mentions of "proud" in this topic are anon '621 (once, replying just now) and you (six times). Zero results for "pride". I think Goulding tweeted "PROUD" but then it is his team that played so well.

And it's likely that others are conflating "Aussie" with "NBL" in this basketball context, I'd guess? I think it was pretty cool that a league often disrespected by many people (including basketball fans in Australia) fared so well in this instance.

There were plenty of comments on twitter talking about Aussie pride in the result.

I think you're right about conflating the two points and its true I'm more talking to those (not necessarily on here) claiming Aussie pride.

But Im still not sold on the "great day for aussie basketball" line either. A great day wouldn't require a team full of Americans. I could accept a good day. If the Bullets (also an Lk team) put in a similar result in their game with a majority aussie squad I could be talked into calling it a "great day".

This will get huge media exposure, can only be a good thing for the NBL, regardless of who played for who

There's that LV logic I've missed. Yep, two Americans in each of the Tigers 90s championship teams is JUST THE SAME as 7 Americans playing for an nbl side. Well done fella.

Cram : "But when he gets bored/broke/dies/goes down foe fraud"

Cram : "I'm making no accusations of fraud against LK."

I'm simply listing things that could happen (and have in our league on an all too regular basis) with every generous benefactor to date. I am not alleging that LK has committed any fraud.

When the Tigers won their drought breaking championship in 2006, signalling the start of the successful Westover era, 3 of their 4 most important players weren't Aussie. Neither was the coach.

But irrespective of that, The NBL is the Aussie league- it started here, and 90% of the games are played here with all but one team being located here.

Aussies who don't follow our national league are today paying some attention.

Worth celebrating? Absolutely.

Instead of arguing about this, I'd rather celebrate the stories- Moller, playing AFL a couple of years ago today representing the NBL against the MVP of the NBA. Adnam, a kid from the burbs who looks about 15 years old, about 5 foot 8, the ultimate underdog out there competing against a squad worth $100+ million a week out from the season.

Casper Ware, the charismatic, smiling assassin bringing it in OKC.

Loving all of this.

The first part of your reply was a fair assessment anon #649642. I've readily admitted that I am clouded wheb it comes to LK.

But I would be equally dubious of claims of "great day for our league" claims if Sydney trotted out 7 Americans.

Believe me or don't. I'm not concerned.

And I should add, plenty of general sports followers like the NBA, even if they aren't huge basketball fans.

Some of them are paying attention to the NBL today.

All the cynics have some pie in their face today.

The only problem for United, LK and the NBL is that the whole thing might have a bit of downside too, if they lose the NBL's resident star point guard out of this....

"I'm simply listing things that could happen (and have in our league on an all too regular basis) with every generous benefactor to date. I am not alleging that LK has committed any fraud."

No...you used the word WHEN, that is a clear statement.

I really hope his lawyers contact you soon.

When....folowed by a list of options. Walk on.

The NBL has had many Americans playing as naturalised Australians in the past on some strong teams in key roles. The Tigers have run a few naturalised Americans themselves over the years. I seem to recall American players like Vince Hinchen in the 1990s and Darryl McDonald in the 2000s. Imports from the 1990s that stayed on in Australia and became naturalised are numerous: Rose, Simmons, Crawford, Fisher, Loggins, Davis, Grace just to name a few.

Three of the Americans in this United team were ring-ins that were not of much value. It was disappointing that injury necessitated the use of ring-ins, and that United's best Aussie player was out, but it's not like the ring-ins were particularly good contributors. So United used their 3 import quota and included a NZ naturalised player. What am I missing?

Cram is obviously alluding to the many times wealthy owners backed NBL superteams, creating unsustainable spending by the competition, only then for these same "superteams" to run into financial issues because the wealthy owners go down and take the team with them. So the result is two-fold, as their reckless spending inflates salaries and strains the competition, then their own financial collapse ruins the team. I think it is obvious he was referring to the Sydney Kings Tim Johnson Firepower era (the fraud reference) and the Bullets collapse after their ABC Centres owner went down. Those accusing Cram of accusing LK of fraud either don't understand NBL history, or are being dicks.

I'm more interested in this from the NBL angle.

This is simply great for the NBL.

But- if you want to talk about the pure "Australian basketballer" angle....what about the diverse mix of fantastic stories here?

- Barlow- Long term NBL player (save for a few years in Europe). NBL Championship winner, Boomer. In his twilight, gets to play an NBA pre season game.

- Andersen- one of Aussie basketball’s all time greats, countless Boomer appearances in Olympics and international comps.

- Moller- AFL convert, just signed a 3 year deal. Big wraps on him from Gaze- will he become a future star of the NBL? Possibly.

- Adnam- young kid who has risen thru the ranks in SEABL, NBL Development player, NZNBL contract and now fully fledged NBL contract.

- Majok Majok- great story of him growing up in Perth after (if I remember correctly) leaving Sudan as a kid.

1. 7 Americans is a stretch from anything of the past. Even if teams had 2 or even 3 naturalised players (rare) there were at least as many Aussies.
2. Why not take young development players rather than adding evidently shite americans?
3. 3 import rule when there are only 8 teams is absurd. Australia has so much good talent and the NBL should be about giving them pathways.
4. I have maintained it was a great result for the team. Mu only problem is the claims that this was some monumental moment for Aussie basketball. It was simply a g league team with Melbourne written on their jersies. It may well be a good promotion for the team and the league, but nothing that will justify the money that continues to be spent assembling these rosters.

Cram, do you honestly think the average person seeing a headline knows anything about G-League ring-ins or Wesley not being local? Next game, they can go and see Ware, Boone and Prather play for their team, regardless of their country of origin.

Had Goulding been fit, I don't think they would have felt like they needed to call in help. That would've given them Ware, Goulding, Prather, Wesley, Boone. Then Andersen, Barlow, Majok, Moller, etc.

The news.com.au headline is "NBA MVP humbled by Aussie battlers". There's another story saying:

"'Proud': United, NBL are no 's**t’ - Melbourne United v Oklahoma City Thunder MELBOURNE United is the darling of the Aussie basketball world after a stunning performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder this morning. "

The Age's top sport story is: "'This league is no joke': United shine against Oklahoma City"

Not sure how that doesn't work for the league. The next two talking points will be that they did it without Goulding, and that PG/RWB/Melo all played. That won't hurt at all with the "NBL is lame, NBA is the best" teenagers.

If they get more games next year or a chance to host any, that will be fantastic too.

Funny how homicide on the weekend said Steph curry would score 100 points on Damian Martin. I think he might scote that much on Homicide but not Martin. Today's game proves the nbl standard is very high

And they may well see a bump from that. It won't be enough to justify the spending though.

"2. Why not take young development players rather than adding evidently shite americans?"

They did take some development players.

Also, part of the problem bringing more would've been the short notice.

Goulding fell ill on Wednesday I believe, they played Thursday and had a flight to Dallas booked in on Friday. They would've flown straight from Adelaide.

And then Hooley got injured in the US the day before the game.

If you have 11 in your team, plus 2 DPs, even with 2 injuries why do you need ring ins?

Isn't there some official NBA rule where you need to suit up 15 players?

I'm pretty sure it came down to pure numbers.

And besides, whilst I'm glad Smith Milner and Dillon Stith got a bit of a run, I don't think the NBA or NBL would necessarily want Development players getting significant minutes. Having Big V players going up for extended periods against the likes of Westbrook obviously has *potential* to be a bit farcical.

The two Americans were really only there to provide spot minutes to cover for the rostered NBL contracted players who needed a sub. They played 18 and 13 minutes. So that's fine with me. It was Melbourne United with a bit of injury cover brought in.

(or 12 players, or whatever it is)

It also might come down to positions.

Goulding and Hooley are both guards. They could hardly have played a DP who was a big man to cover their minutes could they? (Without significantly disrupting roster balance and who plays what role within the set plays, etc)

OKC playing pre-season, sure, trying out some new lineups.

Meanwhile, United playing in an away venue, playing under different rules, with an extra 8 minutes of game length, travelled a ridiculous distance in a short time (road trips for one game don't get much longer than this) in a polar opposite time zone, without their leading scorer and another injured player, needing to inject ring-ins that know nothing about the system and frankly played like G-league players forcing shots for attention.

These guys kept an NBA team featuring 3 superstars playing major minutes to 86 points. OKC solidly ran their starting players. This same OKC team scored over 100 a few days ago against the Pelicans. Yet people are still downplaying United in the face of all these obstacles?

The nba does have a minimim suited players rule, but its closer to 9 than 15.

Barlow only played 18 minutes. Adnam, Moller and Majok less than 13 each. Much rather see those guys get more of a run than the ring ins. Then a dp gets a few minutes. That's a team to be more proud of as its an actual NBL team.

Rjd, I'm not downplaying the result, I'm downplaying the "greatest thing ever" absurdity.

They had 11 healthy players. If I was a united fan I'd wanna see those 11 guys go to battle, not some nobodies that we'll never hear from again.

On the Holt thing it was discovered after he signed at MU that he had a Phillipino passport but ended up being injured before it became a factor to consider.

Had MU known he had a dual passport he would have signed as a local under the same rule that allowed Wesley to play.

This season Wesley is still a local but Holt isn't. This will be Wesley's last season as a local as the rule has been changed around Oceania players eligibility to Asia which Guam isn't in.

Happy to be proven wrong but that is my mail on this.

If you think being the exception worries me you're mistaken. I've made mu case and I'm fine with eveeyone else sticking to their guns.

Holt was and still is an import.

Will be interesting to see if true Wesley can't play as local anymore after this season. Not sure he would get picked up by anyone as an import.

Well then I slump corrected and have shot my informer

Isn't this supposed to be on espn2 now? get this baseball OUTTA HERE!

I hope nobody from San Francisco was proud of their city for winning the NBA title last year. I don't even know if any of the players were from the area! Try winning with a team of only professional basketballers born within 6 blocks of the oracle areana then maybe they can be proud!

Cram wants an all Aussie league. What a muppet...

In recent years, EuroLegaue teams have a bunch of wins against NBA teams, playing under the NBA rules. And also, there were several games where Israeli League, Brazilian League, and even Chinese League teams played NBA teams very close.

The reality is....the level of the NBA is extremely overrated. It's the best leagye, but just a slight bit better than say the EuroLeague....while the hype and marketing claims it's miles and miles better, which it very clearly is not, base don the results of a few dozen games recently against other leagues.

A lot of people have taken two arguments and fused them into one. There's a) how competitive the NBL is and b) how good Australian players are. Big difference

Seriously..why would anybody take any negatives out of this game and the result. The only negative thing that happened was that Goulding and Hooley got injured and couldn't play.

Even Melb Utd taking the opportunity to include a couple of local G league guys is a positive, it means they can have a look at these guys and then if Ware gets picked up by an NBA team they might have someone they want to get on board.

Yeah I agree, Spot Up.
The reality is that regardless of the importance of this game or the rotations used by the Thunder, this was a team full of NBA players playing on their home court to their normal rules, and an understrength NBL team held their own under some pretty trying travel circumstances.
Fair enough to keep a lid on how carried away to get about it, but to me there is nothing remotely negative you can say about it either. It was an undisputed positive for the NBL. The only debate is how big.

Having said that, I very much doubt that the Brisbane game is going to go a similar way based on what they showed in Perth the other night.

"A lot of people have taken two arguments and fused them into one. There's a) how competitive the NBL is and b) how good Australian players are. Big difference"

Not really, given the NBL is made up of mostly Australian players, and Australian players overseas have been performing well in good competitions for quite a while now.

For example, an Adelaide team led mostly by Aussie players last Thursday put up a similar performance against Melbourne that OKC did.

Now I'm not saying that Adelaide are as good as OKC, we all know that's not the case, but it shows the Australians in the NBL play at a high level.