Sydney. Single overtime. 5-10.

Melbourne still look a little less than convincing. At the moment they don't have the depth to deliver consistently.

I'd love to take the win, but I think our run ends tonight. Long/Bogut should be interesting though - Bogut thoroughly dominated him last season, so I expect him to come out aggressive and try and get one back tonight.

Agree with AngusH, I think the Kings great start to the season ends tonight... Melbourne, especially Bubbles, tend to lift their efforts when playing Sydney...

I'm hoping that coming out soft against Adelaide have fixed that particular attitude and the Kings come out tough and get the W as this game will be a big test for them...

They seem a completely different team from last season with so much more buy-in, even with Dickhead Kickert, sorry, Daniel Kickert, probably grabbing more rebounds already than he did for the first half of last season...

Long is on a roll, at least offensively, will be a great match either way...

Did you mean Paraburdoo?

Melbourne in a close one if for no other reason they're the home team and Sydney are due a loss.

Bogues sagging off will be severely punished tonight, they're going to need to change up that strategy, otherwise it will be United by decent double figures...

Sydney and the Boogeyman can not defend the on-ball, so CG43 will have a field day.

Long will prove he is the true MVP.

As Melbourne always says: "Go hard or go to Sydney!"

Melbourne by 10 pts.

Agree. Weaver designed the Boomers system of bigs sitting back giving up the midrange jumpers.

Think it will all come down to how well Long hits from the perimeter. If he forces the Kings out of their favoured system they will struggle. DJ exposed them in the 4th last game when he started hitting those shots.

"Agree. Weaver designed the Boomers system of bigs sitting back giving up the midrange jumpers."

I don't want to turn this into another Boomers debate, but it seemed that they gave up more points than previously, using that strategy?

I guess having Bogut camped out in the paint works to his strength.

I'm hoping My Captain Double-Double Long can get the job done.

7 mins in and Dwayne has gone early with "Shake & Bake"... Wait for the "Watching around the planet"

Bogut. Unbelievably poor so far. Hangs back. Not helping team. Melbourne shooting at will. Bogut just hoping they miss

Kings not even looking for defensive rebound. Hard to get them when you don't watch the ball.

Kings not even looking for defensive rebound. Hard to get them when you don't watch the ball.

Shaun Bruce had a period there under Fearne where him starting at PG the following season was a legitimate question.

Good to see him find some form again

Weaver's calmness pays off

Wow. Not calm

Is he a legit psychopath?

"Weaver's calmness pays off"

Um, wot?

That was strange. Good half, but losing Will is going to be huge.

That wasn't Will. That was his twin brother Wally Weaver!

Perthworld: Zen master

Will Weaver: *channels A Current Affair dog man*

Did weaver run out of calm?? Only had enough for the weekend

I'd like to see a replay of Tate inside there to see what made Will lose it. Didn't see it in love action, looked like Tate should've just shot the ball rather than pass.

Ok, so it was the push on Tate when he was coming to set the screen. Definitely a foul, but seems excessive, must have been more to it than that.

Joey Wright biggest nut case coach = Will Weaver "hold my beer"

Goulding might be a great player but his flopping and playing for calls distracts from that

good offense from both team despite low 3 pt % that's good to see.

No tech for Dean V?

Vaughn Mayberry, the star of the show IS TAKING OVER!

I hate Mayberry

They blew the whistle before the ball had even been touched... incredible refereeing!

Really Glad Vaughan held up an exciting game to put 0.02 on the clock.

Home cookin going on

here we go again

Another stupid waste of time review

'Let's get ridiculous' playing when refs call for the replay on Trimble fastbreak foul.

That is fucking gold

Surely these ref's need to pulled to the side and be reminded that the game is not about them. Just let the players play and stop going the replay system time and time again. The game loses all flow and makes it frustrating to watch. Just make the calls and get on with it!

Shaun Bruce has been great - Manu has it right, this is reminiscent of that one season in Cairns.

no foul on Casper??

0.2. Ffs. What a #%$%.

Forde sounds good running the show in that timeout.

Needs a shaver though.

Despite Vaughan "0.2s" Mayberry what a game!

Regardless of what happens these last 40 seconds, this game has lived up to the hype.

About time too since this season hasn't had many if at all.

That hustle right there for the rebound - Grand Final intensity.

Another review. FFS.

Oh yay, an unsportsmanlike review.

Oh god. I take back my previous comment. That ruins the game

unsportsmanlike .........wow the game is soft that is wrong

Bogut sucks balls

WHAT IN THE FUCK WAS THAT.

These refs can't resist reviews which put the spotlight on them. I'd rather we not have them due to these cretins.

flop

Fark these refs are crap. Nbl needs to address this ASAP. Killed another good game. Some great basketball though

5 second violation called, but less than 4 seconds came off the clock! WOW

Good game.

Shame about some of the calls. But still was a really good game.

Great game until the last 40 seconds with all of the unnecessary reviews and unsportsmanlike fouls. Mayberry is an absolute turd.

Shame how that ended, but great game before that despite the referees.

Nah, reviews are for USFs and .2 second full court inbound possessions.

Let's not forget Mayberry was the lead ref during the infamous Taipans-36ers debacle when Smyth was still in charge and led the dodgy running off the court with technically time potentially still left on the clock back in 2005. Nearly fifteen years ago now and was never reprimanded we seriously need new blood.

No need

Wow

Well that was a scrappy old end.

Glad I didn't waste money on Bogut this round. Think I'll just keep riding Long.
If only they gave points for flops, Goulding would be killing it.

Mayberry should've been sacked or heavily reprimanded back in 2005 after *that* infamous Cairns game. Nothing happened though as there is a shallow pool of refs. That's why they never improve and get away with their weird attention seeking ways which has now been further enhanced with the implementation of video reviews.

The USFs were correct. That doesn't excuse poor refereeing which lost them control of the game, but Sydney shot themselves in the foot with those plays.

I still can't get over the lack of common sense and/or basic arithmetic with the 5 second violation. 16.5 on the clock, runs down to 12.9 and nobody bats an eye after the call was made. Either the call was wrong or the time on the clock needed to be changed. Amateur hour.

Hey Dazz please stop talking about your fantasy team in non-fantasy team threads. We don't care. Thank you.

PlaymakerMo classic NBL reffing right there. Can't even do basic subtraction.

Ware, Tate and Bogut sitting way way too long in last quarter! What is going on there???? That is where the game was lost.

How many unsportsmanlike fouls have been called on Bogut? They must not have that in the NBA.

It looks like the Hoops conspiracy theorists are working off some steam! Life and the NBL aren't perfect fellas. Get used to it.

Personally I loved the game even if the last minute took a little shine off the spectacle.

The NBL is a sensational product and continues to get better.

In all seriousness, it's nice seeing Gaze happy, laughing and joking like he used to. He's certainly his best self behind a microphone rather than on a sideline

Gaze is a natural on screen.

Life and the NBL aren't perfect fellas.

Hey Perfwerld, please stop talking about...
everything.

So we are acknowledging all hoke teams get home cooking now? Just checking.

Cracking game!

If that's a preview of the GF then we're in for a treat.

Casper and Melo continuing possibly the best matchup in the NBL, too. Love that. The master got the apprentice tonight.

D2.0 thrilling stuff keep updating us on your make believe fantasy team and its players... not.

Can you win most improved if you weren't in the league last season?

Bogut and Ogilvy are idiots.

I've not exactly been keeping quiet about my views.

"Can you win most improved if you weren't in the league last season?"

Bruce did play seven games for Adelaide last season.

Long was about $20ish for MVP a week ago

Came into $14 after SEM game. Now into $5

Casper @ $9.50 Now the most enticing option.

How many points did Long actually score on Bogut last night? He hit one 3 down the stretch, otherwise he did his work against everyone else the Kings threw at him. I thought Kickert bodied him up pretty well, but Long had too much length and easily scored over him.

Long had a nice post move v Bogut, plus the 3, plus a crucial O board and put back

Plus he blocked the crap out of an early Bogut attempt

Bogut lack of impact was noteworthy for me last night

Weavers offense doesn't seem to utilise him as well as Gazes or Lemanis's.

Also, that was the 4th game this year he's failed to block a shot. Early days but a meaningful decline compared to last year for him so far. Guess no one will care as long as they're winning.

That's the most Goulding stat line ever
22 points
19 attempts
0 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 fouls, 0 turnovers, 0 blocks, 1 steal

I want to see the footage of what Sydney's coach saw that made him so angry. Then I can decide for myself if he overreacted.

I don't think it was the play Under the basket. I think he said that it was midcourt push from behind right in front of one of the refs.

"The game was lost on the free throw line, the worst offenders being Tate 2-6 and Walker 0-2. Kings subbed very strangely as well. Walker should be only break glass in case of emergency. New import hopefully improves as had a few costly turnovers and got to much time."

You're seriously blaming the loss on a guy who played 7 mins (only 2 mins in the 4th) and missed 2 free throws? Louzada went 1-7 from the field. Their league MVP scored 4 points with 0 blocks and steals.

Also, that was the 4th game this year he's failed to block a shot. Early days but a meaningful decline compared to last year for him so far.

[Or, he's not being driven at as much.]

Fair point- Casper and Tate are upgrades on Randle and Wear/Kickert, Bogut probably isn't getting as many opportunities to block since his teammates aren't getting beaten as much

Fantastic game. Worthy of a grand final. Casper was amazing. But silly foul iced it for Melbourne. Breakthrough for Melo. Showed he is up to the best in league. Both teams just kept trading blows.

"ow - Just Wow - So your defending Bogut based on your assertion that hes too old and slow and crap to even try to defend Long and instead they had to use Kickert - who predictably had the defensive impact of a wet tissue."

Uh, no. Not even close. Maybe read my post that you quoted again.

"I feel sorry for Perthworld and Dazz I can only assume they're both single and life for them is this forum.
Are there other forums I can participate in without those two fucktards."

Oh the delicious irony of some pre-pubescent anon calling out other posters.

I previously posted under my own ID, and I can assure you it is chromosome-deficient trash like you that spoils the experience. If I ever again feel the need to be insulted by some inbred meth-baby, I'll go and hang out at the local skate-park.

The whole "awards he was promised" comment nicely reflects the level of intellect you possess. The voting system and how MVPs are awarded is well known.

I wish you weren't anonymous so I would know which comments to ignore in the future, but as it stands you're just another anon user who makes it hard to take anything any other anon user says seriously either.