TOM HAYES
BASKETBALL
NBL By TOM HAYES BASKETBALL action was delivered to the Latrobe Valley when the Round 11 fixture of South East Melbourne Phoenix and Sydney Kings played out at the Gippsland Regional Indoor Sports Stadium. People raked into Traralgon’s stadium on the afternoon of Sunday December 18, predominantly in the green and grey colours of the Phoenix. The last time these sides faced, the Kings prevailed in a tight contest by two points, but this time those attending were in for a real treat. Round 11 of the NBL was Indigenous Round, with that, ceremonies were performed pre-match in light of it. As the tip-off was thrown, fans were still flocking into the stadium, eagerly trying to find their seats while those that were seated were creating the loud atmosphere. The Phoenix got off to a quick start, which had the fans off their seats, spurring the players on just as more. Early on into the piece, the fans were incentivised to make as much noise when the Sydney Kings were taking free throws – because if a player was to miss both, the crowd would be rewarded with free Hungry Jack’s cheeseburgers. Midway through the first quarter, Sydney’s Justin Simon stepped up to the line and missed both free throws, sending the fans into raptures – which was quite possibly one of the loudest points of the match, which is saying something. Missing free throws became common between both sides, when multiple players struggled from the line. Fans might be thankful for this in the end, as they were later treated to a double-overtime spectacular. South East Melbourne took a seven-point lead into the first break. But the Sydney Kings weren’t going to let them run away with it, in doing so endured a quick start of their own. After just two minutes of the second quarter, the Phoenix lead was cut to one, before they eventually stole the lead around the halfway point of the second period. In the latter stages of the second quarter, the Phoenix’s Mitch Creek nailed his 4000th career NBL points, burying the shot and one. Creek leads the Phoenix franchise in points, as it enters its fourth season in the league. Tempers ran high in the second quarter, when Kings’ coach Chase Buford began to disagree with referees. Not only did this set off another flare in the match, it drew the players in to begin to be more physical. The Kings blew the lead out to eight points at the half in a 15-point turnaround, led mostly by Derrick Walton Jr. After the break, not much had changed – the fans were still up and about despite the deficit and the players were as physical as ever, what more could you want? Sydney continued to hold a grip on the match, not letting South East Melbourne get any cheap points. By doing so, points were hard to come by in the early stages of the third quarter, yet it began to open up. Creek and Walton Jr continued to trade buckets throughout the quarter, both being a threat in and outside of the arc. Walton Jr brought up 30 points and closed in on the most points in a game this season, which was 34, held by Cairns Taipans’ Keanu Pinder, set less than 24 hours prior. But Creek continued to lead the way for the Phoenix, not so far behind Walton Jr, from a personal perspective. By the end of the third, the Phoenix dragged a point back to trail by seven at the regulatory final break. Creek was the main man, evidently, exploding early to bring the Phoenix back into contention. He soon surpassed the 30-point mark, draining from outside the arc to bring the margin back to one point. Owen Foxwell was exceptional in the final quarter, setting up plays for the Phoenix in the vital moments and was huge on defence, particularly on Walton Jr. Foxwell gave the Phoenix the lead at last with another three, the Phoenix lead was extended when Junior Madut sunk one of his two field goals. An enthralling final quarter ensued, as the Kings, led by Walton Jr, drew their lead back out to six points, blitzing the Phoenix in a matter of minutes. Tempers began to flare again, when Kings head coach Buford gave away a technical foul in the dying stages, which led to the scores being tied once again – with three minutes to go. The physicality of the match certainly didn’t die down, as players were beginning to foul out, starting with Sydney’s Dejan Vasiljevic before regulation time expired. Vasiljevic was soon joined by Phoenix’s Alan Williams, as both sides dug into its benches. The Kings led by three with 15 seconds to go, until Trey Kell III was fouled outside the arc, granting three free throws. The stadium held his breath as he nailed all three, eventually sending the game to overtime, tension looming in the stadium. During the first period of overtime, Creek surpassed his best-ever points in a match – 40, and he wasn’t done yet. As Kell III and Jordan Hunter were fouled out, the game intensified ever-so-slightly. Creek nailed a late three to put the Phoenix up by three, however was matched second later by none other than Walton Jr, who tied the game, sending it to a second period of overtime. Just like the entirety of the match, Creek and Walton Jr went back and forth, trading off shots and single-handedly carrying their sides to a hopeful victory. A tense final few minutes of the game played out, Zhou Qi scored his first points of the match to put the Phoenix in front, before Reuben Te Rangi hit the Kings with a dagger from outside the arc. A frantic final few seconds evaporated, with the Phoenix coming up trumps by a point in a Gippsland thriller, 113-112. The Phoenix knocked off the top-of-the-ladder Sydney-side, moving to fourth on the ladder, while the Kings fell to second. Creek posted a new career-high 46 points (15/27 FG, 4/11 3P, 12/13 FT) along with 10 rebounds, while the efforts of Walton Jr can’t be missed, as he posted 45 points (14/27 FG, 5/10 3P, 12/13 FT) and 10 assists. Post-match, Creek was elated. “I just dug deep, I nearly cried at the end,” he said. “The crowd (was) incredible … the fans here were absolutely crazy.” The home crowd certainly can’t be disappointed after that incredible showing, and it’s no surprise they will be eager to host the NBL once again.
