Australia’s NBA stars are ready for the playoffs

With San Antonio, Utah and Milwaukee all locking in NBA playoff berths this week, we take a look at the Aussies in their respective lockers rooms.

 

SAN ANTONIO SPURS

Patty Mills has been sensational off the bench for Gregg Popovich’s experienced squad, shooting 41 per cent from behind the three point line while averaging 10 points and 22 minutes per game.

 

The Spurs will face the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs, with the Spurs locking up the Western Conference’s second seed and the Grizzlies cementing the seventh seed on Friday.

 

UTAH JAZZ

Dante Exum and Joe Ingles and the Jazz were sitting pretty in the West’s coveted fourth playoff spot until Saturday when they were shredded 101-86 by the Portland Trail Blazers.

 

Adding to the Jazz’s woes, the Clippers beat the Spurs to take the fourth spot.

 

The Clippers and Jazz both have 49 win, 31 loss regular season records, but the Clippers hold the tiebreaker advantage.

 

They are well ahead of sixth-placed Oklahoma City so destined to meet in the first round of the playoffs, with the only question what team will secure the fourth seed and gain home court advantage.

 

The Jazz face the Warriors and Spurs in the final two regular season games, but that might not be so daunting as Warriors coach Steve Kerr and the Spurs’ Popovich, with playoff spots cemented, likely to rest their stars.

 

The Clippers finish against the Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings.

 

The final two games of the regular season and the playoffs could be career-defining for Exum, with the Jazz desperate for the Melbourne-born 21-year-old to step up.

 

Exum is just one of two healthy point guards on the Jazz and will go head-to-head with one of NBA’s greats at the position, the Clippers’ Chris Paul who has schooled the Australian in the past.

 

Ingles has had the best NBA season of his career, averaging 24 minutes a game, seven points and connecting on 44 per cent of his three-pointers.

 

 

MILWAUKEE BUCKS

The Bucks ended a worrying three-game losing streak and clinched a playoff berth on Saturday by taking advantage of the injury-devastated Philadelphia 76ers 90-82.

 

Their 41 win, 39 loss record places them in sixth position, just behind the Atlanta Hawks (41-38) and one ahead of the Indiana Pacers (40-40).

 

If the standings hold for the rest of the regular season the Bucks will play the Toronto Raptors in the first round, but if they jump ahead of the Hawks they will face the Washington Wizards.

 

Matt Dellavedova will bring his Cavaliers’ playoff experience to a team of young guns, headed by forward-guard Giannis Antetokounmpo and fellow Aussie and one of the NBA’s best rookies, Thon Maker.

 

VACATION PLANNING

Australia’s Ben Simmons, the NBA Draft’s No.1 pick, was supposed to lead the beleaguered Philadelphia 76ers’ revival, but less than a month before the 2016-17 season began he fractured his foot and gave former NBL coach Brett Brown another horror season.

 

The 76ers have the fourth-worst record in the NBA with 28 wins and 52 losses.

 

Queensland big man Aron Baynes and his Detroit Pistons also entered the season with high expectations, but they have spluttered to a 36-43 record and have been eliminated from the playoffs.

Share:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Darnell Mee on Adelaide’s 2001 Heartbreak, Defending NBL legends and more

    Two-time NBL champion and five-time NBL Best Defensive Player Darnell Mee returns to the podcast to revisit the unfinished stories from one of the greatest careers in Australian basketball, including Adelaide’s heartbreaking 2001 playoff exit, his decision to leave the 36ers and the fight to keep the Cairns Taipans alive. Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms. Host Dan Boyce chats with Mee about watching his son Micale build his own basketball career in Australia, the chemistry behind Adelaide’s back-to-back championships, becoming teammates…

    READ MORE
  • Australia’s Greatest Basketball Associations

    Junior basketball development is where the Australian basketball journey begins. Before players represent Australia or reach the NBL, most first learn the game through their local basketball association. While hundreds of rookies have entered the NBL over the years, the same junior basketball programs regularly appear in their backgrounds. Some associations have developed significantly more NBL talent than others, establishing themselves as important pathways into professional basketball. Until now, a complete record of the junior association responsible for developing every player to have competed in…

    READ MORE
  • Matt Garrison on Winning Back-to-Back Titles with Multiple NBL Teams, NBA Opportunities and Aussie Hoops Impact Overseas

    Two-time NBL champion Matt Garrison joins the podcast to reflect on winning back-to-back championships with two different teams, helping the Wollongong Hawks claim their first NBL title in 2001 before joining the Adelaide 36ers and winning it all again in 2002. Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms. Host Dan Boyce chats with Garrison about arriving in Wollongong as a mid-season import, adjusting from being a high-scoring starter to an important role off the bench, and being part of the Hawks team that…

    READ MORE
  • Beyond the Arc: The Greatest Shooters in NBL History

    In 1984, the NBL introduced the three-point line, forever altering the geometry of Australian basketball. Since then, the league has seen traditional snipers, stretch bigs and volume scorers completely revolutionise how offenses operate and defenses scramble. But as the modern game places a premium on spacing and perimeter shooting, a critical question arises: Who are the most efficient and devastating shooters in the 40-year history of the NBL? To cut through the noise, we have to look beyond raw percentages. By combining historical spreadsheet data…

    READ MORE
  • John Rillie on roster changes for NBL27, pressures from fans and media and Bryce Cotton/Trevor Gleeson narratives

    Perth Wildcats head coach John Rillie joins the podcast to discuss the pressure that comes with coaching one of the NBL’s most successful clubs, the challenge of moving forward after Bryce Cotton’s departure, and what Perth needs to build its next championship contender. Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms. Host Dan Boyce chats with Rillie about taking over the Wildcats after the club missed the finals for the first time since 1986, the expectations of the Red Army, and how Perth’s three…

    READ MORE
  • Rolan Roberts on Kings Titles, Dunk Contest Injury and Playing for Brian Goorjian and Trevor Gleeson

    Former Sydney Kings and Townsville Crocodiles big man Rolan Roberts joins the podcast to reflect on his time in Australia, including joining the Kings mid-season and helping them complete their historic 2005 NBL three-peat. Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms. Host Dan Boyce chats with Roberts about playing under Brian Goorjian, becoming a key interior presence for Sydney, and being part of the Kings team that became the first in NBL history to win three straight championships. The episode also dives into…

    READ MORE
  • Boomers: we’re not taking Patty and Bryce

    At some point over the next 12 months, the Boomers are going to have to make a decision that Australian basketball has managed to avoid for almost two decades. Who exactly is this team built around now? Since 2010, that answer was simple. It was Patty Mills’ team. Mills has been the primary scorer for the Boomers for nearly two decades and few Australian victories have been recorded without a major scoring performance from Patty. But as the Boomers move toward the 2027 FIBA World…

    READ MORE
  • NBL players who have played in the NBA

    A player arriving in the NBL with NBA experience always creates interest. Fans get excited when their team signs a former NBA player, commentators mention it during broadcasts, and every article about that player usually links their NBL performance back to their NBA résumé. Sometimes, we see a big-time college prospect use the NBL as a springboard to the NBA and never return. Other times, established NBA veterans come to Australia looking for a fresh opportunity. And in many cases, local talent develops in the…

    READ MORE

SEKOLAHTOTO

slot deposit 5000

sekolahtoto

toto togel

SEKOLAHTOTO

SEKOLAHTOTO

sekolahtoto

sekolahtoto

sekolahtoto

sekolahtoto

sekolahtoto

sekolahtoto

SEKOLAHTOTO