Hurray! We are into the NBL24 sensational basketballing tournament sun-set days. If you are just joining us, we are a professional basketball news website with eye-opening highlights of the AU NBL24 and a broad range of other exciting news around the subject matter. 

Equally important, our weekly coverage of the NBL round best moments will connect you to the real happenings on the stands. We prioritize fixtures and moments with hot headlines and narrative-shaping news from the coaches and best players. 

Foggy Race Into the Top-Six As Round 18 Concludes

The NBL2024 Roud 18 is behind us, meaning we only have two rounds remaining to call it a wrap! As you would expect with fixtures at the advanced stages of this competition, they are competitively close as teams rush to make it into the top six. Equally, the top-cream teams are tactfully cautious to make it to the playoffs, although the coveted fixture is increasingly becoming clear with Melbourne United on the cusp of emerging as the NBL24 frontrunners, while either Perths or Tasmanian JackJumpers as the runners-up. 

Well, that is what the top of the NBL24 table looks like after the 18th round and below we give you a sneak peek of the moments that mattered most as the title race enters into the clutch moment! 

How Far Is Melbourne United From The Finals?

For the umpteenth round now, Melbourne United has been riding high on the NBL23-24 top spot, and it’s now only three games remaining, and home fans are approaching ever with fingers crossed. Will they make it into the final playoffs? Let’s find out what the insiders take after round 18 fixtures. 

Having won their single round 18 match against South East Melbourne, Melbourne United have now 18 of their 25 matches. They enjoy a massive 72.00% winning percentage. Their next match (Round 19) will be at home, John Cain Arena, on February 11 against NZ Breakers who are slightly below the Play-In Tournament qualification cut-off, albeit with two games in hand. Expectedly, this will be a tough fixture as both teams have something in the line. 

While at it, experts are now warning Melbourne to avoid complacency if they wish to embolden their grip on the first spot. The stats are not that rosy, given that United have lost 4 of their last 8 games. 

On the flip side, Perth Wildcats are hot on their heels. They are eagerly waiting to pounce on the archrivals at the slightest misstep. Nevertheless, Perth’s defeat at home by NZ Breakers breathed a much-needed sigh of relief. Their match-winning percentage after 25 matches is 64.00%, which is far below United’s. 

Thus, the remaining few fixtures will present do-or-die clashes as top-cream teams fight for a Playoffs chance while mid-table teams are in the race to make it into the Play-In tournament, taking the stakes even higher. Luckily, we will keep you updated on every match development when the action returns on the pitch with the first NBL24 round 19 match between New Zealand Breakers and Illawarra Hawks at 5:30 AEDT, on Friday, Feb, 9. 

NBL24 D-Date Is Near, Who’s Topping The Charts?

Bryce Cotton of the Wildcats, with 23.2 points per game, looks to pass the ball against Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Mangok Mathiang of the Breakers during the round 18 NBL match between Perth Wildcats and New Zealand Breakers at RAC Arena, on February 04, 2024, in Perth, Australia.

With only two rounds of the impressive NBL 2023-24 season and a handful of games remaining, we looked into the charts, and we are happy to present to you the chart leaders on various metrics. We believe these stats will be a solid basis for arriving at the coveted MVP award in mid-February. 

Points Per Game 

Is Bryce Cotton on his way to a record 7th NBL season top scorer? Well, his rise to stardom has not been an overnight thing. Remember, from the start of the season, he has been on an incredible trajectory of his career, scoring important points when his team and coach John Peter Rillie needed him most. 

Phoenix’s Mitch Creek has equally gotten his name on the scoreboard more often. He is hovering just below Cotton with a remarkable 21.1 points per game. Surprisingly, at the start of the season, he didn’t feature in coach Mike Kelly’s regular rooster but he has risen to the occasion in the wake of unfortunate injuries that have dealt a blow to Phoenix’s NBL24 campaign. 

Anthony Lamb and Nathan Sobey tie at 19.6 points per game. The surprise signing for the Breakers, Lamb has made his name in the NBL24 as one of the offensive weapons despite coming in as an injury replacement for the Breakers regulars. On the other hand, Nathan Sobey’s start of the season was sensationally electric although his scoring averages have died down in the recent fixtures. We wait to see if his innate scoring instincts will help keep his team in the Play-In Tournament qualification position. 

Assists Per Game

Melbourne United’s Matthew Dellavedova handles the ball against Reuben Te Rangi of the Phoenix during the round 18 NBL match between Melbourne United and South East Melbourne Phoenix at John Cain Arena, on February 03, 2024, in Melbourne, Australia

Matthew Dellavedova has been the heartbeat of Melbourne United in the NBL24 campaign; no wonder he’s topping the assists charts. He has come out as one of Australia’s leading floor generals although pundits describe him as more of a natural scorer than a playmaker distributor.

Patrick Miller has equally stood out among the Cairns Taipans young lads in the NBL24 season. He is among the young emerging NBL stars, showcasing maturity and veteran calmness. 

Jackson-Cartwright has filled the void left by Will McDowell-White who has been off-and-on owing to injury. The Pass-First Guard has been an impressive offensive player partnering well with Anthony Lamb to showcase memorable moments for Breakers fans. 

For Tahjere MacCall, the Taipans Star has picked the last season’s momentum, and he is on his way to greater stats. Remember, in the NBL24 round 10, he became the first player to hit 15 points and assists in a single NBL game within 40 minutes.