The NBL24 Round 10 was full of crowd-moving action across the 6 matches played on various grounds between Thursday, December 7 and Sunday, December 10th. Despite the titanic clashes that characterized most of the matches, however, the pecking order at the top is slightly changed as Tasmania JackJumpers have replaced SE Melbourne in the second position behind the league leaders, Melbourne United. 

In general, the round’s results are as follows. 

• Cairns Taipans 83–86 Sydney Kings
• Illawarra Hawks 100–82 Perth Wildcats 
• New Zealand Breakers 80–97 Tasmania JackJumpers 
• Adelaide 36ers 101–116 Cairns Taipans 
• Melbourne United 103–68 Brisbane Bullets
• Sydney Kings 94–104 S.E. Melbourne Phoenix 

While these were the score lines after a weekend of epic clashes, Chris Goulding continued his impressive stats for the season having achieved a personal milestone with 250 games for Melbourne United while South East Melbourne managed to get a win after a run of poor back-to-back defeats that now leaves them in position three. 

These are just some of the news making it into the Australian Basketball News and we’re glad to dive deep into them, alongside, of course, a round of other exciting news you ought to know about the exciting NBL24. 

Chris Goulding’s Big Day At Melbourne 

Chris Goulding of United shoots during the NBL24 round 10 NBL match between Melbourne United and Brisbane Bullets at John Cain Arena, on December 10, 2023, in Melbourne.

Celebrating his 250th game with Melbourne United, Chris Goulding produced a memorable shooting performance, guiding the team to a commanding 103-68 victory over the Brisbane Bullets at John Cain Arena during the NBL24 round 11 fixtures on Sunday. This triumph equalled the season’s largest winning margin and fell just 3 points short of Melbourne United’s historical best against the Bullets.

Goulding is, of course, known for his in-court precision and this time he didn’t disappoint. During the fixture, he showcased his skills scoring 21 points, including an impressive 7-of-9 from three-point range. 

His extraordinary feat included hitting 4 triples within a minute and a half during the second quarter. At the final whistle, the 35-year-old finished with five three-pointers, aiding Melbourne United to get out of a disappointing three-point deficit at quarter-time into a commanding 17-point lead at halftime.

In the subsequent excellent second-quarter scoreline of 36-16, United maintained a double-digit gap throughout the game. This important win allowed Melbourne (10-4) to rebound from their previous loss to Cairns, securing a two-win lead at the top of the ladder by the end of the weekend.

Brisbane Bullets are currently sitting in sixth place, are teetering on the edge of the play-in bracket and extended their losing streak to 10 against United. Despite the efforts of Brisbane coach Justin Schueller, a former assistant to United’s Dean Vickerman, Goulding proved unstoppable, with American import Chris Smith picking up three fouls in an attempt to defend him.

During this game, Brisbane struggled with turnovers, accumulating 11, and had a dismal 11% accuracy from three-point range.

While Goulding was a standout, credit goes to the support from Luke Travers, who contributed 16 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals. In fact, the return of the NBA and NBL championship-winning guard added depth, whilst Matthew Dellavedova provided 14 points and 5 assists, and Jo Lual-Acuil contributed 10 points and 7 rebounds.

On the other hand, Nathan Sobey, the Bullets guard was equally making his 250th appearance but faced a  relatively subdued performance, managing only 12 points on 4-of-15 field-goal shooting and encountering foul trouble in the third quarter. 

South East Melbourne Bounce Back From A Streak of Rocky Defeats 

Phoenix’s Mitchell Creek collides with Jaylen Adams of the Kings during the round 10 NBL match between Sydney Kings and South East Melbourne Phoenix at Qudos Bank Arena, on December 10, 2023, in Sydney, Australia.

SE Melbourne Phoenix are back to NBL 24 winning ways after surprising the reigning champions, the Sydney Kings, with a 104-94 victory at Qudos Bank Arena.

Captain Mitch Creek rose to the occasion even after his late learning of teammate Craig Moller’s season-ending knee injury and the release of import guard Will Cummings just days prior.

In a fixture characterized by narrow leads, Creek (33 points, three rebounds) managed a decisive 15-2 run in the third quarter, extending the lead to 18 points. The 31-year-old forward showcased his skills with two three-pointers and a transition dunk at a time when South East Melbourne’s other star player Alan Williams, unfortunately, was sent to the sidelines owing to foul trouble.

As the game unfolded, he was back to the court and managed to score 21 points and 15 rebounds. This was an epic build-up from his early stages where he had dominated with 18 first-half points. 

Nevertheless, as the game went on, Sydney managed to narrow the lead to 6 points as import guard Jaylen Adams (19 points) threatened to pull his side into the contest but their fourth-quarter momentum was short-lived.

On the flip side, Creek’s third triple in the closing minutes reestablished an 18-point lead, prompting a timeout. This victory, the Phoenix’s second on the road in seven games this season, propelled them to third place in the standings, displacing the Kings after 10 rounds.

The triumph was particularly commendable considering the recent release of Cummings, the season-ending loss of Moller, and the absence of versatile forward Reuben Te Rangi, who remained in Melbourne for the birth of his child.

In addition to Creek and Williams, Ben Ayre contributed 13 points, four assists, three steals, and two rebounds, while Matt Kenyon anchored the defence with 10 points, nine rebounds, and two steals. Rhys Vague played a crucial role with 12 points in 12 minutes, showcasing 4-of-6 three-point shooting.

Sydney’s struggles continued, losing three of their last four games and conceding over 100 points in each defeat. Jaylen Adams led the Kings with 19 points, supported by Denzel Valentine (18 points, eight rebounds), Jonah Bolden (15 points, 15 rebounds, 4-of-6 from long range), and Jaylin Galloway (12 points, five boards, three assists, two steals).

The challenges persist for Sydney as they face the second-placed Tasmania JackJumpers in Hobart this weekend when round 11 gets underway.