It’s a new week and the NBL 2023-24 round 7 is in history books but luckily, it left us with some memorable takes that will fire or, cool the jets as we look forward to the 8th round that will kick off on Thursday, November 16th with the first match between Tasmania Jackjumpers and New Zealand Breakers expected to start at 7.30 PM AEDT

As usual, we bring you the unfiltered snapshot of the action that went down from Friday, November 10 to Sunday, November 12th. 

Overall, Melbourne is still top of the chart with 9 wins out of 11 translating into an 81.82% win percentage, while Sydney is second with 7 wins out of 10 games (win rate -70%). 

Illawarra Hawks and New Zealand Breakers are having a hell of a season as they closed the round with only 2 wins out of 9 and 8 games, respectively. 

Of course, that is how things look from the table perspective as other teams are bundled in between with expectedly higher hopes to close ranks with top-tier Melbourne while running away from the poor winning streak that characterizes the aforementioned bottom-of-the-ladder teams.  

While this is just an overview, we have gone beyond the call of duty; as is our norm, and below, we cover a tantalizing fixture highlight following the round’s standout performances that will for sure, highlight key moments of the NBL 2023-24 season when it ultimately concludes early next year. 

South East Melbourne( 82) Vs Melbourne United (93)

Chris Goulding and Jo Lual-Acuil Jr points against SEM during the Round 7 match on November 10, 2023.

Melbourne United continued their streak of winning fixtures following a thrilling throwdown on Sunday Afternoon. Special mentions go to Jo Lual-Acuil Jr and Chris Goulding who staged memorable skills and individual efforts to settle the much-anticipated fixture in their favor. 

With Luke Tavers, Matthew Dellavedova, and Ian Clark all out with disappointing injuries, United’s chances of winning such a high-profile fixture were seemingly minimal. Besides, Ariel Hukporti was a major doubt having sustained a knee knock in round 6. 

To the fans base surprise, however, United’s depth proved an enviable focal point as they were able to surmount the injury blows. 

Chris Goulding rose to the occasion and managed 27 points which deservedly earned him the esteemed Foot Locker Player of the game honours. His counterpart, Jo Lual-Acuil Jr went on record as a dominant force with an incredible 26-point double-double. 

While giving his comments after the game, Chris Goulding was elated by the upcoming New Zealand-born and talented guard, Flynn Cameron who comfortably filled in the shoes of the absent Clark and Dellavedova. 

During the post-match interview, Goulding praised the guard on the way he handled himself. 

“My thoughts are I’m really proud of the way he handled himself tonight. For a lot of guys, it was a big game and a big opportunity and I think the best thing I see with that is he’s a worker.

“He works, and he works and he works. The way I think – that’s why you work, so when opportunity presents itself you’re there to take it and grab it, and that’s what he did. It doesn’t surprise me one bit”

While seemingly praising Melbourne’s style and system of play, stresses that Flynn instantly blended with the rest of the team showcasing his rhyme with the club’s long-standing values. 

Melbourne’s victory means that on Sunday we are about to witness a top-tier clash because they are fixtures against Sydney Kings who later demolished Brisbane Bullets 104 against 95. 

Goulding said he is looking forward to challenging Sydney’s formidable defense and also counting on the fans’ support to maintain their so far top-league position. 

“Like always we’ll lean on our coaches to give us the best plan possible. I’m sure there’ll be a big crowd. Our fans have been turning out in droves and it’s so good … hopefully we’ll have a good game plan and try to get a win.”

FYI, Melbourne, and Sydney will play on Sunday, November 19 at 4 pm AEDT, and as always, you can catch all the NBL 2023-24 Round 8 updates here as our pundits and experts promise to give you a sweeping 360-degree coverage as soon as the game begins. 

SEM Moller’s Take Following The Defeat

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – NOVEMBER 12: Craig Moller of the Phoenix (L) in action during the round seven NBL match between South East Melbourne Phoenix and Melbourne United at John Cain Arena on November 12, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia.

Following the resounding defeat by Melbourne United, the renowned South-East Melbourne forward Craig Moller argues that every moment matters in the NBL23 if we have to weigh in the current final standings

While at it, he seemingly regretted loose defense and resultantly called his teammates to ensure a more locked defense for the entire 40 minutes if they want to broaden their league-winning chances. 

Moller seemed infuriated at the fixture conclusion following what we could call a pair of simple baskets that lastly deflated SEM’s hopes at the packed John Cain Arena. Actually, Melbourne managed to debilitate them completely after Kyle Bowen and Jo Lual-Acuil Jr secured two and one opportunities within the final 20 seconds. 

While drawing conclusions from the previous season’s happenings, he went back to how Perth scrapped into the coveted Play-in-Qualifier against SEM over United thanks to Perth’s superior percentage in the NBL23. 

He pointed out that NBL24 is the most closely contested season in the history of the competition and that his teammates should heavily consider more buy-ins. 

Moller said, “Every point counts and we’ve spoken about that. Obviously United missed out last year by whatever it was – a couple of points – it was purely that’’

He continued, 

“I felt like I was there on my own in that last 10-15 seconds with two or three guys to defend and obviously I fouled Jo. It was literally that simple for me, maybe a little bit of frustration that we lost, but every point matters and we just gave up an easy one at the end”

The SEM head coach Mike Kelly seemed to support Moller’s claims, reiterating that defense needs to be a constant buy-in from his guys. He continued that everyone talks about it but disappointingly that is what they seem to be missing consistently. 

The defeat came at the back of an impressive five-home-game winning streak, but Kelly is hopeful they will bounce back to more wins in round 8, with their first match scheduled on Friday night against the Aldeaide who are also hoping to pull strings and make finals category as they are currently in the lower-tier Play-in-Tournament, overall position 8 in the league standings.