Finally, the much-awaited 2023-24 NBL season kicked off on Thursday, 28th September. Being the league’s 46th edition, the competition will feature the usual 10 teams and runs until 18 February 2024, and you can expect sagacious talking points, rooster changes, pundits’ rants, tactical changes, and exciting fan views. 

Well, if you have been following the NBL in the past few years, you must be aware that ESPN  struck a 3-year deal granting them broadcast rights for the league. Rightly so, all games will be live on this channel for basketball fans unable to make it to the various arena stands.  

If you are on the go, Kayo Sports is making every effort to bring you an unprecedented live-streaming experience, and you simply can’t afford to miss the exciting talent and skill showcasing as teams have upgraded their roosters in anticipation of intense competition that has hitherto characterized the competition. 

Besides, what is more compelling is that you can catch every event, talking point, or any NBL’s attention-grabbing news live from Basketball News Australia. 

We are a dedicated team of experts celebrated by global basketball enthusiasts because of our cutting-edge and 360-degree insights covering NBL news and updates as they happen. 

The Opening Round Teams 

Heralding the new season is the first round, which literally is an ideal stage for teams to test their roosters, given the competitive scouting, all-rounded training, and psychological preparation that sums up the build-up to the regular season. 

Here are the teams squaring it for the ultimate prize in February 2024. 

• Adelaide 36ers
• Brisbane Bullets 
• Cairns Taipans
• Illawarra Hawks
• Melbourne United
• New Zealand Breakers
• Perth Wildcats
• South-East Melbourne Phoenix
• Sydney Kings
• The Tasmanian JackJumpers

The Opening Round So Far 

Now that the opening weekend matches are in the history books, let’s look into some of the memorable match moments that will likely present season-long talking points even before the dust settles. 

Melbourne United’s Double Wins Thrust Them Ahead As Round 1 Concludes

Melbourne United has hit the ground running in the first round of the NBL season. The season-opening throwdown against their archrivals, SE Melbourne Phoenix, went in their favour after flooring them 82-67. 

Melbourne’s United, Luke Travers, really looked into shape and position, denying SEM a comeback despite their unrelenting spirit to the end. LT went on to finish the match with a game-high of 20 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, a block, and a steal. 

Their second match of the round against Adelaide 36ers took place at the iconic Adelaide Entertainment Centre. ME won 82-74 again asserting their influence at the early stages of the season. 

Despite playing away from the home ground, Dean Vickerman’s men showcased exemplary performances with their key players producing memorable performances. 

Usual stars, including ME’s Matthew Dellavedova AKA Delly, and 36ers Jason Cadee announced their season presence with magical three-pointers and influential passes. Travers and Goulding, again helped their team’s spirit high, helping deliver the much-needed 8-point lead at the final whistle. 

Perth Wild Cats Throw Away First Game Win With 110-99 Loss to SE Melbourne Phoenix

In what could be termed as the real fightback of round 1, SE Melbourne Phoenix showcased their mettle side and filled their fans with positive expectations of what the rounds ahead have in store for them. 

In the match that was played at John Cain Arena, Melbourne, SEM Phoenix announced their first 2023-24 initial round win with a comfortable margin of 110 against Perth’s 99. To the latter, this was a bit of disappointment as they failed to build on their initial game performance in which they had earlier outclassed Tasmnia JackJumpers 101-95 on their home turf, Perth Arena. 

Back to the South-East Melbourne Phoenix Vs. Perth Wild Cats clash, it was Tyler Cook’s moment as he lit up the atmosphere with 6 first-quarter points to close in the 8-0 points gap that the Wild Cats had earlier established in the game. 

Overall the match was tightly contested but Mike Kelly’s the SE Melbourne coach’s decision to introduce development players at the expense of senior ones seems to have yielded results. 

Mitchy Creek who had the topsy-turvy game in their opening match against Melbourne United was back to his lethal form. Although he was on the court for 25 minutes only, he produced a spectacular performance and marquee leadership getting 23 points and 9 rebounds to his name. 

Tyler Cook also announced his presence and literally cooked in the match getting his first NBL double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds. On the same wavelength, was Phoenix’s new import Will Cummings, who lit up fans with 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. He was at his best in the third quarter which saw him score six-straight points propelling his team ahead into the final whistle. 

With one win and a loss in the first round, Mike Kelly’s men are hoping to replicate this performance in their next two away matches against Cairns Taipans and Illawarra Hawks, respectively before returning to their home ground on October 14 to face Tasmania JackJumpers. 

Other Round 1 Match Day Results 

In other matches, Perth WildCats registered their first win of the 2022-24 NBL initial round with a 101 score against Tasmania JackJumpers 95. A breakdown of the match that went down on 29th September at Perth Arena. Jordan Usher was the man of the moment with 35 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists, making him one of the greatest Wildcats debuts in history. 

The New Zealand Breakers Vs. Cairns Taipan match at the parked Spark Arena in Auckland was an equally, if not over-exciting match. 

The Mody Maor men, NZ Breakers were off to a great start with a commanding 11-point margin having floored their opponents 98-87 on the home ground. 

A special mention goes to their import point guard, Parker Jackson Cartwright who announced his presence in the league with an astounding 25 points, 8 assists, and 6 steals. 

While Maor was full of praises for his team, however,  he pointed out areas he said needed improvements before their next match on October 5 where they face Brisbane Bullets 

The Sydney Kings was another team that had their first-round win against Illawarra Hawks, defeating them 96-81, despite the latter playing on home soil at Wollongong Entertainment Centre. 

With Illawarra Hawks’s next-round match round scheduled on October 7 against SE Melbourne Phoenix, the Jacob Jackomas men and their fans are keeping their fingers crossed hoping they don’t have another defeat in a row that could throw their season-long campaign into an early disarray.