The NBL has launched a review of multiple incidents that marred a fiery Brisbane-Cairns clash in round two amid reports of a physical altercation involving a coach.

The Taipans were 89-86 winners in Saturday night’s Queensland derby, which created headlines after an ugly on-court stoush between Lat Mayen and Bullets centre Aron Baynes.

A furious Baynes needed to be held back by teammates as he protested with a referee after high contact from Mayen during the second quarter.

Footage showed Mayen had elbowed Baynes to the throat region while contesting a rebound.

Both players received technical fouls and the pair confronted each other again as they left the court for the halftime break.

Baynes and Mayen were ejected from the game before play began in the third quarter.

On Sunday, ESPN reported Baynes was also involved in an alleged physical altercation with Taipans coach Adam Forde during the halftime break.

The NBL later released a statement confirming its Game Review Panel is reviewing incidents involving Baynes, Mayen and Forde.

“The Game Review Panel (GRP) is reviewing incidents from the game … involving Bullets’ player Aron Baynes, Taipans’ player Lat Mayen and Taipans’ coach Adam Forde,” the league said in a statement.

“No further statement will be provided until the review process is complete.”

Forde denied words were exchanged in the tunnel when he was asked about it in his post-match press conference.

Forde praised Mayen for taking his ejection in his stride.

“It was what it was and Lat took it very well. Credit to Lat, to take the punishment and move on from it,” he said.

“It was always going to be a physical game.

“Brisbane had a great couple of wins to start the season and they wanted to protect the home court.”

Kings storm home to sink 36ers

The Sydney Kings have celebrated the unfurling of their latest NBL championship banner by storming to a 109-100 win over the Adelaide 36ers.

Some 14,029 fans, the biggest crowd for a stand-alone home opener in NBL history, turned out to celebrate last season’s triumph.

But if the ensuing game was any guide, the new-look Kings have some way to go to recapture their all-conquering form and surge to a three-peat.

“I honestly don’t worry about what we’ve done the last couple of years,” said new coach Mahmoud Abdelfattah.

“It’s just about the team that we’ve got right now and being the best team we can be today.

“We’re not going to be the champs today, we’re not going to be the best team in the league today. 

“We just have to be better than our opponent and today we just made a few more plays.” 

The end scoreline served no justice to an Adelaide side that was superior in a hotly-contested third quarter but fell off the pace in the fourth.

“Where we’re at is we have a dog in us, we have a toughness in us, and we’re still finding that gel,” said Sixers coach CJ Bruton.

“We’ve had our moments throughout our first four games so far but we couldn’t sustain it.”

Starting centre Jordan Hunter was the Kings’ most prolific scorer with 22 points and eight rebounds.

The pre-season wooden spoon fancies erased the Kings’ nine-point half-time lead in the third term, with imports Trey Kell III (28 points, five rebounds) and Jacob Wiley (17 points, five assists) starring.

The Sixers were able to slow the game onto their terms by working hard under the rim in the third quarter and frustrating the Kings into missing shots.

But after the final change, Kings guard and renowned clutch player Jaylen Adams (16 points, eight assists) hit back-to-back three-pointers and restored the Kings’ nine-point lead.

“That separated us and we just got it going,” said Abdelfattah.

From there, the Kings were able to play the quick basketball that has won them the past two titles, while the Sixers ran out of steam.

Adelaide have now slumped to a 0-4 record and are the only team yet to win a game this season.

“We all saw it coming into the season. No one really expected much from us but at the same time I think we’ve proven we’re not that far,” Kell said. “We’ve been in every game.”

New Kings import Denzel Valentine is easing into the NBL but had his best game yet with 15 points and five assists.

Doyle stars as Tasmania end Melbourne streak

Star import Milton Doyle has exploded late to lead the Tasmania JackJumpers to a thrilling 80-75 upset of NBL heavyweights Melbourne United.

Melbourne were in control with a 13-point lead early in the final period at John Cain Arena on Sunday before the JackJumpers launched a stunning fightback.

American guard Doyle drained 14 points in the fourth quarter, including the go-ahead triple with 20 seconds left to play.

Shea Ili had a great look for United to tie the scores in the dying stages but couldn’t hit the mark from the corner.

Tasmania led the contest for less than two minutes and outscored their hosts 27-14 in the final period to complete a huge week.

After a season-opening defeat to Perth, the JackJumpers rebounded with back-to-back wins over reigning champions Sydney and title favourites Melbourne in round two.

“To get a road win is very, very difficult in this league and we just had a really good, strong weekend,” Tasmania coach Scott Roth said.

“We’re humbled by it and we’re lucky to get out of there but we made enough plays down the stretch and our defence was sound enough to allow us to have a chance.”

Jordon Crawford kept Tasmania in the contest early with 10 first-quarter points and finished with 18, while Jack McVeigh (13 points, five rebounds) was also important.

Doyle finished with a game-high tallies of 25 points and eight rebounds.

“He’s a wonderful player, an incredible human being and (I like) the way he interacts with our guys,” Roth said.

“But we have pieces around him to give him confidence to do what he does.

“I thought Marcus (Lee) was very good in the last three or four minutes … and everyone just chipped in enough to do what we needed to get done.

“To put the ball in his (Doyle’s) hands is a coach’s dream for me. I can just get out of the way and let him do his thing.”

Doyle drained four three-pointers during his game-winning fourth-quarter burst.

“I tried to do it a little earlier but just couldn’t make a basket,” he said.

“Shooters keep shooting and some fell in at the end.”

Ariel Hukporti (15 points), Chris Goulding (12) and Ian Clark (11) led Melbourne’s scoring in their first loss of the new season.

Goulding drained all of his points in the first half from outside the arc as United led a low-scoring contest 36-35 at the main break.

Melbourne coach Dean Vickerman lamented his side’s inability to close out the contest in the final quarter after building what looked to be a game-winning lead.

“They were great. They came up with some offensive boards and pitch-out threes and scrambled,” Vickerman said of Tasmania.

“But mostly it’s Milton Doyle making plays and making four threes in the fourth quarter and making some tough ones over our hand.

“We had to keep chipping away. You can’t score three points (in the final six minutes) and expect to win.”

Hawks on the board with win over Phoenix

The Illawarra Hawks have put their last-placed finish in the past and triumphed 113-106 against South East Melbourne Phoenix for their first win of the new NBL season.

After winning only three of 28 games in Jacob Jackomas’ first season as coach in 2022/23, the Hawks were inspired to a 1-1 record by import Justin Robinson (26 points, seven assists, five rebounds) at home on Saturday.

But it was Korean ace Hyunjung Lee who ignited a late 12-0 run that put the Hawks in position to win the shootout and break an eight-game home losing streak.

“We had a lot of disappointment last year and we never sat in these seats, speaking like this,” Jackomas said.

“We’re enjoying it (the win), probably a little bit too much.

“We won’t get too carried away on Monday but tonight, (the players) they can do what they want.”

In the pre-season, Lee billed himself as the “best shooter in the NBL” and he went some way to vindicating those comments with back-to-back threes from each edge of the arc in the last term.

The 22-year-old’s clutch baskets lifted the Hawks to a six-point lead and the home spectators to the edge of their seats.

“When we get guys like that who can come cold off the bench and hit, we’re going to score a little bit more,” Jackomas said. 

After Tyler Harvey hit his own triple midway through the fourth quarter, the Hawks had a game-high 11-point lead. They never again trailed.

The undermanned Phoenix showed plenty of heart to take the game on even without injured imports Alan Williams (knee) and Tyler Cook (eye).

Mitch Creek (24 points, eight rebounds) and Will Cummings (28 points, seven rebounds) put the visitors on their backs but the Phoenix could not reel the Hawks back in late.

Illawarra’s victory means the Adelaide 36ers are at risk of finishing round two as the only winless team if they cannot upset the Sydney Kings on Sunday.

An offensively focused contest unfolded at the WIN Entertainment Centre, with both sides keen to chance their arm from deep – combining for 56 attempts beyond the arc.

Harvey led the charge early on with 13 second-quarter points as Illawarra took a 60-55 lead into halftime. 

By way of comparison, there were four occasions last season when the Hawks failed to score more than 70 for an entire game.

Scoring dried up after the half, with neither side able to kick clear until Lee came on for his fourth-quarter cameo.

South East Melbourne have now won only one of their first four games under coach Mike Kelly.

“It’s frustrating, with the group, I think it has the talent to be better than 1-3,” Kelly said.

“At the same time, I just look forward to having everyone back and then also building, learning from each game.”

Cats fire late to down Adelaide

Four late three-pointers despite being ice cold all night were enough for the Perth Wildcats to see off the charge of the Adelaide 36ers at RAC Arena for the 82-75 victory.

Despite missing all 14 of their three-point attempts in the first half, Perth were in control of the contest until the winless and under pressure Sixers came out firing in the second half.

They did briefly grab the lead on a couple of occasions led by centre Isaac Humphries (18 points, four rebounds, three assists, three blocks), but it was huge three-point bombs that iced the game for the ‘Cats.

Despite having gone 2-of-23 up to that point, Bryce Cotton and Corey Webster knocked down one each before expected high NBA draft pick Alex Sarr hit two of them to secure the seven-point home win.

Cotton led Perth’s charge again with 19 points and five assists with Sarr adding 16 points, six rebounds and two blocks, and Jordan Usher 16 points and five boards.

Despite fouling out in just 21 and-a-half minutes, Keanu Pinder added 10 points and seven rebounds with Webster scoring 11 crucial points.

Wildcats coach John Rillie was especially with the responsibility his players took after Sunday’s loss to the South East Melbourne Phoenix.

“This was a great week for our team,” Rillie said. “I had several guys let me know through taking their own accountability for their own performance. 

“So when you have guys who take accountability for what they do, I think you have a chance to have a special team.”

Jason Cadee started for Adelaide and delivered 13 points and four assists with Jacob Wiley contributing 13 points, six rebounds and four assists, and Trey Kell III 10 points, five boards and four assists. Adelaide coach CJ Bruton took the positives heading into Sunday’s road trip to the defending champion Sydney Kings.

“It’s disappointing again not to come away with a win but if I’m being honest, I thought this game was a little better,” Bruton said. 

“We do some things at the right time and we have some brain freezes other times, but I thought our effort and attention to go get it done in the second half was so much better than where it’s been.”

Even without being able to hit from downtown, Perth appeared in cruise control much of the first half going on a 10-0 run in the first quarter on the way to the 28-17 lead after one.

It remained a 13-point game at the half despite the Wildcats missing all 14 of their three-point attempts but the 10 Adelaide turnovers and 16 free-throws to Perth made up for that.

Eventually Cotton hit the first triple for Perth early in the second half but Adelaide had come out motivated staring down the 0-3 start.

A Cadee three-point play gave the Sixers the lead briefly and it was a tight battle the rest of the way, but ultimately it was three-point shots from Perth that sealed the deal. Cotton and Webster hit one each, and then Sarr hit two of them to give the ‘Cats the win.

Doyle propels JackJumpers past Kings

The poise of Milton Doyle and a surge either side of halftime have boosted the Tasmania JackJumpers to a 80-72 victory over NBL defending champions the Sydney Kings, thrilling home fans.

While Next Star Alex Toohey was superb for the Kings with 14 first-half points and returning 2021-22 MVP Jaylen Adams had 14 points in the third quarter, the JackJumpers had more consistent weapons, with Doyle leading the Friday night charge.

Doyle scored 11 of 14 consecutive points for Tasmania either side of half-time at a soldout MyState Bank Arena and the JackJumpers never trailed again despite the threat posed by Adams.

Tasmania went on to win in trademark fashion, having claimed 20 offensive rebounds to take nine extra shots and four more free-throws, while Doyle finished with 21 points and three assists.

New point guard Jordon Crawford had 15 points and four assists for the JackJumpers, with Jack McVeigh contributing 13 points and six rebounds.

JackJumpers coach Scott Roth was delighted with the response from his team after last week’s first-up loss to the Wildcats in Perth.

“It was more what we expect from ourselves in general,” Roth said. “You have to defend if you want to advance into the playoffs and have the chance to do that, and we came back and showed our colours a little better here.

“To start off obviously at home in this situation and to defend the island was our No.1 goal and to start the season with a home victory is really nice.”

There were encouraging signs for the Kings, especially the second-half form of Adams. He finished with 21 points, four assists and three steals.

Jaylin Galloway continued to grow with 11 points while Jonah Bolden contributed 10 points and eight rebounds in his second game for the Kings following their opening win over Illawarra Hawks.

Bolden hadn’t played professionally since a short stint in the NBA at the Phoenix Suns in February, 2020, but is feeling more comfortable every day.

“Coming back to this level, the game moves a little bit faster than you think and I’m dealing with it a lot better now,” he said. “It’s just that mental part of coming back and getting used to playing in a new system that takes some time.”

Sydney led 19-18 after the first quarter, then it was Toohey who got them going in the second. The 19-year-old hit two threes as he scored eight quick points to help the Kings to a five-point edge.

However, Doyle took over from there for Tasmania.

He scored the last eight points of the half and with the JackJumpers hitting six threes for the second quarter, the home team led 48-40 at the break.

Triples from Crawford and Doyle after Sydney turnovers to start the second half and suddenly the JackJumpers were up by 14, but Adams scored 14 points in the rest of the third quarter to keep the visitors within seven.

Threes from Sean Macdonald and Clint Steindl to start the fourth put Tasmania back up by 13 and they saw out the win strongly.

Taipans beat Phoenix after Cook suffers eye injury

The Cairns Taipans are on the board this NBL season after an 87-80 defeat of South East Melbourne Phoenix, who were rocked by an eye injury to import Tyler Cook.

Swedish-born Next Star Bobi Klintman (15 points, 11 rebounds) shone for Cairns as they seized control about the time Cook left the court in Thursday night’s home game.

The Taipans took a one-point lead just before Cook’s injury in the second quarter and never surrendered their advantage, despite the Phoenix putting up a fight early in the fourth.

Taipans import Patrick Miller (23 points, eight assists) was also important in a win that was only confirmed when Lat Mayen hit two threes in the final four minutes to blow out the lead.

“We were playing great defence, following the game plan, doing what coach wanted us to do and we got the ‘W’ (win). It was good,” Klintman said.

Cairns big man Sam Waardenburg accidentally poked Cook in the eye as the American went up for a shot in the minutes before half-time.

The 26-year-old fell down immediately in intense pain and left the court with the assistance of Phoenix staff.  Cook bled from his eye and reacted badly to eye-drops, so he played no further part in the game.

After the match, coach Mike Kelly was unsure as to the severity of his injury. “I know it hurt him enough to not be able to continue,” he said.

Phoenix captain Mitch Creek appeared to question why no foul was paid, despite the contact from Waardenburg.

“I think one of the mosquitoes from Cairns flew in his eye and he’s getting checked out now,” Creek said. “It doesn’t matter what we think, it doesn’t matter what did or didn’t happen. A man’s … in hospital getting checked out for no reason, really.

“It’s unfortunate, we don’t want to see our players hurt.”

Himself an injury replacement for import Alan Williams (knee), Cook went down after Will Cummings copped a knock in the first quarter and left the court bleeding from his mouth. 

Cummings was able to return later in the match, but with Williams, Cook and Craig Moller (virus) missing, the Phoenix were vulnerable to a Klintman-inspired surge.

The Phoenix had started the second quarter on a 10-1 run, but lost Cook during a 9-0 streak the other way.

Klintman, Cairns’ 208cm NBA draft prospect, nailed a corner three in the second quarter and ripped the ball from Rhys Vague’s hands before tearing away to dunk.

“This is why we were desperate to get him here. He ticks so many boxes for us,” said Taipans coach Adam Forde. “It’s just cool that he’s here and we can be part of his journey so when he becomes big-time, we can say we were there for the start.”

Three-pointers to Gary Browne either side of three-quarter time helped pull South East Melbourne to within four points in the final quarter.

Creek (20 points, eight rebounds) was also big for the visitors, but the gap proved too mighty to close. Reuben Te Rangi fouling out in the final quarter certainly did not help either.

The Taipans’ win comes after they fell to the New Zealand Breakers in their first game of the season, while the Phoenix are now 1-2 ahead of Saturday’s clash with Illawarra. 

Sobey shines as Bullets beat Breakers

Nathan Sobey has starred for the Brisbane Bullets in a nailbiting 89-85 defeat of reigning runners-up the New Zealand Breakers, a victory that confirms positive signs for the long-time NBL strugglers.

The Bullets have not made the play-offs since 2019 and finished ninth last season, but are now 2-0 to start Justin Schueller’s tenure as coach after a physical encounter in Auckland.

Sobey pitched in a game-high 24 points on Thursday night, including a memorable dunk that gave the Bullets a four-point lead on the half-time hooter.

The Boomers representative stood up late with six fourth-quarter points, and by the end of the game he was closing in on a double-double with eight rebounds, as well as six assists.

American Chris Smith stepped back for a deep two-pointer in the final 13 seconds that gave the Bullets a four-point lead and sealed the win. “To be 2-0 to start the season feels great for now,” Sobey said.

“We’ll definitely take the wins and keep building from it, but with the group we have we’re not going to be satisfied.

“We’re hungry, we’ve got a group of guys that just want to get better, hang their hats on the defensive end and get out and play the right way and play for each other. That’s the biggest difference (compared to last year).” 

Neither side held a double-digit lead at any point, though the Bullets felt the better team for long stretches. That was especially true in the first half, when the Breakers were sluggish on the offensive end and foul-prone.

Diminutive American guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright (20 points, five assists) backed up an impressive NBL debut by keeping the Breakers in the contest early.

His one-two punch with fellow guard Will McDowell-White looks as though it will be crucial for the Breakers this season. The pair combined for almost half of the Breakers’ points on Thursday (39), but Mitch Norton did a great job quelling Jackson-Cartwright’s influence after half-time.

In the end, the Breakers were left to rue gifting the Bullets 20 points from the free-throw line.

“This is indicative of us playing soft on both sides of the court,” said Breakers coach Mody Maor. “We never played with the appropriate intensity. We’re better than this. We didn’t deserve this win.”

The Breakers are 1-1 to start the season and now travel to America for two pre-season games against NBA teams Portland and Utah next week.

Finn Delany missed the loss to Brisbane with a groin issue and is unlikely to feature on the American trip, which Maor said could be a blessing or a curse for the Breakers.

© AAP