I think Cairns will be pumped but the Sixers should take this one if the performance against the Breakers is anything to go by. They did such a poor job of contesting the 3 although they would be trying to sort that at training

Unless Cairns can get Crosswhite and Rychart involved 36ers should do it easy. Also from all reports Gilchrist should be too much for Cairns in the open court and Ballinger too hard to contain down low. Also can't see Cairns defending 36ers perimeter game esp if they play like they did in NZ.

Pumped for the Sixers to finally get out there and get their season under way.

For the punters out there some interesting betting IMO;
Sixers 2.20 - Cairns 1.68

Game Total 160 seems a little low for my liking, every game so far has gone over this and I don't overly rate the Taipans defence, not so sure about the Sixers but in the past we have struggled with D and consentrated on putting numbers on the board.

Is this game being televised. If so when and where

Who will the starting 5 be?

Burston
Ballinger
Holmes
Gilchrist
Groves

Then off the bench:
Hill, Cooper, Ng, Herbert, Molitor

Is this game being televised. If so when and where

i think the only way to see the game is thru fiba live stats: http://linky.com.au/9t786

Burston will come off the bench tonight becos of his limited pre season work.

I think herbert will take his place instead, maybe even cooper but with cairns limited size its more likely it will b herbert.

Should be a good tough game.

This game marks an important time for the club.

We win, then its possible to perhaps foresee games being won away from home and more to the point, we havent played yet as Cairns only got 2 days rest from their game in NZ.

We lose, then perhaps we will struggle to ake an impression on the top half of the final 6 should we make it.

It will e a test but I reckon with the talent we got, we can make it happen.

Btw, if you read the game notes at nbl.com.au, they fail to take into account how many players we had on the sidelines during our stint in Darwin etc.

Typical biase from the NBL and its sportswriters

Still can't see Cairns doing it! Make sure your guys double the on ball, and overplay Melzer. Be more circumspect with Mills because he will try to force the penetration.
Cairns will try to use the clock so overplay the ball esp Williams who will overdribble and he is not too sure yet whether to drive the lane or pull it out and use the clock.
I expect Gilchrist to control this one and find all of your 3 pt specialists.
If you can take it at Crosswhite and get some fouls the paint will be yours as well.Sixers by 15.
Of course this doesn't mean didly if Cairns grab the early initiative. Then you could be in for an arm wrestle.... Sixers by 2 in this senario.

up at qtr time 23:22

wrong! time all out....

Cortez Groves...

is such a good player.

It might be Cairns by 2 - 38 to 36. FIBA seems to have stopped.
Groves no good yet, replaced by Ng who is doing better

Presume 36-38 is half time.
Cairns 6 of 8 from downtown and still only up by two. Must be a pretty poor game.
Sixers shooting poorly but still in it. If you find the range in the second half you should be OK.

How in the world is Boodnikoff getting three's off. Sixers had better not be sitting in a zone.

58-53 lead. If you can put the squeeze on them here you should b able to kick away.

2 turnovers and now you are down 1. Unbelievable!!! Burston having a monster game.

Do they want any more ball handling turnovers?

Surely it's time for Ballinger to step up and see you guys home????

63 all - 3qtr time?

It's the Burston-Gichrist spectacular...

But no one knows what time it is.

Into junk time by the look. Down 10. Hard to beat anyone shooting 35%.

Cairns 10 up somewhere in the last quarter

now 11

13?

Looks like a 11 point loss

Strike 1 Cortez?

Rychart huge, Mills very efficient,Jones usual.... but Boodnikoff with 16 I refuse to believe. From what I have seen he can only catch and shoot and that is unacceptable defense.
Gilchrist all class. Burston monster, Holmes solid, but when you look at the rest no support, Ballinger, Herbert, Groves all missing in action.
I wonder if Burston was on court long enough to grab all those rebounds how come he did not feature more in shots attempted.
This does not bode well for the season!!!
Still Cairns turned it around in a couple of days so why not you guys.

I think you are a bit harsh on Boodnikoff there Bill, he has a nice pull up game, runs hard in transition and has a quick release. He is a championship winner dont forget.

And BJ Carter is a decent shooter who can put up points quickly.

Boti on a turning point in the game:

'In that same play phase, John and Darren Ng both got injured,' Ninnis said of the match's turning point.

'John scored a lay-up but landed awkwardly while at the other end of the floor, Darren cramped up.'

Forced to take out both players, Adelaide lost its impetus, Rich Melzer, Gary Boodnikoff and Julien Mills crafting a mini 6-0 run which gave Cairns back the lead and with it, the momentum.

When we had that 5 point quarter the other year, was that in Cairns? Which quarter was it?