EC i reckon you're getting carried away. Yes it was an ugly game and yes the hawks were physical and defensive but I think that 36ers can deal with that but we were flat from the schedule and already minus nashy and williams from the 10 and then we lose Brett and the guys could get up against Melbourne but couldn't do it against Hawks. Jake was carrying an injury, Oscar was probably flat because he had played the last 2 games through a close family bereavement and dusty was also coming off an injury. It was also unrealistic to expect Willie to find the same emotional game after his blinder against tigers. We missed shots and free throws and were physically and emotionally down and the game was not far out of reach. If Hawks play the same and we find a little bit from everyone then we can beat the Hawks. I am sure there will be no need for some of the poor shot selection that was partially forced on some of the guys because others had their heads down.
I can recall some of the best games to watch against scragging defensive titans where sixers blew them away offensively with a free flowing potent enjoyable style of game.

I consider basketball a contact sport. Not to the same level that players can hit or tackle each other as in wrestling or the AFL, but there is certainly some contact in the key in jostling for position.

That said, entertaining basketball is a free-flowing game. Not All Star games that lack any defense, but those in which players compete by the rules without unduly disadvantaging opponents. Discouraging the holding and pushing that forces shots off course and doesn't allow players a fair attempt is done by calling fouls.

It's a fine line between great defense (have a look at the photo gallery on the Sixers site from the Hawks game, and look for the pics of 36ERS getting sandwiched between Hawks in the key -- that's tough defense) and holding (see photo linked to in the other thread of Rice holding Farley unfairly) or pushing a driving player (happened to Willie all night).

The Hawks are but one team in the league. If every team played like the Hawks, I'd guess that attendances would drop, but as a single team they provide a bit of variety.

I think that the officiating was on the wrong side of that fine line on Saturday night. It wasn't just an ugly game because teams missed shots (Saville shot 8 of 22, but I thought he played an entertaining game), but a lot of missed shots were due to the pushing.

The bottom line is that not many people have written considering that this game was pleasant to watch. Impartial observers indifferent to the result have called it an ugly game too.

EC, I could say that you sound a little alarmist with the way you've written this, but at a basic level you're on the mark -- it wasn't pretty to watch and if all NBL games were like Saturday night, I think crowds would gradually tune out. It's the only Hawks game I've seen all year, so I can't say if this was just a bad example of their style.

EC,

Thats one of the most limp wristed posts ever.

Basketball is a contact sport.

May I suggest you go and watch Netball.

Or become an NBL accredited ref.