Haha.

Shame that Wesley is missing he's been huge lately.

I'd much prefer seeing these teams match up with both at full strength.

Haha love this! Better than the usual textual jousting that's rife among anonymous contributors.

With regard to the game, I didn't account for the absence of Wesley when I said NZ would win. Wynyard is a talent though. I'll stick to my guns and say Breakers by a half dozen. Reckon a defensive point guard and bigs who can board are the keys to stopping United.

Breakers DP Tai Wynyard will travel with the team and is expected to play some minutes in their absence.

A shame Wesley and Vukona are out. Think Breakers will give them a good go but won't win without those two.

NCAA eligibilty would only be jeopardised if he got paid I think. He's already played on the road this year.

But to play him on the road, don't they have to put him on the main roster and pay him?

No, that rule has changed.

New Zealand by17!!!! for sure!!

Paul, why isn't Harry Froling regularly playing for the Crocs then?

Bailey was released to retain Bartlett anon.

"Paul, why isn't Harry Froling regularly playing for the Crocs then?"

Unfortunately I don't coach the Crocs, so I'm the wrong person to ask. Perhaps hit up @sdwithenergy on twitter?

Massive game for NZ if they can get the win.

United are hot hot hot at the moment and can't seem to do anything wrong. They're like that mate everyone's got who lands on his feet.

The shootout between Goulding and Webster will be something to watch.

I get the feeling this might end up in single figures come the final siren. NZ are a team who don't know how to die easily and just keep going. "yippee ki yay"

Whatever you do don't miss the fourth quarter. I'm going to put my neck out here and tip an upset win to the Breakers. NZ by 3.

Individuals (ie both prospective student-athletes and student-athletes) would lose their NCAA amateur status if they are paid for their athletic skill. They can however receive prescribed expenses for travel etc. Travelling with the team would not be an issue as long as they are not paid for playing. Individuals will also lose amateur status if they play on a professional team which is, among other definitions, any team that has a paid player - which is the NBL & SEABL and probably most Big V teams. However, there is an important exception for prospective student-athletes (eg Wynard/Froling) who can play on a professional team so long as they haven't commenced full-time tertiary studies. If they enrolled in a full-time course, went to one lecture and played with a professional team then their College future evaporates. Part-time tertiary studies are ok but prospective student athletes need to be very careful with what constitutes part-time in the eyes of the NCAA who are very strict in this area. I know of players with shattered dreams because of these rules (applies to all three divs in NCAA and NAIA and NJCAA practically identical).

Cant see United's streak finishing today, NZ are not the powerhouse they have been and without Wesley who seems to be a solid part to their stuff, will be tough. United are tough enough when your at full strength! United have been causing but should lift for this one... again.

Probably no more important player for their team than Mika Vukona, he's one of the world's best PFs at defending the ball-screen, and that's crucial to slowing Melbourne.

NZ will be a power by the end of the season if Pledger stays healthy, but with both their PFs missing today it would be a hell of a statement to win. Looking forward to it regardless.

Stayed behind because his wife/partner is due to give birth.

Not sure if that's lame, but not having a 24 second clock is.

No shotclock is pretty inexcusable... What if the game comes down to the final seconds, do we check if a player got the shot off before the announcer finished saying '1'?

NZ started off ok but have now resorted to leaving people wide open on the perimeter and then not boxing out.

Young Tai Wynyard checking in

A decent crowd for this game.

Too many turnovers for NZ, if they can limit those in the next quarter the should be able to get a small lead heading into half time. Defensive rotations on the perimeter haven't been flash either. Kickert and Goulding won't miss many more open ones.

Yeah I get that there's a decent relationship between the ref(s) and Goulding but that's just a lack of respect for the officials. Should be a tech foul warning right there. Refs need to respect themselves, they're the bosses here

United dont seem too interested like someone else said, but they still lead. Reckon United could open this up if they hit a few more of the open looks they are getting.

Idiot, United are down 8 and do not look likely at the moment. NZ have a knack of getting these sort of games.

Does Jackson travel every time he drives left hand?

'I wish Kickert and Goulding shot like that against us' - every other coach in the NBL.

These guys are ok... Greer is a little bit too pro Melbourne but they keep it interesting. Not as annoying as the United court side announcer and the shot clock countdown today!

Blanchfield with the drive to remind everyone he does in fact play for Melbourne too.

'Wow what a shit call' should replace #hardball as the league's official hashtag.

Haha, you still salty from last night AngusH??

Covering their mics so people at home don't learn that they have no idea what to do.

Nope, been saying the same about the refereeing all season (and last season, and the season before....).

That's a hideous call. No way that's unsportsmanlike.

Unsportsman on Webster has to be the worst call this season hands down

That was a disgraceful call. Just when I start to like Goulding he does that.

Melbourne don't deserve to win in regulation. Make them earn it in OT.

Just a terrible call, no way that is un sportsman like. Worst call i've ever seen in basketball.

Bit early to call it the worst call this season, they've still got another 9.2 seconds with no shot clock. Let's see what the refs draw up here.

lol

A foul call... of course.

Melbourne just had the game handed to them.
What a fucking joke.

Left a sour taste in my mouth.

The whole clock saga is an absolute joke. How do you play professional sport without a functional fucking clock to work with

What a load of BS.

Wow.

I thought the idea of the refs wearing microphones was do we could hear what they're saying. Worst reffing I've seen in ages. Looks like a real amateur league with no shot clocks. What must the Dallas Mavs official think?

No Justice

The refs got into the hometown comeback spirit last night. They took it to another level today.

Yikes the refs were not great down the stretch there at all! I didnt think NZ got too bad a run there for most of the game but that was very odd the way that all played out. As a fan I kind of feel ripped off, did United actually win that...

And before the Perth fans get all over this, very different circumstances than that no call.

Also, how the hell was Majok allowed to basically run into the lane at the last sec without the refs stopping or perhaps calling a violation.

Holt was about to shoot and he came running in.

That Mavericks scout must be absolutely shocked at the reffing in this league.

You mean Dan Ewing? Yeah, he adds absolutely nothing with his 'interviews'.

I feel like I just wasted 2 hours to watch Melbourne be gifted a win in what was an otherwise pretty enjoyable game.

Why was it called unsportsmanlike..? Was it the contact on Goulding...? Or because it came after the foul on Pledger...?

unsportsmanlike, yeah righto. Sixers supporter so don't care if NZ or Melb get what call. But the refs really stuffed that game up. Was really enjoying the finish and the refs just ruined it. They had no idea what decision to make and seemed to just make it up as time went on and somehow came up with unsportsmanlike. Looked like the last foul when Holt drove was guesswork "umm, should I or should I not" as ref really hesitated and delayed his call. Shame for that finish to what was otherwise another cracker of a game.

Hahaha, Peach gets some back on Twitter.

Anthony Petrie ‏@Antpetrie17
@ChrisGoulding43 soooooo I took a legitimate charge and didn't flop and u took it to another level by doing that to get a win! Classic!

Twitter exploding about how wrong the unsportsmanlike call was.

They should have not called that foul on the Chief and let it go to OT

Is now a good time to bring up my above comment about Goulding patting the head(s) of officials and hugging them?

No wonder they get zero respect

It was unsportsmanlike because it happened after the majok foul so was in a dead ball situation, hence unsportsmanlike. Should have been a flopping foul on Goulding.

@Mystro - Thanks for the clarification, seemed to happen at the same time though.

Goulding flopped, bad call. Pledger didn't foul Holt, not eve close. And for the anon the difference is the Beal got blocked, any contact after that was a no issue, but thats been discussed.

I think more needs to be made of the Pledger thing, Holt just fell over, seemed so relieved to have heard the whistle. Bad final minute from he refs.

Yes. Do refs scout players as well? Holt does that often - will go for a layup and basically fall over as he shoots. Because it looks like he lands hard, the refs automatically presume contact when in fact he has just landed badly by trying to avoid a lot of the contact/get room for a shot off

Pledger sure didn't do a lot wrong IMO

So sad that such a good game was decided by such a refereeing shambles. Sadly, after all the good stuff happening that's happened this season, today gives ammunition to those who call the NBL a bush league.

Not going to get into the Beal thing we all have our valid opinions. Point was people were up in arms over that, but this has definite merit to complain about. This is not a Perth thread!

Very ordinary reffing indeed.Breakers got the pineapple this afternoon!!!

1. Shot clock was a joke.
2. Goulding cuddling refs is a very bad look.
3. The unsportsmanlike was a terrible call.
4. The Pledger foul was there & called all night.
5. Dean made a howler not fouling with 9 secs left. You have both centres fouled out & you are happy hoping for overtime? Ridiculous ,foul immediately & have 7 secs left to win with a three!

Thank good this didn't happen against Adelaide the internet would blow up

I thought the Pledger call wasnt there, but interesting take on fouling early and going for the win on the, I like it Thunder jam!!

Except both centres weren't fouled out with nine seconds to go. Pledger was on and played excellent defence on the switch to force overtime ... Oh wait.

Tommy Abercrombie played pretty good huh? Ally dunk, automatic on the mid range j and then all the 3's and still played great d.

Best game I've seen Abercrombie play for a loooong time, those back to back 3's in the 3rd kept United down.

Tom's having a super season, the guy rarely makes a mistake and makes Important plays at both ends.

I thought the Breakers made the same mistake the Tall Blacks sometimes make, that is continuing to go to Webster/Penney when they are having off nights. No way Webster should got 22 shots up today, he just wasn't feeling it.

Pledger played great d on Kickert at the end there and his d on holt was pretty good as well. The big guy is hopefully playing himself into some form. Charles Jackson brings a ton of energy, especially chasing o boards and getting up and down the floor.

I guess Webster can catch fire at any minute so they were happy to let him chuck them up and prey he got hot.
They should have run more plays for Tommy and used Webster more as a decoy.

Spot on Mystro, something the Tall Blacks can do much more effectively too. Get Webster back in the game by getting other guys scoring and shifting the focus of the D a little.

I must say, it could look like UTD are getting some very lucky calls that result in a win, but could that just be a conspiracy theory, not sure...

What I am sure about is this, officials have been very, very, very inconsistent this season and this NBL season has not been boring, that's about it really!

Oh and Ced Jackson got another triple double.

Yeah, it's unfortunate a new reffing boss is making mistakes that have been made in the past, but despite the incredible inconsistency the players are really starting to put on a great show (as they do most years just nobody promotes it) after a patchy first week or two.

5. Dean made a howler not fouling with 9 secs left. You have both centres fouled out & you are happy hoping for overtime? Ridiculous ,foul immediately & have 7 secs left to win with a three!

I kind of liked the idea Thunder Jam threw out there, worst case your down 2 with shooters ready to fire and time on the clock. As it turned out a pretty bad call decided it anyways. Why not be in control of your own shooting destiny to a degree... Thinking outside the box.

Better off either going to OT or getting a chance to win it in regulation (if there's a turnover or something), rather than putting yourself in a situation where you *need* to score.

And even if you think it's a reasonable idea, to say not adhering to it is a 'howler' is ridiculous.

Well the terminology of howler is probably to do with a bit of heated passion, its def not ball 101, but i like it purely due to the fact it never even crossed my mind. Got to love basketball for stuff like that. Not often you get the TO with 9 secs left cos the PG will dribble out the clock, and then yeah your best bet is OT.

Sure, but I'd rather take OT and back my players to outscore the other team in five minutes than have to outscore them in five seconds.

I remember Gordie did it once, with the Hawks against the Blaze. Didn't end well.

Yeah, it turns out the NBL rule, like the NBA rule, only applies to the defence.

Not sure 43.2.5 applies, as Majok was occupying a lane position, even though he got there late.

Why do the refs want to give Melbourne games. That's two now that Melbourne have been given.Perth and now NZ. These guys need to be sacked!!!

Just watched the replay and ref was sucked in and looks like he realised it halfway through the call looking at his body language he was like fouloohhifuckedup!!