NBL Wrap: Round 21 - Hawks and Kings give post-season preview, and Tasmania’s Cinderella run continues as Perth hit 35 year low

Jed Wells

•
NBL Wrap: Round 21 - Hawks and Kings give post-season preview, and Tasmania’s Cinderella run continues as Perth hit 35 year low image

They say all good things have to come to an end, and this was the case for the NBL regular season. 

But almost as if the regular season knew its days were numbered, it made sure to go out with a bang, with the very last game being possibly the most significant NBL match of the last decade. 

But as the sun sets on the regular season, it too rises on the playoffs, with four teams desperate to extend their season and maybe even win it all. 

Missed the round 20 action? Check out our wrap with all the major moments.

Illawarra and Sydney do battle for the second seed, previewing finals Freeway series

In the end, these two team's finals series couldn’t have come against anyone else. They are too connected, the rivalry too strong to allow them to face anyone else than each other. 

To watch every game of the 2021/22 NBL season, sign up to Kayo. Just want a taste? Each week, Kayo offers Sunday's 1pm and 3pm game as part of its Freebies offering. No credit card required. 

After an overtime extravaganza in round 20 that saw the Kings steal a win from the Hawks' home venue, the script was flipped on the final day of the season, with the Hawks walking into Qudos and leaving with a three-point win. 

Granted, the Kings were without Jaylen Adams, their MVP candidate and leading scorer, but Sydney rebounded from a disastrous 32-18 first quarter to come within an Ian Clarke shoe size of winning the game. 

Justinian Jessup was the difference-maker for the Hawks - 24 points on a ridiculous 60% from the field, going 5-7 from three.

Xavier Cooks stood up in the absence of Adams, with 20 points and 14 rebounds (locking up the rebounding title in the process), but the Hawks landed a haymaker in the first quarter of the game, and the Kings just couldn't recover. 

Despite their late-season dominance, the Kings slow start hurt them in the seeding, and by winning the game, the Hawks locked up homecourt advantage in their first-round series.

The Hawks claimed the season series 3-1 against the Kings, but two of those wins came early in the season before the Kings had gained momentum, so look for this series to be highly competitive. 

Tasmania makes history as South East Melbourne ruin Perth’s party 

It’s been 35 years since this has been able to be said, but the Perth Wildcats will not be competing in the NBL finals after losing their ‘win or go home’ final game against South East Melbourne. 

Not since Bob Hawke was the Prime Minister and Back to the Future was in cinemas have Perth been absent from the NBL finals, but they will be sitting at home watching in 2022 as the league's newest team the Tasmania JackJumpers compete for a spot in the grand final. 

No one expected this. A team being in the top four in its first year is unheard of, and at the expense of the league's most consistent performers seemed practically impossible. 

And yet, there Tassie were, watching on as the Wildcats fell short in their final game of the year, stamping the JackJumpers tickets to the top four. 

But the Wildcats didn’t go without a fight. 

In the final game of the regular season, with not just their season but their legacy on the line, Perth pushed South Melbourne for four quarters plus overtime, eventually going down by just two points, after Bryce Cotton’s game-tying shot came up short. 

South East Melbourne, for their part, seemed to somewhat delight in their role as party poopers, content with the fact that while they couldn’t themselves make the finals, they could definitely keep Perth out as well. 

In fact, after over three decades of the Wildcats sitting near the top of the league, it seemed that most people were on the side of the JackJumpers, and by extension the Phoenix. 

So what comes next? 

For Tasmania, they ready themselves for a David vs Goliath battle against top-of-the-table Melbourne United. Tasmania and Melbourne have only played twice this season, and have come away with one win apiece. 

Ultimately, it’s hard to see Tasmania coming away with a win in this series, but if this NBL season has taught us anything, it’s to never say never.

For Perth? For the first time in a long time, they try to figure out what went wrong. And while Bryce Cotton isn’t going anywhere, the rest of the Wildcats organisation could look considerably different by the time that the next season rolls around. 

McCall masterpiece caps Cairns' disappointing season

Finishing second last, with a 9-19 record, the Cairns Taipans haven’t exactly given their fans much to cheer about this NBL season. 

To watch every game of the 2021/22 NBL season, sign up to Kayo. Just want a taste? Each week, Kayo offers Sunday's 1pm and 3pm game as part of its Freebies offering. No credit card required. 

Perhaps aware of this, Tahjere McCall made sure to send his team into the offseason on a high, and put the team on his back, scoring 42 points and dishing 10 assists, as well as four rebounds and four steals in a 14 point win over the Brisbane Bullets. 

McCall had been a revelation for Cairns this season, a bright spot in a disappointing season. He averaged 16.1 points, 5.6 assists, 5.5 rebounds, and 2 steals per game, leading his team in all of those except rebounds (Stephen Zimmerman averaged 9.6 rpg). 

The American import netted the highest individual score of the season with his 42-point effort, and Cairns claimed the highest team score with 112. 

If nothing else, this performance may give some Cairns supporters some hope heading into the offseason. 
 

Jed Wells

Jed Wells Photo

Jed is a writer and social media producer, who has a keen interest in the intersection of sports and popular culture, especially basketball.