Duke has a four-to-six-week injury, and Tasmania JackJumpers coach Scott Roth leans to the long end: "It's probably closer to 6 weeks. So I don't know if we'll see him until mid-November."
"It's fixed enough so he can breathe." Tasmania JackJumpers coach Scott Roth on Dakota Mathias, who told him: "I'm not missing games." Benny gets one more week out as a precaution, having not played five-on-five with the group. If all goes well, "he should be ready."
Ben Gold's role is growing. Tasmania JackJumpers coach Scott Roth spoke of "the luxury of Ben Gold continuing to increase his minutes." With three games in six days coming, Roth said "this will be about us and our approach."
Brisbane guard Raul Neto hasn't played in two to three months and trained alone, but says travel and the time difference may hit his body more than his game: "I've had enough experience in my career to not need so much practice and not need so much game to be able to perform."
Tyrell Harrison is out with an ankle injury and day by day, Brisbane Bullets coach Will Weaver said. Arnas Velicka is out; he, Jacob Holt, Sam McDaniel and Taine Murray are in return-to-play. New signing Raul Neto is being tested and Weaver wouldn't commit to a debut.
Nate Hinton is now the Brisbane Bullets' primary ball handler, a role coach Will Weaver said he wasn't recruited for: "and here he is." Max Mackinnon was involved in 35 pick and rolls in a recent game, also a bigger role with the ball than the club signed him for.
"When you're 2-5, everybody starts being evaluated. So it was an evaluation day for everybody." Josh King on why he was still fired up late in South East Melbourne Phoenix's 32-point win over Cairns, Skylar Mays included. The lead had reached 41, and he didn't like the finish.
Daniel Foster was back for South East Melbourne Phoenix and got more minutes off the bench in the 32-point win over Cairns. Nathan Sobey said Foster set the tone for the group to start the game: "it was great to have him back out there for some more minutes."
Chris Goulding: no return timeline from Melbourne United coach Jacob Chance. "Chris has been out for a while now." Asked if new bodies explain the inconsistency, Chance said "we've been pretty consistent with our rotation," and those in it have played well lately.
"You guys are in Illawarra's ass all week, getting after them on an 8-day break. Not good enough, 1-6. They read all that, they're fueled." Melbourne United coach Jacob Chance after losing by two to the Hawks, the third time they've lost after a shot at the buzzer to win.
Illawarra coach Justin Tatum on the roster: "We have the opportunity to upgrade this team. We're definitely going to use it." No timeline given. He's focused on the locker room first and didn't want a new player walking into potential turmoil during the 1-6 start.
Nelson Weidemann had just one practice with the New Zealand Breakers before playing, and Gordon Herbert sees a role for him once he settles: "maybe be a defensive stopper for us on the defensive end on the perimeter."
"for 38 minutes they didn't call 3 seconds in the key or moving screen, and then they called 2. A minute 30 to go. What's that about?" — New Zealand Breakers coach Gordon Herbert on the loss to Tasmania. He also asked why the same three referees from 16 October worked it again.
No timeline for Parker Jackson-Cartwright or Josiah-Jordan James, both out for the New Zealand Breakers. Gordon Herbert: "hopefully we get James and Parker back at some time." With Jackson-Cartwright out, "we're asking a lot" of Sam Mennenga: "Sam's a workhorse."
"It's not fixed." Tasmania coach Scott Roth on Dakota Mathias's nose, re-injured in Illawarra and put under anaesthesia days ago to clear a breathing passage. Mathias is playing in a mask without practising. He says it is improving day by day but will take a little while.
A full day off on 19 October, then "a very, very light day" on 20 October: that is Scott Roth's plan for Tasmania JackJumpers before Brisbane. Work resumes 21 October, mostly video and meetings, with an eight- or nine-day break after this stretch.
Matthew Dellavedova is ruled out of the Sydney Kings' game against the Hawks with a lower leg injury and has no return date. Brian Goorjian says he will not be rushed back: "No, no, definitely not."
Andrew Carr came off the bench for the Sydney Kings so Harry Wessels could take the matchup on Grant: "that's Wessels' best matchup as opposed to Wagstaff." Brian Goorjian says foul trouble among his bigs, Carr and Xavier Cooks included, has been shaping his rotations.
"I played that lineup into the ground." Brian Goorjian blamed his own rotation for late fatigue in the Sydney Kings' New Zealand game. After the bench scored 4 points in Canberra, he says the plan is pace and more use of the bench.
Will Johnston's job at the Sydney Kings is to take the ball out of Kendric Davis's hands, and Brian Goorjian says he has developed faster than expected: "It's important that Will's on the floor in order to get some stuff so it's not always in his hand."
Torrey Craig says he is dropping his usual habit of working into games and attacking from the start instead, after two Sydney Kings losses the team felt it should have won. The aim: "imposing my will early to help us get off to better starts."
Kristian Doolittle sat out Perth's loss after a late scan changed the picture, but John Rillie said: "I'm confident that he'll be available for the next game." With Jo Lual-Acuil Jr also out, others got extra minutes. "There's your opportunity. Go do it," Rillie said.
Brandon Knight, two games into his Perth Wildcats career, is getting more comfortable with the offence, and teammate Dylan Windler said: "he'll be a big piece of what we're doing."
Nathan Sobey played for South East Melbourne Phoenix despite last game's knee-on-knee knock or cork. Coach Josh King: "he did a really good job getting rehab." Angus Glover on cramping after a layup: "I couldn't really get the cramp out. But nah, I'm all good."
Skylar Mays came off the bench as South East Melbourne Phoenix shook up the starting lineup. Josh King told Mays before the game and got "a super professional answer". Starting spots depend on who is playing well on the night: "when you're 2-5, that's what you do."
Angus Glover started for South East Melbourne Phoenix for the first time in a while, with a simple brief: "Go bring some energy and have some fun." He admitted he "probably fell in love with the three a little bit at times" and is getting back to attacking the rim.
Jordan Hunter had a double-double for South East Melbourne Phoenix, including 8 offensive rebounds, on no sleep after his baby's birth, Angus Glover said. Asked if his split with Yannis Morin continues, coach Josh King said: "we'll see moving forward how we handle that."
"Yeah, we ran out of gas." Cairns Taipans coach Adam Forde said his players have had 4 days off in the last 32. So despite giving up 27 offensive rebounds, he'll keep the 4 practices before New Zealand lighter: "I'm not going to smash them with rebounding drills."
Jack McVeigh and Keanu Pinder are "very ill" and being isolated from the group, Cairns coach Adam Forde said. Neither got out of bed for 48 hours, yet both played about 20 minutes. He said they "shouldn't have played." Illness has also hit Forde and the team manager.
Shaun Bruce needs managing, Cairns Taipans coach Adam Forde said, so 17-year-old Luke Paul faces "an increased expectation" to run point. About half a dozen players have nagging issues Forde called nothing major, which he wants to stop turning into "big things".
"He's a lethal shooter. We are still waiting for his game, right?" Adelaide 36ers stand-in coach Marko Marinovic on John Jenkins III. On Nick Rakocevic's foul shooting: "We are working on that every day... He'll be fine." Marinovic named no injured players or timelines.
"So he's 1-0 as a head coach." Bryce Cotton on Marko Marinovic, who coached Adelaide 36ers in place of Trevor Gleeson. Marinovic, "probably first Serbian ever coaching in NBL," likened working with "the best player in Australia" to his time with Nikola Jokic.
Tasmania JackJumpers coach Scott Roth wants to ease Taran Armstrong's load: "we need to see how we can get his minutes down a bit more and get him some rest at times too." Next up is New Zealand on 18 October, after a quick turnaround.
"I want them to see sometimes that we're human. We have bad games." Adelaide 36ers' Zylan Cheatham on why he retweets critics who come after him on Twitter, then bounces back to silence them. Early in the season, "a lot of people gave up on us, wrote us off," he said.
Tom Wilson says his extra minutes for Melbourne United have come "more out of necessity than anything" with players out. He sees his role as short bursts of energy to match the opposition. Coach Jacob Chance: "his day-to-day is unbelievable. He's a pro."
Tyrell Harrison and Jacob Holt both have ankle injuries. Brisbane Bullets coach Will Weaver: "I'm concerned about their ankles, and no, I don't have any updates." Asked if he can cover centre if both miss time, he called it "a hypothetical I'm not going to talk about."
Mitch Norton started at point guard in his 400th NBL game, a Brisbane Bullets win, and says he'll retire the day he stops getting up for games: "The day that's not there is probably the day you need to hang them up. It's the best job in the world."
Brisbane's Arnas Velicka sat out. Mitch Norton: "there's not one person that's going to step up and fill his shoes. It needs to be a group job." Will Weaver said Sam McDaniel and Taine Murray missed earlier games, and players manned spots "they've never played before."
Yannis Morin stays in the plan. South East Melbourne Phoenix coach Josh King: "we're going to continue to stick with him because he can help this team win." No defensive signing either: "we're gonna stick with the guys that are in our locker room. They're here for a reason."
Nathan Sobey was "definitely sore" after a knock that South East Melbourne Phoenix coach Josh King couldn't identify as knee-on-knee or a cork. King sent him back in so he wouldn't stiffen up and gave no status: "we'll have to see how he is moving forward."
No fitness concerns for the Cairns Taipans ahead of their trip to Melbourne to face South East Melbourne. After a week of rest on a short turnaround, Will Lopez said "everybody's fighting fit and healthy."
Luke Paul, 17, missed a big chunk of the Cairns Taipans' preseason but has caught up quickly in his first two games, Will Lopez said: "I think he'll only get better and better every kind of minute he's on the floor."
Reyne Smith is taking on a bigger, more aggressive role for the Cairns Taipans, and he credits a healthy offseason and getting his reps back: "being healthy over the offseason... trying to help me come over here and be a bit more aggressive."
Perth's Jo Lual-Acuil Jr is out, and John Rillie called him "a huge piece of it" when he plays. Kristian Doolittle went down in the scrimmage but "should be fine to play," he said, calling it precautionary. Jaron Rillie returns but is "still on like his minute restriction."
Brandon Knight is "still getting his feet wet" at Perth, Wildcats coach John Rillie said, and Rillie won't know the full product until everyone is on the floor. The first away trip of the season, against the Kings, is a chance to see "where we actually sit right now," he said.
Harry Wessels sat because Brian Goorjian judged guarding New Zealand Breakers big Sam Mennenga, who steps out to shoot threes, too difficult a matchup. The Sydney Kings coach likened it to Humphreys sitting two quarters on matchups in last year's playoffs.
Tyler Robertson guarded the centre for the Sydney Kings when the Breakers went small. Brian Goorjian said it shows "there's just groups that are uncomfortable right now." He backed Robertson's 0-for-6 from three as good shots: "he's been making them, and I'm sure he will."
More minutes may go to Sydney Kings' young players. With the bench scoring four points and Torrey Craig, Kendric Davis and Xavier Cooks wearing down, Brian Goorjian said that is on him. He may "just play those young guys a little bit more and... let them figure it out."
Parker Jackson-Cartwright and James are both out for the New Zealand Breakers, and Gordon Herbert gave no timeline for either. Nelson Weidemann's visa has moved forward: best case he lands late in the week of Oct 12, maybe early the week of Oct 19. No firm update.
Shorter minutes and a better rotation: the New Zealand Breakers' Gordon Herbert said he didn't rest players enough against Perth, which hurt them in the fourth quarter. When Sam Mennenga tired and asked to come out, Anzac Rissetto "gave us great minutes".
"Any team that stops me from getting a championship, I'll never forgive them." Perth's Kristian Doolittle on holding grudges against Sydney, who knocked the Wildcats out of last season's playoffs and are next up. He did add: "it's not that deep."
Bul Kuol is on track for a return around Christmas, "tracking really well," Adelaide 36ers coach Trevor Gleeson said. Flynn Cameron is "starting to shoot now" and assessed week to week; Gleeson would love him back the following week but did not commit. No update on Isaac.
"I've coached over 1,000 games in 4 different countries, so I know what happened." Adelaide 36ers coach Trevor Gleeson stands by his claim that Bryce Cotton was targeted, calling it unnecessary. He asked the referees about it: "I asked and I didn't get a response."
Matt Kenyon's brief from Adelaide 36ers coach Trevor Gleeson: stay busy. "What I didn't like was just standing behind and standing and watching." Gleeson wants Kenyon cutting, screening and rebounding instead.
"If they can keep up with us, all the better." Adelaide 36ers coach Trevor Gleeson is embracing playing small after his team shot 50 threes. John Jenkins III took 17 threes. "Maybe he'll get 20 3s this time," Gleeson joked.
"I've got more bounce than him and they always say I do, so I won't let him hear that." Jensen Bradtke wears his dad's No. 50 for Melbourne United, the number in the rafters. He says this was the first time he'd ever sat down and watched his dad's highlights.
Yannis Morin of South East Melbourne Phoenix says the coach's remark after the Melbourne United loss, that he should have played Morin more, shows trust: "Now that means he trusts me. I have to pay him back what he expects from me now." Morin says he is ready for a bigger role.
From South East Melbourne Phoenix's media availability: Brisbane will be without 'Velika' (name as transcribed) for the Phoenix's Brisbane double. "Velika is out for them, so we need to use it as a good way to get the shape and set the tone from the beginning."
Development player Jai Fa'ale isn't counting on game minutes with Melbourne United: "If I can get some minutes, I can get some minutes. But yeah, ultimately just make the team better in practice, help them out." He says joining was the way to be "best ready for college."
Illawarra's defensive problem is players, not schemes, coach Justin Tatum said, and imports Milton Doyle and Kelan Martin must be more vocal: "If the individuals don't buy in on... guarding one on one, then it's really tough to do." Another import won't fix it, he said.
Replacement player Lamar Patterson is "doing exactly what I feel he was brought in here to do... uplift us in a spot if something happens," Illawarra coach Justin Tatum said. He named Patterson and Kyle Adnam as veterans who can plug in if injuries hit.
Illawarra coach Justin Tatum wants more minutes for Makur Maker, naming him one of the bright spots after he produced in 17 minutes: "We just got to find a way to keep fitting him in and hopefully find him some more minutes."
"This is a real example of a sink or swim type situation, and right now he's swimming." Cairns coach Adam Forde on Luke Paul, 17, thrown into his first away game by an early injury. Paul is being paired with another ball handler to share running the offense.
Forward Keanu Pinder brought the ball up for the Cairns Taipans against Illawarra, with all five players spread out around the three-point line. Coach Adam Forde said the switch came because Illawarra "did a good job pressuring our guards."
Brian Goorjian only glimpsed the late exchange between Bryce Cotton and Kendric Davis, but the Sydney Kings coach said the rivalry from last season's finals "hasn't gone anywhere": "What you see just shows how we feel about each other. And I think our sport needs it."
"Sometimes people got me marked around their calendar. I'm quiet until you got something to say, and everybody knows how I get down." Bryce Cotton on his late clash with Kendric Davis in Adelaide's win over Sydney. Trevor Gleeson: "no reason for that." He backed Cotton.
Keanu Rasmussen has gone from 2-3 minutes a game to about 25 for the Adelaide 36ers, and Trevor Gleeson says he has "taken that opportunity and run with it." Jacob Rigoni's minutes are up too with players out. Gleeson says he "can shoot, stretch the floor."
Gordon Herbert says the New Zealand Breakers have lost both point guards and their secondary ball handler: Parker Jackson-Cartwright is out, Preston Le Gassick "gone", two imports missing, James hurt preseason. "It's like being out in a rowboat without oars."
Brandon Knight played his first game since around July in Puerto Rico, and Perth Wildcats coach John Rillie isn't worried by his 5 turnovers: "we're just drip-feeding him." Knight will be better for playing, he said. Dylan Windler said Perth is still without Jo Lual-Acuil Jr.
Nelson Watley, the New Zealand Breakers' incoming signing, won't fill in at point guard. "He's not a point guard," Gordon Herbert said; Watley was signed to defend. Carlin Davison, a forward, ran the point with 11 assists. Watley's timeline? "I have no idea."
Sam Mennenga said the New Zealand Breakers' plan without Parker Jackson-Cartwright was to "play inside out." On 7 turnovers: "if I cleaned up, we could have been in a better position to win the basketball game." Gordon Herbert, asked about a player on crutches, gave no status.
"I thought the coach should have played him more." South East Melbourne Phoenix coach Josh King, on Yannis Morin's 9 points and 4 rebounds. Citing a deep roster and a pace hard to sustain for 40 minutes, he added: "that's my job to figure out which guys need to be out there."
Shea Ili sat the second half under his management plan. "He didn't get injured, which is pleasing," said Melbourne United coach Jacob Chance. A couple of others are on plans; two days off "will be big" for them. Asked if one half was always the plan: "I won't disclose that."
Josh Oduro played 30 minutes for Melbourne United, and for about 10 second-half possessions the offence ran through him. "That was the play call wherever we needed it," said coach Jacob Chance. He added: "He kicked my ass in the G League, so I'm glad that he's here with me now."
Austin Shelley got the start of the third quarter for Melbourne United with Shea Ili sitting out the second half under his management plan. "I throw him in the fire there at the start of the 3rd quarter, but he has no fear," coach Jacob Chance said.
Sam Waardenburg is "back to the best version of him right now," Melbourne United coach Jacob Chance said on 10 October. A preseason injury slowed Waardenburg's start to the season, but Chance feels that is now behind him.
Dakota Mathias went to hospital for x-rays and Tasmania JackJumpers coach Scott Roth gave no status on him: "It's not even his nose. I think it's his cheek." Majok Deng is out with no timeline; Roth said Ben Gold will be used "heavily, especially while Majok Deng is out."
Biwali Bayles and Kody Stattmann were "basically on the street about 10 days ago," Tasmania JackJumpers coach Scott Roth said, yet both played "hugely important minutes." Roth said each had picked up "labels" but has fit the club's standards.
Makur Maker is "still trying to get his feet wet, understand where he can get his shots at," Illawarra Hawks coach Justin Tatum said, with staff working with him on the fly. Asked if nearing a third import changes plans, Tatum wouldn't commit: "we have multiple options."
Tyler Harvey lost minutes as opponents targeted him at both ends, Illawarra coach Justin Tatum said: "They were really hard hedging him and blitzing him... and then they was attacking him on the defensive end." Daniel Grida, Wani Swaka Lo Buluk and Kyle Adnam got his time.
Sam Froling sat for 7 minutes of the third quarter in Illawarra's 122-112 loss, and Hawks coach Justin Tatum said it was about riding the group on the floor: "Momentum, momentum. We was just working with the momentum... You don't need to mess something up."
Brandon Knight is "looking promising" to play for Perth, John Rillie said, depending how he pulls up, with a minutes limit if cleared. Anthony Dell'Orso's ankle is fine: "He likes looking for attention." Asked when Jo Lual-Acuil Jr returns, Rillie wouldn't commit.
Elijah Pepper will have the ball less now Brandon Knight is in, Perth Wildcats coach John Rillie said: "his usage won't be at the same level as it has been, but then he can become a more efficient player." It also moves players back to their natural positions, he said.
Marley Sam has been reminded "like 5 times" that Parker Jackson-Cartwright will come at him, Perth Wildcats coach John Rillie said, after a rough first meeting. Sam's early minutes owe to "who we can suit up and who we can't." On the guard: "you're not going to stop him."
Corey Webster debuted for the Adelaide 36ers with only a game-day shootaround behind him after flying in from China. He played more than expected but never found his rhythm. His "first practice, full practice with the team" was 9 October; he expects to ramp up from there.
"Put him in the starting lineup." Derek Rucker wants Perth to start Brandon Knight and make him the primary perimeter defender on Adelaide's and Sydney's top guards. He told Knight: "We didn't bring you here just to cruise around like you played in the NBA for a long time."
Why Jaylon Brown sat at the end of the Cairns Taipans bench late in the game: a contact lens. "My contact came out. I got smacked in the face and it just popped out my eye," Brown said postgame.
Luke Paul made his Cairns Taipans debut after an ankle injury on day three of preseason, with his minutes still limited. Adam Forde: "we had the minutes planned to sort of keep him to 5 to 8, and just because he was doing so well, I think that extended out to 11."
Jonah Bolden started the second half for Cairns Taipans over Reyne Smith, moving Keanu Pinder to power forward and Bolden to centre. Coach Adam Forde said it answered Brisbane's 22 rebounds off their own misses, not Smith: "it wasn't anything negative that Reyne did."
"I'm rocking with Max Mackinnon every day of the week to let it rip." Brisbane Bullets coach Will Weaver backed the rookie to keep shooting after a reported 3-of-16 game against Cairns. What Mackinnon has to learn, Weaver said, is drawing fouls on his shots.
No return date for Sam McDaniel, who missed Brisbane's game against Cairns. Will Weaver said a broken pinky cost him conditioning and makes ramping up harder, but "the plan that we've got in place is going to return him to career best fitness during this season."
Jo Lual-Acuil Jr is out for Perth, but Elijah Pepper said he is still "a major part of practice." On Brandon Knight against the Breakers: "I have no clue on if he's playing or not." Pepper said Knight is moving and practising well and is "going to be our point guard."
Adelaide are "down limited bodies," Trevor Gleeson said, after getting "outworked at home." He wants scoring beyond Bryce Cotton and Nick Rakocevic, and on Zylan Cheatham, who rarely looked at the rim: "I don't care if he's open for a 3, shoot the goddamn ball."
"I think I was targeted for that." Adelaide's Trevor Gleeson got a technical from one referee while talking to another about a backhand to the face. He'll again send Scott Butler clips of missed fouls: "when the bright lights come on, something else happens."
Players who got no minutes last season are now Adelaide starters, Nick Rakocevic said, and the veterans must support them. He calls the trip to Sydney, who ended their season last year, personal: "We need to go there and we need to make a stamp."
Josh Oduro is "a monster for us around the rim," Melbourne United coach Jacob Chance said, and he wants more of him: "hopefully we can keep him on the floor longer than 18 minutes and we'll get more out of him."
Isaac Humphries won't need knee surgery, Adelaide's Matt Weston said. He is being eased off before being built back up, with a return weeks away. "It's angry at the moment on him," Weston said; the knee hurts on court and at home, even on stairs.
Nick Rakocevic awaits a league ruling on a disciplinary matter before Adelaide's next game. "I think he'll be available," Matt Weston said, defending the contact: "There was no blood... when you're in the jostling around for rebounds, this happens."
New signing Corey suits up in Adelaide's next game, filling in short-term while Flynn Cameron's ankle heals. Matt Weston puts Cameron 4 to 6 weeks away; he is out of a boot and doing layups. Weston expects Corey's shooting to "help Bryce [Cotton] get a little bit more free."
Shea Ili missed Melbourne United's first game against Adelaide. Now he's available to guard Bryce Cotton. "Yeah, it's certainly a luxury," coach Jacob Chance said. From United's media availability: Cotton will see a rotation of defenders, Cole Anthony among them.
Parker Jackson-Cartwright is "one of those once-in-a-lifetime generational players that come to the NBL, like a Bryce and like a Kendrick Davis," said Dejan Vasiljevic, who says his Breakers teammate lacks recognition because he plays in New Zealand.
First road win of the season for the New Zealand Breakers, in Adelaide. Gordon Herbert changed the defence on two days' practice, unsure they could do it; they did. Next: two weeks away at Perth, Canberra and Tasmania. Asked about a third import, he wouldn't commit.
Flynn Cameron is out for Adelaide, and coach Trevor Gleeson gave no timeline. Keanu Rasmussen has done a good job covering the role, Gleeson said, and he wants Rasmussen and Jacob Rigoni to bring "hustle, deflections, offensive glass."
"Too worried about just dribbling the ball 16 times before the half court." Adelaide 36ers coach Trevor Gleeson wants a faster tempo, saying his team let the defence set. Ahead of Melbourne, he cited 22% three-point shooting in Wollongong and 20% in the latest game.
"We haven't got that much depth to have our 2 imports down." Adelaide 36ers coach Trevor Gleeson, on John Jenkins III and Zylan Cheatham. He said Nick Rakocevic, whose early-season role was bringing energy off the bench, has "really stepped up."
Josh King has no set plan for Skylar Mays' minutes with the Phoenix's other guards: together, apart or both sitting. "It's just kind of going with the flow and who's playing well." Mays is still adjusting to the faster style: "There's a lot more meat on that bone with Skylar."
Nathan Sobey admits his South East Melbourne Phoenix minutes are light: "Obviously I haven't played a whole ton of minutes so far this season." On ending the losing run against Illawarra: "We've been close the last few times... you can only keep saying that so many times."
Sam Froling's 16 minutes were not a restriction, Illawarra Hawks coach Justin Tatum said: "it wasn't no point of minute restrictions. Whoever was flowing at that time, that's what we go with." Asked about Mason Peatling, Tatum gave no update.
"We lost the game in 5 minutes." Jacob Chance says Melbourne United's group to start the fourth quarter "was disappointing. We'll have to go back and look at why." Up 12 late in the third, they were outscored by 14 over four minutes and conceded 35 in the fourth.
Shea Ili is back in Melbourne United's lineup. From the club's media availability on 2026-10-03: "getting Shea Ili back ... was awesome for us and just great to see him healthy." He played, getting a game under his belt.
Same starting five for the Cairns Taipans, even though Adam Forde had said a change needed to happen. His reason: "they had a great practice... I trust them to start again." He owned his errors against New Zealand: "we went to a middle-long ball team and that's not our style."
Cairns Taipans were without Shaun Bruce; Adam Forde gave no timeline. Jaylon Brown, Reyne Smith and Malique Lewis covered point guard. Luke Paul is "penciled in for the 8th" but building confidence in his ankle; Forde hopes for 5-8 minutes, depending on Bruce's timeline.
Jack McVeigh can move to small forward beside Jonah Bolden, said Cairns Taipans coach Adam Forde, who called Bolden his best rebounder this season. McVeigh also challenged Forde at the airport to stick to the preseason identity. His reply: "oh, you're 100% right."
"Really disappointed to see another time a player slipped on a sticker... it's really concerning to me about our players' health and safety." Brisbane Bullets coach Will Weaver says the club has voiced that concern. Three games in, he said of both sides: "Nobody's healthy."
Josh Bannan is back after about four weeks out. Tasmania's Scott Roth said he fouled out in his return against United, started shaky in this one, then settled the team by attacking the rim. Short of players for 5-on-5 practice for four weeks, they now have "a complete roster."
Angus Glover on the heated last Phoenix game against Illawarra, his hometown team, where Nathan Sobey and William Hickey both got technical fouls: "Sobey is our best player, so I got to... be by his side, but at the same time try not to make sure he doesn't get ejected."
Jo Lual-Acuil Jr is out, Perth Wildcats coach John Rillie said. Brandon Knight is sick from bad food and hasn't had a single rep; "our goal is to have him ready for the next game," Rillie said, without committing. Jaron Rillie's 8 minutes were all he could play, the coach said.
"There's going to be nights in October, November, December where it doesn't look great until we really truly figure out who we are," Perth Wildcats coach John Rillie said, calling their composure since week 1 encouraging. Short-handed, he rotated heavily: "you need fresh bodies."
Nathan Sobey missed the first couple of games, and South East Melbourne Phoenix coach Josh King says the side is still finding its way. King puts it on shooting, not shot quality: "If we're shooting the ball like we were last year, we're 4-0 right now."
Brandon Knight, Perth's new point guard, had only just arrived and wasn't on the team list against South East Melbourne Phoenix, said Phoenix coach Josh King. King on the slow start: "I feel like some people are expecting me to move furniture right now. It's early days."
Amarco Doyle was left out of the player introductions because the newest arrival, though not suiting up, had to be dressed as one of the 11, it was explained at Illawarra's media availability. "We have to have all 11 dressed... but AD will hear his name soon."
Cleared but not yet playing: Illawarra's newest arrival got off the plane on October 2 and sat out. "He's cleared through all the medical and everything," Justin Tatum said, adding the new player will hopefully be available on October 4.
No return timeline for Isaac Humphries. Adelaide 36ers coach Trevor Gleeson said he has missed every game: "we haven't had him all season so far, so 4 games." He said they miss his basketball IQ and rim protection, and are conceding too many points in the paint.
Bryce Cotton got 4 shots and no 3-point attempts in Adelaide's loss to Illawarra, though fouled 3 times on the 3-point line. "That's not good enough," coach Trevor Gleeson said. Teammates firing quick 3s when he's denied doesn't suit a roster without many shooters, he said.
"It looked like a men's team playing against a kids' team out there." Adelaide 36ers coach Trevor Gleeson on a heavy loss to Illawarra, after conceding 65 first-half points. "Wollongong came and got any shot that they wanted," he said.
Will Magnay is sure Dakota Mathias will be fine for Brisbane. Scott Roth called the nose injury "more of a bloody nose and a little bit of a laceration"; Mathias returned to finish the game. Roth said Tasmania had its first normal full practice in about four weeks.
Josh Bannan's first Tasmania JackJumpers game ended early after foul trouble including technicals. Will Magnay: "he knows he has to be better in those moments... Obviously, the techs never help." Coach Scott Roth said Taran Armstrong "still has a lot of rust on him."
Kody Stattmann and Biwali Bayles get a second chance at the Tasmania JackJumpers. If they meet club standards, coach Scott Roth said, "They have a good chance to stay with us the entire season." Will Magnay, 100 games in: "I'll never play anywhere else in the NBL."
Fabijan Krslovic captained Melbourne United for the first time, and did it against his former club, Tasmania. Speaking postgame, Krslovic said he was "pleasantly surprised" when coach Jacob Chance gave him the news after shootaround.
Adelaide 36ers coach Trevor Gleeson on losing Flynn Cameron: "Flynn would have been averaging 30-35 minutes a game as our premier point guard." Gleeson still plans to rest Bryce Cotton in games "so he's fresh at the end" but won't sit him if he's scoring heavily.
Adelaide coach Trevor Gleeson rejected the idea the Perth game went wrong because of an offence too focused on Bryce Cotton: "Nah, that wasn't the issue. The issue is how we played." He said toughness, playing together and discipline were missing, and were fixed against Cairns.
Melbourne United's Jacob Chance on giving up 18 offensive rebounds: "You're not going to get every defensive rebound." He named Dakota Mathias and David Johnson as the shooters who punish those second chances, and said Melbourne were better in the second half.