November VIC/NSW NBL Blitz Locked In

South East Melbourne Phoenix will join Melbourne, Sydney and Illawarra for a pre-season NBL Blitz tournament next month.

The four clubs will compete in pre-season games across Victoria and New South Wales over a fortnight, starting on November 13.

The six other teams will play in Tasmania over the same two-week period.

Each team across all three states will play at least four games with a points system to determine the winner of the pre-season tournament.

“All games, whether they’re played in Tasmania or elsewhere, will count towards the overall tournament standings and we look forward to watching terrific basketball as anticipation builds ahead of the regular season,” NBL Commissioner Jeremy Loeliger said. 

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Phoenix CEO Tommy Greer says it’s a great opportunity for basketball fans to enjoy world-class hoops.

“The return of the NBL Blitz tournament is an exciting announcement for the league and especially for fans who have been starved of live hoops in recent times,” Greer said.

“It will be only the second time we’ve competed in an official pre-season tournament and the first chance to see our new stars in action as we prepare for a big season ahead.”

The winning team will be awarded the Loggins-Bruton Cup, while the tournament’s most outstanding player will win the Ray Borner Medal.  

All games are worth a maximum of seven points; three points are awarded to the winning team, with an additional point awarded to the side that wins each quarter. In the event a quarter is tied, both teams receive half of a point. If a game goes into overtime, no additional points are awarded. 

The last NBL Blitz was hosted in Tasmania in 2019 to open the Phoenix’s inaugural season, where John Roberson won tournament MVP and Terry Armstrong took out the slam dunk competition with a windmill over now-Phoenix big Tohi Smith-Milner.

All games will be streamed live.

Further details on the exact locations and times of the Victorian and New South Wales games will be announced soon, including ticket details.

Phoenix Media (14/10/2021)