NBL Abroad: Cleveland, Mathiang Dominate

Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Just because the NBL is in its off-season, doesn't mean the best players in the league are resting on their laurels

Just because the NBL is in its off-season, it doesn't mean the best players in the league are resting on their laurels and taking a break.

Stars of the Australian domestic competition are now competing all over the globe and getting important reps in ahead of NBL24.

Adelaide’s Antonius Cleveland and Illawarra’s Mangok Mathiang are forming a formidable pairing for Israeli side Hapoel BC Eilat this NBL off-season, with the pair powering their side to victory over Hapoel Holon.

Mathiang absolutely dominated in the paint with 22 points, 24 rebounds and five blocks, while Cleveland played the role of distributor with eight assists, a pair of blocks and three steals.

Over his five games with Eilat this Israeli Basketball Premier League season Mathiang has failed to secure fewer than 10 rebounds just once and is currently averaging 11 points and 16 boards.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WHAAAAAT?!???<a href="https://twitter.com/mangok_mathiang?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mangok_mathiang</a> ? Holon:<br><br>22 PTS<br>24 REB<br>44 EFF<br>5 BLK <a href="https://t.co/LgqFvwXZC1">pic.twitter.com/LgqFvwXZC1</a></p>— Sports Rabbi (@thesportsrabbi) <a href="https://twitter.com/thesportsrabbi/status/1637531543210999808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

New Zealand’s Tom Vodanovich has put the heartbreak of his side’s NBL23 Championship Series defeat behind him in an incredible opening showing for the Converge FiberXers in The Philippines.

Vodanovich champion dropped 39 points and 10 rebounds in his debut in the Philippine Basketball Association, but it wasn’t enough to will his side to victory. The FiberXers were defeated by SM Beermen by 16 points.

Cairns’ Keanu Pinder is making up for lost time after missing the back end of the NBL season and has pulled together a pair of strong performances in his first two appearances for Fuenlabrada in Spain.

The back-to-back NBL Most Improved Player winner was immense in his side’s defeat to Joventut and dropped 25 points and seven rebounds in the 17-point loss – along with a pair of blocks and a pair of steals.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">??????????????<br>?? <a href="https://twitter.com/KeanuPinder28?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KeanuPinder28</a> ??<br>??????????????<br><br>? <a href="https://twitter.com/MovistarPlus?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MovistarPlus</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LigaEndesa?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LigaEndesa</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ListosParaRomperla?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ListosParaRomperla</a> <a href="https://t.co/18pnY5vtOG">pic.twitter.com/18pnY5vtOG</a></p>— Liga Endesa (@ACBCOM) <a href="https://twitter.com/ACBCOM/status/1637197080598028288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Adelaide's Kai Sotto pulled together a pair of strong performances for the Hiroshima Dragonflies on back-to-back nights against Ibaraki, to help lead them to two victories against the Robots.

The Dragonflies are yet to lose in the four games in which Sotto has featured. He scored 21 points and pulled in 12 rebounds in his side's first victory over Ibaraki, before adding 14 points and nine boards in a four-point win over the same opposition the very next day.

Tasmania’s Jack McVeigh is acclimatising well to on-court life in Germany and is averaging almost 16 points per game across his three appearances for Heidelberg so far.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Aussie Jack McVeigh, <a href="https://twitter.com/JackJumpers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JackJumpers</a> star and former NCAA player for Nebraska <a href="https://twitter.com/HuskerHoops?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HuskerHoops</a> currently playing for MLP Academics in Germany.. <br><br>Jack put a little extra Sauerkraut on this one! <a href="https://t.co/1xbRpLlhOO">pic.twitter.com/1xbRpLlhOO</a></p>— Aussies in NCAAB (@AUSSIESinNCAAB) <a href="https://twitter.com/AUSSIESinNCAAB/status/1637641844501741570?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The JackJumpers’ forward scored 16 points and added seven rebounds in a tight loss to Braunschweig in his last appearance.

Melbourne’s Xavier Rathan-Mayes put in a match-winning performance of his own in Turkey for Merkezefendi, as he dropped 24 points and added seven assists in a seven-point win.

RELATED: NBLxNBL1 Player Watch

Antonius Cleveland (Hapoel BC Eilat – Israeli Basketball Premier League, Israel)
vs Hapoel Holon – 9 points, 2 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 blocks, 3 steals

Kai Sotto (Hiroshima Dragonflies – B. League, Japan)
vs Ibaraki - 21 points, 12 rebounds 3 blocks
vs Ibaraki - 14 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks

Robert Franks (Hapoel Gilboa Galil – Israeli Basketball Premier League, Israel)
vs Maccabi Tel Aviv – 18 points, 1 rebound, 2 blocks

Keanu Pinder (Baloncesto Fuenlabrada – Liga ACB, Spain)
vs Joventut – 25 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals

Sam Waardenburg (Riesen Ludwigsburg – Basketball Bundesliga, Germany)
vs ALBA – 0 points, 1 assist

Mangok Mathiang (Hapoel BC Eilat – Israeli Basketball Premier League, Israel)
vs Hapoel Holon – 22 points, 24 rebounds, 5 blocks, 1 steal

Sam Froling (Lavanga Hokkaido – B. League, Japan)
vs Sea Horses – 3 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assts
vs Sea Horses – 6 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists

Chris Goulding (Paris Basketball – LNB Pro A, France)
vs Naterre - 15 points, 3 rebounds

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">Comment on dit Gâchette en australien ? ????? <a href="https://t.co/312ktgdjBz">pic.twitter.com/312ktgdjBz</a></p>— Paris Basketball (@ParisBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball/status/1637406972252246016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Marcus Lee (Pallacanestro Reggina – Lega Basket Serie A, Italy)
vs Trieste – 1 foul

Xavier Rathan-Mayes (Yukatel Merkezefendi Basket – Basketball Super League, Turkey)
vs Konyaspor – 24 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal

Tom Vodanovich (Converge FiberXers (Philippine Basketball Association, Philippines)
vs SM Beermen – 39 points, 10 rebounds, 1 steal

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Straight to the Phillipines to play in the PBA for our guy Tommy V. <br><br>He put up 39 points and 10 rebounds over the weekend ?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UNBREAKABLE?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UNBREAKABLE</a> <a href="https://t.co/WFdn3xNprz">pic.twitter.com/WFdn3xNprz</a></p>— Sky Sport New Zealand Breakers (@NZBreakers) <a href="https://twitter.com/NZBreakers/status/1637551746133405696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Brady Manek (Tofas S.K. – Baskteball Super League, Turkey)
vs Galatasaray – 14 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block

Corey Webster (KK Mornar Bar – ABA League/Montenegrin League, Montenegro)
vs Split – 4 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block

TaShawn Thomas (Metropolitans 92 – LNB Pro A, France)
vs ASVEL – 8 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal

Alan Williams (Nagoya Dolphins – B. League, Japan)
vs Osaka – 9 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal
vs Osaka – 11 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists

Gary Browne (Mets de Guaynabo – Baloncesto Superior Nacional, Puerto Rico)
Season yet to start

Mitch Creek (Mets de Guaynabo – Baloncesto Superior Nacional, Puerto Rico)
Season yet to start