Starting 5: The key talking points from Round 19

Round 19 saw Sydney and South East Melbourne continue to surge, while Tasmania boosted their Finals chances in a big way.

Pete Hooley looks at some key talking points from the round just gone.

1 – The Tassie way

The Tasmania JackJumpers had their backs against the wall on Sunday, needing to fend off a New Zealand team who could have jumped them on the standings with a win. To make the task even harder, Scott Roth’s team arrived back in Tasmania late Saturday night after their overtime loss in Cairns the night before and had Ben Ayre ruled out with a groin injury. It was David Johnson’s career-high that lifted his team over the line in what was an inspiring performance from a heavily undermanned Tasmania team.

2 – Davis has eyes on two prizes

Kendric Davis has been nothing short of phenomenal this season and now has firmly put his case forward to win his first MVP. Not only is he closing in on winning the biggest individual award in the league, but he also has his eyes on lifting his team to finishing first by season’s end. The Sydney Kings are flying and are the hottest team in the league as it currently stands and while their depth has been on full display, it’s been Davis who has consistently stood tall and delivered.

3 - Wildcats confidence sky high

Don’t look now, but the Perth Wildcats have won seven of their last eight games and look to be peaking at the perfect time. They began the round with beating a contender in the Phoenix and then followed it up with a hard-fought win over the Hawks on the road. While everyone has stepped up across the last few weeks, it’s been Ben Henshall and Elijah Pepper who look to be the keys to success of this Wildcats team. The young backcourt duo are playing with extreme confidence and the decision to not bring in a replacement guard seems to be the right one.

4 – McVeigh masterclass

Any time a player meets his former team, you can expect fireworks in one way or another and that’s precisely what we got when Jack McVeigh put on a clinic against the JackJumpers. McVeigh had 40 points on the night, including an astonishing 17-17 from the free-throw line, which was one short of the NBL record. The extra motivation was clear for the Taipans star, after a frustrating round prior by his team and he stood up when it mattered most.

5- 36 questions

The Adelaide 36ers are still top of the table and in the box seat to win a championship … for now. The concerns on their current form grew louder on the weekend as the 36ers lost to the Phoenix by 20 points on their home floor. They have now lost four of their last six, with the two wins coming against New Zealand and the Bullets. While Bryce Cotton has continued his stellar season, this 36ers team is trying to incorporate John Jenkins on the fly and figure out their rotations in an important time of the season. Not only that but their defensive identity seems to have disappeared in that period also.