Record Breaking Win For Aussies

The Australian All Stars have run riot in this year’s NBL Virgin Blue Velocity All Star game defeating the World All Stars in record breaking fashion 151-116 tonight at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.

The 35 point winning margin was the largest ever seen in the 13 All Star games played so far, surpassing the 32 point defeat the Australian side handed the NBL Stars in the 1994 edition.

After the match Australian coach Brian Goorjian was extremely pleased with his side’s effort and said that this sort of exhibition game was well suited to the type of basketball that is played in this country.

“The Aussie players just know that in this type of game that they play with a style that is better to win,” said Goorjian.

“I think this All Star game over the last two years shows the little importance of coaching. We’ve had the same two coaches swap teams and obviously it is an Aussie thing. It was good to be on this side of the floor this year.”

After recovering from an early five point deficit the Australians were able to run away with the game courtesy of a sensational shooting display that saw them hit 61% of their shots for the match and have eight of their nine players reach double figures, the only player missing out being West Sydney’s Scott McGregor.

Tigers veteran Darryl McDonald was named MVP for the game thanks to his 19 points (9/9FG), 10 assists and five rebounds and afterwards said that these games are all about enjoying yourself.

“That’s what these games are about, having fun, making it fun for the crowd,” said McDonald.

D-Mac’s Tigers team mate, Chris Anstey, wasn’t far away from claiming the MVP honours himself thanks to a game high 23 points and nine rebounds, while Jason Smith also looked likely for the award after scoring 16 of his 19 points in the first quarter.

Brisbane centre Mark Bradtke did a little bit of everything coming up just four assists shy of a triple double (12 point, 14 rebounds, six assists), while Wollongong forward Glenn Saville also starred with 19 points, 11 rebounds and four assists.

The World Stars team were always going to struggle after Adam Ballinger and Rolan Roberts were ruled out through injury shortly before tip off and without them in the line up the international side looked very lacklustre.

Wollongong’s Cortez Groves was the standout for the World team scoring 19 points, while Dusty Rychart (14 points and 13 rebounds), Larry Abney (12 points and 12 rebounds) and Shawn Redhage (10 points and 13 rebounds) all picked up double doubles for the evening.

Chinese All Star invite, Liu Wei, had a rather unhappy evening in his NBL debut hitting just three of his 11 shots and turning the ball over five times, but by no means was he the worst as the World stars combined to turn the ball over 21 times while hitting just 40% of their shots from the field.

After suffering a 44 point hammering with his Adelaide side last Friday night in Sydney, World All Stars coach Phil Smyth looked like he had his side primed for a big game with his charges opening up an early five point lead, but a 25-6 run from the Aussies midway through the quarter had the home crowd cheering and the international contingent cringing.

Smyth injected Chinese guard Liu Wei into the fray to try and put a stop to the rot, but the man from the Shanghai Sharks could do nothing to stop the Australians, especially hometown hero Jason Smith who exploded for 16 first term points to see the Aussies take a commanding 44-23 lead into the first break.

CJ Bruton continued the World All Stars pain hitting two long bombs to open the second quarter, but after that opening flurry the intensity dropped markedly with both sides seeming happy to trade baskets for the rest of the period much to the crowds chagrin (72-50).

The World All Stars got off to a flier in the third term closing to within 17 points on the back of some huge dunks from Larry Abney and Cortez Groves, but that was quickly countered by a 10-2 run by the Australians that saw them take control of the match once again heading into the final quarter (112-83).

With the result virtually beyond doubt both sides relaxed in the fourth period and produced some scintillating play that is sure to be seen on the highlight reels for years to come.

Groves started the fun with a huge alley oop dunk, but that play was made to look insignificant by the Tigers duo of Anstey and McDonald with D-Mac bouncing the ball off the backboard for the trailing Anstey to slam home with authority.

McDonald followed this stunner just minutes later, this time passing the ball to himself before finishing with a huge reverse jam to send the crowd home happy and ensure that the Aussie All Stars would have bragging rights over the international counterparts for yet another year.

The All Star festivities kicked off with a bang earlier in the evening with the big Sydney crowd enjoying the opening round of the Philips dunk competition and after a slow start to proceedings the two little known entrants in the field, the Taipans Deba George and New Zealand’s Everard Bartlett, stunned the fans courtesy of some monster jams.

George got the crowd going with a massive windmill slam and followed it with a spectacular one handed flush from a headed pass provided by the Tigers Dave Thomas, but he was upstaged by Bartlett who completed a through the legs dunk and then had the masses gasping when he leapt over three kids before stuffing it home with style.

The other four competitors where slightly disappointing with 2002 NCAA dunk champion Rolan Roberts forced to pull out of the event after two slams when he tweaked his shoulder, while Cortez Groves, Sam Mackinnon and Larry Abney all had trouble completing their dunks meaning that George and Bartlett were the two to progress through to the final.

George opened proceedings in the decider, but he was unable to complete his first offering and he was made to pay as Bartlett threw down a wicked one handed windmill jam to take a commanding lead.

The young man from Cairns made it interesting slamming home an alley oop pass from Terry Vo, but he was well and truly upstaged by Bartlett who received a full compliment of 10’s after he received a pass from a seated patron and then leapt over him for a stunning throw down.

George’s last dunk saw him slam down an alley oop bounce pass from someone in the front row of the crowd, but once again Bartlett went one better producing a through the legs special to take home the 2005 Philips Dunk Competition crown.

“It was all about that first dunk and once I got that you know they all just went,” said an ecstatic Bartlett who received a flat screen TV from Philips for his efforts.

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