1986 NBL season

Last updated

1986 NBL season
League National Basketball League
Sport Basketball
Duration25 April – 28 September 1986
1 – 4 October 1986 (semi-finals)
11 – 19 October 1986 (Grand Final)
Teams14
TV partner(s) ABC, SAS-10, TV0, STW9
Regular season
Season champions Adelaide 36ers
Season MVP Leroy Loggins (Brisbane)
Top scorer Andrew Gaze (Melbourne)
Finals
Champions Adelaide 36ers (1st title)
  Runners-up Brisbane Bullets
Finals MVP Mark Davis (Adelaide)
NBL seasons

The 1986 NBL season was the eighth season of competition since its establishment in 1979. A total of 14 teams contested the league.

Contents

Clubs

The NBL had 14 clubs spread across all Australian states and territories with the exception of the Northern Territory.

ClubLocationHome VenueCapacityFoundedHead coach
Adelaide 36ers Flag of South Australia.svg Adelaide, South Australia Apollo Stadium 3,0001982 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ken Cole
Brisbane Bullets Flag of Queensland.svg Brisbane, Queensland Sleeman Sports Centre
Brisbane Entertainment Centre 		2,700
13,500		1979 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brian Kerle
Canberra Cannons Flag of the Australian Capital Territory.svg Canberra, Australian Capital Territory AIS Arena 5,2001979 Flag of the United States.svg Bob Turner
Coburg Giants Flag of Victoria (Australia).svg Melbourne, Victoria The Glass House 7,2001980 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Les Riddle
Geelong Supercats Flag of Victoria (Australia).svg Geelong, Victoria Geelong Arena 2,0001982 Flag of the United States.svg Ken Richardson
Hobart Devils Flag of Tasmania.svg Hobart, Tasmania Kingborough Sports Centre 1,8001983 Flag of the United States.svg David Adkins
Illawarra Hawks Flag of New South Wales.svg Wollongong, New South Wales Illawarra Basketball Stadium 2,0001979 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Dave Lindstrom
Melbourne Tigers Flag of Victoria (Australia).svg Melbourne, Victoria Albert Park Basketball Stadium 2,0001931 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Lindsay Gaze
Newcastle Falcons Flag of New South Wales.svg Newcastle, New South Wales Broadmeadow Basketball Stadium 2,2001979 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Steve Johansen
Nunawading Spectres Flag of Victoria (Australia).svg Melbourne, Victoria Burwood Stadium2,0001979 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Barry Barnes
Perth Wildcats Flag of Western Australia.svg Perth, Western Australia Perry Lakes Basketball Stadium 1,5001982 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jay Brehmer
St. Kilda Saints Flag of Victoria (Australia).svg Melbourne, Victoria The Glass House 7,2001979 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Andris Blicavs
Sydney Supersonics Flag of New South Wales.svg Sydney, New South Wales State Sports Centre 5,0061982 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Owen Wells
West Sydney Westars Flag of New South Wales.svg Sydney, New South Wales State Sports Centre 5,0061982 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Robbie Cadee

Regular season

The home and away season took place over 21 rounds between 25 April 1986 and 28 September 1986.

The Adelaide 36ers had a near perfect regular season recording a 24–2 win–loss record which included an undefeated 13-0 home record at the Apollo Stadium, a feat not matched before or since in the NBL. Adelaide's only two losses of the year came away in Round 6 when they lost 89–87 to the West Sydney Westars in Sydney, and in Round 11 against the Coburg Giants in Melbourne when they went down 116–114. Both the Westars and Giants won the games on last second baskets. The 36ers were easily the best offensive team in the league, averaging 116 points per game (11.5 points more per game than the next best team, the Brisbane Bullets), while they had the 5th best defence in the NBL only giving up 96.5 points per game.

6'5" (196 cm) Brisbane Bullets swingman Leroy Loggins was selected as the NBL's Most Valuable Player. Loggins averaged 29.8 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 3.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per game in 1986. It was Loggins' 2nd NBL MVP award having also won in 1984.

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Round 8

Round 9

Round 10

Round 11

Round 12

Round 13

Round 14

Round 15

Round 16

Round 17

Round 18

Round 19

Round 20

Round 21

Ladder

Pos 1986 NBL season
Team Pld W L PCT Last 5 Streak Home Away PF PA PP
1 Adelaide 36ers 2624292.31%5–0W1213–011–230162510120.16%
2 Canberra Cannons 2619773.11%4–1W111–28–527182520107.86%
3 Brisbane Bullets 2617965.38%3–2W110–37–626502485106.64%
4 West Sydney Westars 126151157.69%3–2W28–57–625192492101.08%
5 Illawarra Hawks 126151157.69%3–2W210–35–825512472103.20%
6 Sydney Supersonics 226141253.85%3–2W28–57–625182438103.28%
7 Geelong Cats 226141253.85%2–3W18–56–72875288999.52%
8 Coburg Giants 226141253.85%2–3W29–45–828412825100.57%
9 Nunawading Spectres 26121446.15%4–1L18–54–92592264298.11%
10 Newcastle Falcons 26101638.46%1–4L46–74–92782287896.66%
11 Hobart Devils 2691734.62%2–3L17–62–112606270496.38%
12 Perth Wildcats 2681830.77%0–5L56–72–112458269391.27%
13 Melbourne Tigers 2662023.08%1–4L15–81–122822308991.36%
14 St. Kilda Saints 2652119.23%1–4L23–102–112742305389.81%

Updated to match(es) played on 28 September 1986. Source: NBL.com.au

The NBL tie-breaker system as outlined in the NBL Rules and Regulations states that in the case of an identical win–loss record, the results in games played between the teams will determine order of seeding.

1Head-to-Head between West Sydney Westars and Illawarra Hawks (1-1). West Sydney Westars won For and Against (+8).

23-way Head-to-Head between Sydney Supersonics (3-1), Geelong Cats (2-2) and Coburg Giants (1-3).

Finals

Playoff bracket

Elimination Finals Semifinals Grand Final
1 Adelaide 36ers 116
4 West Sydney Westars 86 5 Illawarra Hawks 92
5 Illawarra Hawks 1051 Adelaide 36ers 12283 113
3 Brisbane Bullets 119 10491
2 Canberra Cannons 100
3 Brisbane Bullets 1003 Brisbane Bullets 120
6 Sydney Supersonics 82

There were two Elimination Finals, two Semifinals, and then best of three Grand Final series. All of the Elimination Finals and Semifinals were sudden death. As the top two teams in the regular season the Adelaide 36ers and Canberra Cannons automatically qualified to host a home Semifinal.

Elimination Finals

Semifinals

Grand Final

After being a single game from 1979-1985, 1986 saw the establishment of the best of three Grand Final series. Game 1 in Brisbane saw a then NBL record attendance of over 11,000. The game went into overtime with the 36ers coming out on top with a 122-119 win. Game 2 saw Adelaide lose its only game at home for the season when the Bullets kept the series alive with a 104-83 win. Adelaide wrapped up its first NBL Championship with a 113-91 win in Game 3 at the Apollo Stadium.

Regular season MVP winner, Brisbane's Leroy Loggins, fouled out of both Games 1 and 3. Adelaide import Power forward Mark Davis was selected as the Grand Final MVP. Davis averaged 25.0 points, 19.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists over the series.

1986 NBL statistics leaders

CategoryPlayerTeamStat
Points per game Andrew Gaze Melbourne Tigers 922 pts
Rebounds per game Mark Davis Adelaide 36ers 16.1
Assists per game Damian Keogh West Sydney Westars 8.1
Steals per game Leroy Loggins Brisbane Bullets 90 stls
Blocks per game Willie Simmons Coburg Giants 98 blks
Field goal percentage Murray Shiels Hobart Devils 57.3%
Three-point percentage Wayne Burden [1] Sydney Supersonics 47.8%
Free throw percentage Dane Suttle Geelong Supercats 89.3%

NBL awards

All NBL Team

#PlayerTeam
PG Steve Carfino Hobart Devils
SG Andrew Gaze Melbourne Tigers
SF Leroy Loggins Brisbane Bullets
PFJim Foster Coburg Giants
C Mark Davis Adelaide 36ers

References

  1. ↑ "All Time Leaders". NBL.com.au. Archived from the original on 23 September 2017.
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