Brisbane Bullets Game Day E-MAG | Issue #4

ISSUE 4

Heroes v Villains

GAME DAY

EMAG! MATCH PREVIEW PLAYER PROFILES COACHES CORNER STATS STORY BREAKING DOWN THE KEY STATISTICS COMPETITIONS, PARTNER OFFERS AND MUCH MORE!

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FRIDAY 17TH NOVEMBER

GAME PREVIEW THE Brisbane Bullets’ home stand comes to an end after the clash with the defending champions Perth Wildcats and assistant coach CJ Bruton has no doubt this is the right time for his team to take them on followed by the New Zealand Breakers in the double-header.

The Bullets responded well to a shock 31-point loss to the Illawarra Hawks in Round 5 to beat the Cairns Taipans 82-74 nine days later and improve the season record to 3-4 heading into a monster Round 7 against the two league-leaders.

The Breakers sit atop the NBL at 8-1 ahead of Sunday’s clash with the Bullets at Spark Arena while the Wildcats are second at 5-3 coming into the contest against Brisbane at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre to open proceedings for the round.

The two Round 7 opponents might be on top of the NBL and might have won the last eight championships between them, four each since 2009, but Bruton and the Bullets aren’t afraid of the challenge ahead.

The Bullets take great heart from the win against the Snakes where so many players contributed strongly led by Travis Trice (17 points, eight assists), Tom Jervis (14 points, seven rebounds) and Perrin Buford (11 points, eight boards).

But with Mitch Young, Stephen Holt, Shaun Bruce, Daniel Kickert, Anthony Petrie, Reuben Te Rangi and Isaih Tueta all playing important roles, it was a performance to offer great encouragement.

From a 516-game six-time championship winning NBL career, Bruton knows full well that every team goes through losses similar to that one the Bullets suffered against the Hawks.

What matters is the response and that’s what made the effort against Cairns most pleasing.

“It was just a good go-getter.

Throughout the season every team is going to falter and have some losses like that, and you normally have two or three throughout a season if you go back through the history of the game,” Bruton said.

“Sometimes you throw them in the bag and sometimes it’s a heart-wrencher that leaves you going back to the basics that makes you go from being a good team to being successful.

“Any time when your manhood has been tested you are going to bounce back and if you think otherwise against any team in that situation, you are fooling yourself.

“It was a long break in between games when everyone probably wanted to play the day after a loss like that, but it was good for the boys to get after it. It wasn’t an easy week by any means, but hopefully what we worked on helps us improve for the rest of the season.”

VS

The first task for the Bullets is a Wildcats team yet to win on the road in the 2017/18 season and who lost twice in Round 6 to the Breakers.

“Whether they have been losing or winning, this is the right time for us. We are playing two teams who are playing very good basketball and they very comfortable with their chemistry and style of play,” Bruton said.

“We’ve been solid in all aspects of running our stuff and being efficient offensively but we’ve had our lapses defensively, and we are trying to grow to be on a level where we can do well against teams like this. I think we are ready for this challenge at this point of the season.”

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STATS STORY VS The tale of the tape between the Brisbane Bullets and Perth Wildcats is almost neck and neck leading into this week’s blockbuster at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.

Brisbane hold a slight 21-20 advantage over the Wildcats in games played in southeast Queensland and in the battle of the coaches, Andrej Lemanis also holds a one game lead (13-12) in headto-head clashes with Perth boss Trevor Gleeson. But unfortunately the visitors, where championships seem the normal, have won 50 of

the 81 games against the Bullets in NBL history – a lead Brisbane will look to reduce in front of a packed house at the Entertainment Centre.

The Bullets enter the match up looking to build on their 82-74 win over the Cairns Taipans last round, where they had their best performance of the year defensively in the first half, keeping their opponents to just 24 points. They now sit just one win outside the top four.

While the Wildcats are coming off consecutive losses to the New Zealand Breakers, including a rare home defeat on Sunday night to slip to three losses for the season.

FUN FACT: Last season these team played at Boondall in the opening game of the season with the Bullets winning 72-65.

Brisbane will need to address their second halves if they are to record victory against a tough Wildcats

outfit with the Bullets having a total of -38 after half-time this season and winning only one second half for the season and that was by two points against Cairns in round three.

The Bullets are still the best shooting team in the league, maintaining their average of over 50% from the field but are going up against arguably the toughest defensive team in the NBL, which features the top two players in steals this season in JP Tokoto and Damian Martin.

Perth beat Brisbane 96-86 when they met at Perth Arena in the season opener with Travis Trice leading the scorers with 26 points and Bryce Cotton also having a big game with 24 points for the Wildcats.

BRISBANE

BULLETS

Travis Trice Guard Springfield, Ohio

Matt Kenyon Guard Gosford, NSW

Daniel Kickert Forward Melbourne, VIC

Perrin Buford Forward Decatur, Alabama

Shaun Bruce Guard Horsham, VIC

Reuben Te Rangi Forward Auckland, NZ

Adam Gibson Guard Launceston, TAS

Stephen Holt Guard Portland, Oregon

Anthony Petrie Forward Tenterfield, NSW

Mitch Young Forward Brisbane, QLD

Tom Jervis Centre Kalgoorlie, WA

Andrej Lemanis Coach Melbourne, VIC

PERTH

WILDCATS

Lucas Walker Forward Launceston, TAS

Matt Knight Centre Burnie, TAS

Derek Cooke Jr. Forward Washington, DC

Jean-Pierre Tokoto Forward Rockford, Illinois

Bryce Cotton Guard Tucson, Arizona

Damian Martin Guard Gloucester, NSW

Greg Hire Forward Perth, WA

Dexter Kernich-Drew Guard Melbourne, VIC

Jesse Wagstaff Forward Canberra, ACT

Jarrod Kenny Guard Auckland, NZ

Angus Brandt Centre Sydney, NSW

Trevor Gleeson Coach Melbourne, VIC

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COACHES CORNER WITH

CJ BRUTON THE Perth Wildcats and New Zealand Breakers will always be a massive part in the remarkable playing career of CJ Bruton but entering Round 7 with the Brisbane Bullets taking on both NBL powerhouses, he is excited to help plot their downfall as assistant coach.

Bruton had a playing career for the ages in the NBL and it was only fitting that it began in Perth where his father, the famous Cal, was such a significant part of their formative years culminating in the breakthrough 1990 championship.

CJ then played at the Wildcats in 1994 prior to going to college at Indian Hills and then his Bullets journey began.

Initially it was just that 1998 season but then after stints with the Wollongong Hawks, Canberra Cannons (with his dad coaching) and Sydney Kings, it was back to the Bullets for that storied championship season in 2006/07.

Bruton went on to finish his career with the Breakers playing in a championship three-peat in 2011, 2012 and 2013 retiring at the end of the next season following six titles and 516 NBL appearances.

Now it’s a massive weekend not only for the Bullets in Round 7 but for Bruton as well up against two clubs in the Wildcats and Breakers he has such a storied history with.

Not only that, but Perth and New Zealand currently occupy the top two positions on the table and have split the past eight NBL championships.

Bruton played just the one season in Perth, but his father was such a massive part in the early days as coach, player and general manager.

CJ then ended up finishing his career with the Wildcats as his greatest rival when he was with the Breakers.

The Bullets host the Wildcats on Friday November 19 at Brisbane Entertainment Centre and Bruton always has mixed emotions against them knowing he could have gone back there in different circumstances.

“It’s exciting any time I think of Perth because of the part it’s played in my family’s journey.

I still remember that time growing up in WA and being around such great players early in my career, and my father was part of them setting the tone of not missing the playoffs since 87,” Bruton said.

“It’s where it all started for me so any time I see Perth up the other end I feel grateful for that. But I also remember the rocky end to my time there and how different it could have been. I won three titles with New Zealand where we beat the team that my father put on the map and that I started my journey with.

“I had the chance to go back but they didn’t want it and I ended up having great battles with them. I always think it would have been great to go back to Perth and be with my brother and mother, at the time, but New Zealand turned out to be a special place to me and you’d have to say Perth ended up being our great rivals.”

Following the home game against the Wildcats, the Bullets take on the Breakers on Sunday November 19 in Auckland.

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Given the great success he was part of with the Breakers with the three championships and with plenty of familiar faces including 400-game legend Mika Vukona still there, Bruton always enjoys returning.

But there’s no time for sentiment when he’s trying to plot their downfall.

“Coaching against them and knowing the ins and outs from having played with and against Paulie (Henare), and seeing his coaching style and how he drives things at both ends of the floor, makes it a great challenge,” Bruton said.

“I’ve been on it for a few days and my wife has commented that all I do now is work on my computer looking at different things to come up with ways to keep our game simple yet effective for our group, and ways to breakdown the opposition.”

PLAYER PROFILE

STEPHEN HOLT Stephen Holt was part of a starstudded Melbourne United team the last time he was in the NBL but it took the exciting proposition of taking the Brisbane Bullets back to glory for the combo guard to return to Australia.

Bullets coach Andrej Lemanis heaped praise on Holt’s game after signing the combo guard, saying the former St Mary’s star could impact the game in so many ways and the 25-year-old could not be happier to be part of the Brisbane squad.

“I had a good run in Australia my first time around, so I was excited that the Bullets were interested in me for this year. The competition is getting tougher and being part of the new wave of Brisbane Basketball was something I wanted to join,” Holt said.

“Brisbane has been good so far. Easy to get around and I like living close to the city. We have a great opportunity to do something special for the city.”

And the man known as “scuba” to his friends and teammates after the famous Adam Sandler movie Big Daddy, hasn’t taken long to fit in with his fellow Bullets. Despite the team’s inconsistent start to the season, Holt believed his team were capable of something special this season.

“Scuba Steve was a nickname from High School. One of my teammates got it from the movie “Big Daddy” with Adam Sandler, the little action figure the kid has. It’s carried over to college then the pros, all my friends call me it,” he said.

“As far as why I think we can achieve some big things, we are one of the best offensive teams in the league by the numbers so once we build that trust and commitment on the defensive end, we will make great strides and compete for a championship.”

In joining the Bullets, Holt also reunited with former college teammate in Mitch Young and Daniel Kickert, who he played with in Melbourne but who is also a former St Mary’s star.

“It’s something I’m used too actually, three out of four years as a pro I’ve played with somebody from Saint Mary’s which is really unique. We all been coached by Randy Bennett so it’s cool to go back in the summer to work out and catch up with all the alumni pros,” Holt said.

As for who Stephen Holt is off the court, the Portland native spends a lot of his spare time building up his sneaker collection.

“I’m a big sneakerhead,” he said.

“My collection is pretty extensive back home so I only pick a few to bring overseas. I’m a big fan of Jordan’s, Nikes, Yeezys and Designer shoes. My favourite shoe of all time is the Jordan Retro 11.”

2017/2018

VS

28/10/17

ROUND 5

26/10/17

ROUND 4

VS

ROUND 4

20/10/17

VS

3/11/17 VS

6.30pm AEST

(GCSLC)

(BCEC)

12/11/17

17/11/17

3/12/17

23/12/17

VS

VS

ROUND 11

4.30pm AEST

(BCEC)

ROUND 8

6.30pm AEST

(BEC)

ROUND 7

6.30pm AEST

VS

VS

4.30pm AEST

(BCEC)

(BCEC)

7/1/18

14/1/18

20/1/18

27/1/18

VS

VS

2.00pm AEST

2.00pm AEST

(BCEC)

(BCEC)

8/2/18

15/2/18

VS

ROUND 16

2.00pm AEST

(BEC)

ROUND 15

6.30pm AEST

(BCEC)

ROUND 14

2.00pm AEST

ROUND 19

ROUND 18

ROUND 13

ROUND 6

ROUND 3

HOME FIXTURE

VS

4.30pm AEST (BEC)

VS

4.30pm AEST (BCEC)

VS

6.30pm AEST

6.30pm AEST

(BCEC)

(BEC)

(GCSLC) Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre (BCEC) Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BEC) Brisbane Entertainment Centre * Draw subject to change.

For latest information visit brisbanebullets.com.au

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