Announcing our New Website – Nellakir – The Experts in Sports Flooring.

Sports Floors by Nellakir – right there at the top of the page – on every page of our new website. With more information, more visuals, it’s the right website for 2020, for you and your facility.

So we invite you to take a look and enjoy a tour of the site https://www.nellakir.com.au/

Start with the Nellakir Story and progress through our Case Studies, Gallery then refine your search parameters and check out the following pages…

• Schools and Colleges
• Sports Stadiums
• Construction and Installation
• Programmed Maintenance
• ASF/Horner Flooring
• Linemarking and Graphics
• Stadium Seating

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For even more detail on different types of Sports Flooring try our side menu…

• PR Flooring Systems
• Pro King Flooring Systems
• Stump Thrust Systems
• Vari Cushion Systems
• Custom Design

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By now you’ve likely become quite familiar with Sprung Timber Sports Flooring, but to completely experience the real expertise and genuine experience of the Nellakir team give us a call on 03 9567 6126 or leave your details here to book a free consultation on any and all aspects of Timber Sports Flooring –

• Maintenance
• Installation and Construction
• Scheduled Professional Cleaning of All Sports Flooring

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Timber Sports Flooring is the Stradivarius of Sports Flooring. Precision made, by fine artisans, it can only reach its peak in performance with expert installation and ongoing programmed maintenance, keeping it finely tuned to produce the very best in a premium surface for all levels of competition.

All Nellakir Sports Flooring uses fine engineering know how and architectural drawings. Nellakir are the exclusive agents for ASF/Horner Sports Flooring Systems in Victoria and Tasmania, offering fully FIBA approved Sports Flooring of the highest standard.

Trust your valuable Sports Flooring construction, installation and maintenance to the industry experts – Nellakir.

Nellakir – Simply the very best in Sports Flooring

Suncorp Super Netball Action – The Melbourne Vixens make a statement!

With local competitions in recess, all eyes turn to the National Suncorp Super Netball action. The Melbourne Vixens look like taking full advantage of the Hub with a strong victory over the Sunshine Coast Lightning.

Here’s a report on the game which was held on the 12th of August at the University of the Sunshine Coast Stadium.

Vixens remain on top

The Melbourne Vixens have sounded a warning to the rest of the Suncorp Super Netball competition after defeating the Sunshine Coast Lightning 63-51.

The Vixens were in the unusual position of hosting the Lightning at USC Stadium on the Sunshine Coast but the Melbourne club made themselves at home with another classy performance.

The two teams had yet to taste defeat heading into the top-of-the-table clash but the Vixens set up their third successive win with a dominant opening half, building an impressive 15-goal lead by halftime.

“It definitely didn’t feel like we were up that much,” Vixens co-captain Kate Moloney said about her team’s strong start.

“We knew the Lightning were going to come hard at us, they’re a super quality team but I’m really proud of our girls to be able to push it out all the way to the end.”

The victory was a fitting result for Moloney as she joined current teammate Tegan Philip and Bianca Chatfield as the third Vixen to play 100 national league games.

The reliable midcourter took the points in her match-up with Lightning captain Laura Langman, claiming player of the match with 22 circle feeds and 13 assists, while Jo Weston was a standout in defence for the Vixens.

The Vixens burst out of the blocks with nine of the first 11 goals of the game but the Lightning’s attack started to flow when Steph Wood shifted to goal shooter and Cara Koenen cashed in on a Karla Pretorius intercept to reduce Melbourne’s lead to three.

But Caitlin Thwaites drained a Suncorp Super Shot on the siren for a 16-11 advantage and the Vixens kept rolling with an 8-2 start in the second term before Thwaites and Tegan Philip combined for four super shots in the rebel Power Five period to go into halftime ahead 34-19.

The Lightning managed to reduce the margin to single digits at stages of the third and fourth quarters but the Vixens had all the answers with Thwaites, Philip and Mwai Kumwenda each playing their part to keep their attack on song.

Both teams are back in action on Sunday with the Lightning hosting the undefeated NSW Swifts and the Vixens aiming for their fourth win in a row against the Adelaide Thunderbirds.

Score breakdown
Q1: Vixens 16 v Lightning 11
Q2: Vixens 18 v Lightning 8
Q3: Vixens 15 v Lightning 19
Q4: Vixens 14 v Lightning 13

Nissan Player of The Match – Kate Moloney (Melbourne Vixens)

Vixens shooting statistics
Caitln Thwaites: Total points – 20 G1 – 14/20 (70%) G2 – 3/4 (75%)
Tegan Philip: Total points – 22 G1 – 16/19 (84%) G2 – 3/6 (50%)
Mwai Kumwenda: Total points – 21 G1 – 21/21 (100%) G2 – 0/2 (0%)

Lightning shooting statistics
Steph Wood: Total points – 13 G1 – 9/12 (75%) G2 – 2/5 (40%)
Cara Koenen: Total points – 31 G1 – 29/33 (88%) G2 – 1/1 (100%)
Peace Proscovia: Total points – 7 G1 – 7/9 (78%) G2 – 0/0 (0%)

Vixens starting seven: GS – Caitlin Thwaites GA – Tegan Philip WA – Liz Watson C – Kate Moloney WD – Kate Eddy GD – Jo Weston GK – Emily Mannix

Lightning starting seven: GS – Peace Proscovia GA – Steph Wood WA – Laura Scherian C – Laura Langman WD – Maddy McAuliffe GD – Karla Pretorius GK – Phumza Maweni

Source: supernetball.com.au

Netball is Australia’s most popular women’s sport catering to all ages. Today nearly all levels of the sport get to play on premium Timber Sports Flooring, whether it’s at the local school, sports centre or regional stadium.

Nellakir are Victoria’s leading experts in the supply and installation of premium Sports Flooring, the complete maintenance of all Timber Sports Flooring and the scheduled cleaning of all premium Timber Sports Flooring surfaces.

Call now to make an appointment for a virtual meeting during lockdown on 03 9467 6126 or leave your details here for a prompt reply.

Ensure your facility is maintained, ready to go in September when the current restrictions are eased.

Nellakir – Champion flooring for present and future champions.

Nellakir helps young athletes reach their goals by providing the highest quality Sprung Timber Sports Floor playing surfaces.

Nellakir continue on current projects. Meanwhile the NBA action sees trouble for Ben Simmons

With the announcement of further restrictions for the next six weeks in Victoria on August 5th. Nellakir is permitted to continue its installations under the Construction Industry guidelines. The Nellakir team are currently completing the Victorian Netball and Hockey Centre’s new courts in Royal Park as well as the Victorian Schools Building Authority projects in Truganina, Rockbank Nth and at Thoroughbred Primary.

Free Sports Flooring Inspection

Currently, it’s a good time to do inspections on your existing facilities during the lockdown. The all competitions in recess, it provides the opportunity to do a thorough inspection and if necessary carry out the repairs required if permitted within your area. From Line marking through to full resanding and resurfacing of premium Timber Sports flooring. Arrange a free inspection and report from Nellakir on 03 9467 6126 or leave your details here for a prompt reply.

With the NBA underway in Orlando Florida, Australia’s Ben Simmons has suffered a setback – here are the details.

Ben Simmons suffers fresh injury blow as things get even worse for stuttering Sixers

The Philadelphia 76ers needed everything to go right in the NBA’s Orlando bubble if they wanted to realistically challenge for the title.

But three games into the restart, things are looking far from ideal.

And it got even worse on Thursday (AEST), despite a 107-98 win over the Washington Wizards, as Ben Simmons went down the tunnel with a left knee injury in the third quarter after grabbing an offensive rebound.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the early indications are “encouraging”, with Simmons experiencing no swelling or pain after leaving the court.

He was pictured limping out of the locker room at the end of the game.

Ben Simmons leaving arena after injuring his left knee and not returning to the game

“Walking gingerly”#Sixers pic.twitter.com/aBIeEaUGsq

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) August 5, 2020

With only five games left for the Sixers before the playoffs begin, and team chemistry far from perfect, Simmons’ injury is just another obstacle to overcome.

“We don’t know,” Sixers head coach Brett Brown said post-game as he addressed the Simmons injury.

Brown, who admitted he was “curious” to find out, said the team would make an announcement soon.

The Australian, who suffered a back injury earlier this season, finished with just eight points (2-10 FG), six rebounds, and four assists in his 22 minutes.

Philadelphia dropped their opening game in Orlando to the Indiana Pacers, before squeezing past the San Antonio Spurs in a game Simmons fouled out. Against Washington, the game was much closer than it should have been.

The Sixers trailed deep into the third quarter, before taking control, and hanging on to move to 2-1 in the bubble.

Joel Embiid scored 18 of his game-high 29 points in the second half as the sixth seed Sixers moved to 41-27 on the season.

Source: heraldsun.com.au

More NBA news next week.

Meanwhile for all works on premium Sports Flooring, always rely on Nellakir, Victoria and Tasmania’s leading experts in the installation, maintenance and programmed cleaning of all premium Timber Sports Flooring.Nellakir always use ACF/Horner Sports Flooring systems exclusively. All premium ACF/ Horner Timber Sports Flooring is FIBA approved.

Sports Flooring for current and future champions.

Nellakir – they’re simply the best

Free Sports Flooring Inspection and Report from Nellakir – The leading experts in Victoria on Timber Sports Flooring. Check out the NBA Hub schedule.

Lockdown provides the perfect opportunity for a thorough inspection of your valuable sprung timber sports flooring at your Stadium, School or Sports Centre. With competitions in recess, now is the time to assess your Sports Flooring and where necessary undertake repairs and maintenance. During lockdown Nellakir will provide a free inspection of your facility, its timber flooring and its stadium seating. On completion a detailed report will be provided.

And again, right now is a great time to carry out repairs and maintenance, without interruption. Timber Sports Flooring is like a fine instrument, it needs to be properly maintained and kept in good repair to provide optimum, premium performance.

CALL NOW on 03 9467 6126 or leave your details here for a prompt reply. Nellakir, the leading experts in Timber Sports Flooring.

NBA Hub Schedule

meanwhile, the game is cooking in the NBA ESPN Hub in Orlando Florida. Here is the current schedule. Check your local guides for game information.

NBA schedule 2020: Dates, times, matchups for season restart in Orlando

The NBA is leaning into its biggest stars for the season. And the NBA schedule for 2020 reflects that.

Opening night has two games. First, it’s Zion Williamson and the Pelicans against the Jazz; then it’s the matchup everyone wants in the West — Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers vs. LeBron James and the Lakers. The next day, July 31, we get a battle at the top of the East, the Celtics vs. the Bucks.

Here are a few more notes on the NBA schedule release 2020:

• These “seeding games” count toward the regular-season standings and the stats count toward regular-season statistics.
• The Pelicans got their easy schedule back. New Orleans had the easiest schedule remaining in the NBA before the interruption, and it is the only team whose opponents have a cumulative win/loss of under .500.
• The most difficult schedule (based on opponent winning percentage) belongs to the defending champion Toronto Raptors.
• Each of the three courts used for games will be sanitized between games, meaning it is at least four hours between games on a court (once warmup time is factored in).
• Games will start as early as 12:30 Eastern on weekdays, 1 p.m. Eastern on the weekends.
• Games will start as late as 9 p.m. Eastern, and those will mostly involve West Coast teams.
• Each team has one back-to-back.
• The times and national broadcasts for games on Aug 12 and 13 are not set. They are flexible, allowing the most important games for seeding to be nationally televised.

NBA schedule 2020 for Orlando restart. (All times ET)

July 30, Opening Night

Utah Jazz vs. New Orleans Pelicans 6:30 p.m (TNT)
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Los Angeles Lakers 9 p.m. (TNT)

July 31

Orlando Magic vs. Brooklyn Nets 2:30 p.m.
Memphis Grizzlies vs. Portland Trail Blazers 4 p.m. (NBA TV)
Phoenix Suns vs. Washington Wizards 4 p.m.
Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks 6:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Sacramento Kings vs. San Antonio Spurs 8 p.m.
Houston Rockets vs. Dallas Mavericks 9 p.m. (ESPN)

Aug. 1

Miami Heat vs. Denver Nuggets, 1 p.m. (ESPN)
Utah Jazz vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN)
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Los Angeles Clippers, 6 p.m. (ESPN)
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Indiana Pacers, 7 p.m.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Toronto Raptors, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Aug. 2

Washington Wizards vs. Brooklyn Nets, 2 p.m.
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Boston Celtics, 3:30 p.m. (ABC)
San Antonio Spurs vs. Memphis Grizzlies, 4 p.m.
Dallas Mavericks vs. Phoenix Suns, 6 p.m.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Houston Rockets, 8 p.m. (ABC)
Sacramento Kings vs. Orlando Magic, 9 p.m.

Aug. 3

Toronto Raptors vs. Miami Heat, 1:30 p.m.
Denver Nuggets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 4 p.m.
Indiana Pacers vs. Washington Wizards, 4 p.m.
Memphis Grizzlies vs. New Orleans Pelicans, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN)
San Antonio Spurs vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 8 p.m.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Utah Jazz, 9 p.m. (ESPN)

Aug. 4

Brooklyn Nets vs. Milwaukee Bucks, 1:30 p.m.
Dallas Mavericks vs. Sacramento Kings, 2:30 p.m.
Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Clippers, 4 p.m.
Orlando Magic vs. Indiana Pacers, 6 p.m.
Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat, 6:30 p.m. (TNT)
Houston Rockets vs. Portland Trail Blazers, 9 p.m. (TNT)

Aug. 5

Memphis Grizzlies vs. Utah Jazz, 2:30 p.m.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Washington Wizards, 4 p.m
Denver Nuggets vs. San Antonio Spurs, 4 p.m.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Toronto Raptors vs. Orlando Magic, 8 p.m.
Brooklyn Nets vs. Boston Celtics, 9 p.m. (ESPN)

Aug. 6

New Orleans Pelicans vs. Sacramento Kings, 1:30 p.m.
Indiana Pacers vs. Phoenix Suns, 4 p.m.
Miami Heat vs. Milwaukee Bucks, 4 p.m. (TNT)
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Dallas Mavericks, 6:30 p.m. (TNT)
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets, 8 p.m.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets, 9 p.m. (TNT)

Aug. 7

Utah Jazz vs. San Antonio Spurs, 1 p.m.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Memphis Grizzlies, 4 p.m.
Sacramento Kings vs. Brooklyn Nets, 5 p.m.
Orlando Magic vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 6:30 p.m. (TNT)
Washington Wizards vs. New Orleans Pelicans, 8 p.m.
Boston Celtics vs. Toronto Raptors, 9 p.m. (TNT)

Aug. 8

Los Angeles Clippers vs. Portland Trail Blazers, 1 p.m. (TNT)
Utah Jazz vs. Denver Nuggets, 3:30 p.m. (TNT)
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Indiana Pacers, 6 p.m. (TNT)
Phoenix Suns vs. Miami Heat, 7:30 p.m.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Dallas Mavericks, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Aug. 9

Washington Wizards vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 12:30 p.m.
Memphis Grizzlies vs. Toronto Raptors, 2 p.m.
San Antonio Spurs vs. New Orleans Pelicans, 3 p.m. (ABC)
Orlando Magic vs. Boston Celtics, 5 p.m.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Portland Trail Blazers, 6:30 p.m.
Houston Rockets vs. Sacramento Kings, 8 p.m.
Brooklyn Nets vs. Los Angeles Clippers, 9 p.m.

Aug. 10

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Phoenix Suns, 2:30 p.m.
Dallas Mavericks vs. Utah Jazz, 3 p.m.
Toronto Raptors vs. Milwaukee Bucks, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Indiana Pacers vs. Miami Heat, 8 p.m.
Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 9 p.m. (TNT)

Aug. 11

Brooklyn Nets vs. Orlando Magic, 1 p.m.
Houston Rockets vs. San Antonio Spurs, 2 p.m.
Phoenix Suns vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 4:30 p.m.
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Dallas Mavericks, 5 p.m.
Boston Celtics vs. Memphis Grizzlies, 6:30 p.m. (TNT)
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Sacramento Kings, 9 p.m. (TNT)
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Washington Wizards, 9 p.m.

Aug. 12

Indiana Pacers vs. Houston Rockets, 4 p.m.
Toronto Raptors vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Miami Heat vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 8 p.m.
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Denver Nuggets, 9 p.m. (ESPN)

Aug. 13

Washington Wizards vs. Boston Celtics
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Orlando Magic
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Memphis Grizzlies
Dallas Mavericks vs. Phoenix Suns
San Antonio Spurs vs. Utah Jazz
Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Brooklyn Nets

Aug. 14

Denver Nuggets vs. Toronto Raptors
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Houston Rockets
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Los Angeles Clippers
Miami Heat vs. Indiana Pacers

Schedule by team for Orlando

Boston Celtics

vs. Milwaukee Bucks on Friday, July 31 (6:30 p.m., ESPN)
vs. Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday, August 2 (3:30 p.m., ABC)
vs. Miami Heat on Tuesday, August 4 (6:30 p.m. ET, TNT)
vs. Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday, August 5 (9 p.m., ESPN)
vs. Toronto Raptors on Friday, August 7 (9 p.m. ET, TNT)
vs. Orlando Magic on Sunday, August 9 (5 p.m.)
vs. Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday, August 11 (6:30 p.m., TNT)
vs. Washington Wizards on Thursday, August 13 (TBD)

Brooklyn Nets

vs. Orlando Magic on Friday, July 31 (2:30 p.m.)
vs. Washington Wizards on Sunday, August 2 (2 p.m.)
vs. Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, August 4 (1:30 p.m., NBA TV)
vs. Boston Celtics on Wednesday, August 5 (9 p.m., ESPN)
vs. Sacramento Kings on Friday, August 7 (5 p.m.)
vs. LA Clippers on Sunday, August 9 (9 p.m., NBA TV)
vs. Orlando Magic on Tuesday, August 11 (1 p.m.)
vs. Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday, August 13 (TBD)

Dallas Mavericks

vs. Houston Rockets on Friday, July 31 (9 p.m., ESPN)
vs. Phoenix Suns on Sunday, August 2 (9 p.m.)
vs. Sacramento Kings on Tuesday, August 4 (2:30 p.m.)
vs. LA Clippers on Thursday, August 6 (6:30 p.m, TNT)
vs. Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, August 8 (8:30 p.m., ESPN)
vs. Utah Jazz on Monday, August 10 (3 p.m., NBA TV)
vs. Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, August 11 (5 p.m.)
vs. Phoenix Suns on Thursday, August 13 (TBD)

Denver Nuggets

vs. Miami Heat on Saturday, August 1 (1 p.m, ESPN)
vs. Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday, August 3 (4 p.m., NBA TV)
vs. San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, August 5 (4 p.m.)
vs. Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday, August 6 (8 p.m.)
vs. Utah Jazz on Saturday, August 8 (3:30 p.m., TNT)
vs. Los Angeles Lakers on Monday, August 10 (9 p.m, TNT)
vs. LA Clippers on Wednesday, August 12 (9 p.m, ESPN)
vs. Toronto Raptors on Friday, August 14 (TBD)

Houston Rockets

vs. Dallas Mavericks on Friday, July 31 (9 p.m., ESPN)
vs. Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday, August 2 (8:30 p.m., ABC)
vs. Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, August 4 (9 p.m., TNT)
vs. Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, August 6 (9 p.m., TNT)
vs. Sacramento Kings on Sunday, August 9 (8 p.m.)
vs. San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday, August 11 (2 p.m., NBA TV)
vs. Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, August 12 (4 p.m., NBA TV)
vs. Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, August 14 (TBD)

Indiana Pacers

vs. Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday, August 1 (7 p.m.)
vs. Washington Wizards on Monday, August 3 (4 p.m.)
vs. Orlando Magic on Tuesday, August 4 (6 p.m.)
vs. Phoenix Suns on Thursday, August 6 (4 p.m.)
vs. Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, August 8 (6 p.m., TNT)
vs. Miami Heat on Monday, August 10 (8 p.m.)
vs. Houston Rockets on Wednesday, August 12 (4 p.m, NBA TV)
vs. Miami Heat on Friday, August 14 (TBD)

LA Clippers

vs. Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, July 30 (9 p.m, TNT)
vs. New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday, August 1 (6 p.m, ESPN)
vs. Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, August 4 (4 p.m, NBA TV)
vs. Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, August 6 (6:30 pm, TNT)
vs. Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday, August 8 (1 p.m. ET, TNT)
vs. Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, August 9 (9 p.m. ET, NBA TV)
vs. Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, August 12 (9 p.m. ET, ESPN)
vs. Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, August 14 (TBD)

Los Angeles Lakers

vs. LA Clippers on Thursday, July 30 (9 p.m, TNT)
vs. Toronto Raptors on Saturday, August 1 (8:30 p.m, ESPN)
vs. Utah Jazz on Monday, August 3 (9:00 p.m, ESPN)
vs. Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, August 5 (6:30 p.m, ESPN)
vs. Houston Rockets on Thursday, August 6 (9 p.m, TNT)
vs. Indiana Pacers on Saturday, August 8 (6 p.m, TNT)
vs. Denver Nuggets on Monday, August 10 (9 p.m, TNT)
vs. Sacramento Kings on Thursday, August 13 (TBD)

Memphis Grizzlies

vs. Portland Trail Blazers on Friday, July 31 (4 p.m, NBA TV)
vs. San Antonio Spurs on Sunday, August 2 (4 p.m.)
vs. New Orleans Pelicans on Monday, August 3 (6:30 p.m, ESPN)
vs. Utah Jazz on Wednesday, August 5 (2:30 p.m.)
vs. Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, August 7 (4 p.m, NBA TV)
vs. Toronto Raptors on Sunday, August 9 (2 p.m.)
vs. Boston Celtics on Tuesday, August 11 (6:30 p.m, TNT)
vs. Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, August 13 (TBD)

Miami Heat

vs. Denver Nuggets on Saturday, August 1 (1 p.m, ESPN)
vs. Toronto Raptors on Monday, August 3 (1:30 p.m, NBA TV)
vs. Boston Celtics on Tuesday, August 4 (6:30 p.m, TNT)
vs. Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, August 6 (4 p.m, TNT)
vs. Phoenix Suns on Saturday, August 8 (7:30 p.m)
vs. Indiana Pacers on Monday, August 10 (8 p.m.)
vs. Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, August 12 (8 p.m.)
vs. Indiana Pacers on Friday, August 14 (TBD)

Milwaukee Bucks

vs. Boston Celtics on Friday, July 31 (6:30 p.m, ESPN)
vs. Houston Rockets on Sunday, August 2 (8:30 p.m, ABC)
vs. Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, August 4 (1:30 p.m, NBA TV)
vs. Miami Heat on Thursday, August 6 (4 p.m, TNT)
vs. Dallas Mavericks on Saturday, August 8 (8:30 p.m, ESPN)
vs. Toronto Raptors on Monday, August 10 (6:30 p.m, ESPN)
vs. Washington Wizards on Tuesday, August 11 (9 p.m)
vs. Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday, August 13 (TBD)

New Orleans Pelicans

vs. Utah Jazz on Thursday, July 30 (6:30 p.m, TNT)
vs. LA Clippers on Saturday, August 1 (6 p.m, ESPN)
vs. Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, August 3 (6:30 p.m, ESPN)
vs. Sacramento Kings on Thursday, August 6 (1:30 p.m, NBA TV)
vs. Washington Wizards on Friday, August 7 (8 p.m.)
vs. San Antonio Spurs on Sunday, August 9 (3 p.m, ABC)
vs. Sacramento Kings on Tuesday, August 11 (9 p.m, TNT)
vs. Orlando Magic on Thursday, August 13 (TBD)

Oklahoma City Thunder

vs. Utah Jazz on Saturday, August 1 (3:30 p.m, ESPN)
vs. Denver Nuggets on Monday, August 3 (4 p.m, NBA TV)
vs. Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, August 5 (6:30 p.m, ESPN)
vs. Memphis Grizzlies on Friday, August 7 (4 p.m, NBA TV)
vs. Washington Wizards on Sunday, August 9 (12:30 p.m.)
vs. Phoenix Suns on Monday, August 10 (2:30 p.m.)
vs. Miami Heat on Wednesday, August 12 (8 p.m.)
vs. LA Clippers on Friday, August 14 (TBD)

Orlando Magic

vs. Brooklyn Nets on Friday, July 31 (2:30 p.m.)
vs. Sacramento Kings on Sunday, August 2 (6 p.m.)
vs. Indiana Pacers on Tuesday, August 4 (6 p.m.)
vs. Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, August 5 (8 p.m.)
vs. Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, August 7 (6:30 p.m, TNT)
vs. Boston Celtics on Sunday, August 9 (5 p.m.)
vs. Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, August 11 (1 p.m.)
vs. New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday, August 13 (TBD)

Philadelphia 76ers

vs. Indiana Pacers on Saturday, August 1 (7 p.m.)
vs. San Antonio Spurs on Monday, August 3 (8 p.m.)
vs. Washington Wizards on Wednesday, August 5 (4 p.m, NBA TV)
vs. Orlando Magic on Friday, August 7 (6:30 p.m, TNT)
vs. Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday, August 9 (6:30 p.m, NBA TV)
vs. Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, August 11 (4:30 p.m.)
vs. Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, August 12 (6:30 p.m, ESPN)
vs. Houston Rockets on Friday, August 14 (TBD)

Phoenix Suns

vs. Washington Wizards on Friday, July 31 (4 p.m.)
vs. Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, August 2 (9 p.m.)
vs. LA Clippers on Tuesday, August 4 (4 p.m, NBA TV)
vs. Indiana Pacers on Thursday, August 6 (4 p.m.)
vs. Miami Heat on Saturday, August 8 (7:30 p.m.)
vs. Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday, August 10 (2:30 p.m.)
vs. Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday, August 11 (4:30 p.m.)
vs. Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, August 13 (TBD)

Portland Trail Blazers

vs. Memphis Grizzlies on Friday, July 31 (4 p.m, NBA TV)
vs. Boston Celtics on Sunday, August 2 (3:30 p.m, ABC)
vs. Houston Rockets on Tuesday, August 4 (9 p.m, TNT)
vs. Denver Nuggets on Thursday, August 6 (8 p.m.)
vs. LA Clippers on Saturday, August 8 (1 p.m, TNT)
vs. Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, August 9 (6:30 p.m, NBA TV)
vs. Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday, August 11 (5 p.m.)
vs. Brooklyn Nets on Thursday, August 13 (TBD)

Sacramento Kings

vs. San Antonio Spurs on Friday, July 31 (8 p.m.)
vs. Orlando Magic on Sunday, August 2 (6 p.m.)
vs. Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday, August 4 (2:30 p.m.)
vs. New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday, August 6 (1:30 p.m, NBA TV)
vs. Brooklyn Nets on Friday, August 7 (5 p.m.)
vs. Houston Rockets on Sunday, August 9 (8 p.m.)
vs. New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday, August 11 (9 p.m., TNT)
vs. Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, August 13 (TBD)

San Antonio Spurs

vs. Sacramento Kings on Friday, July 31 (8 p.m.)
vs. Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday, August 2 (4 p.m.)
vs. Philadelphia 76ers on Monday, August 3 (8 p.m.)
vs. Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, August 5 (4 p.m.)
vs. Utah Jazz on Friday, August 7 (1 p.m.)
vs. New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday, August 9 (3 p.m, ABC)
vs. Houston Rockets on Tuesday, August 11 (2 p.m, NBA TV)
vs. Utah Jazz on Thursday, August 13 (TBD)

Toronto Raptors

vs. Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, August 1 (8 p.m, ESPN)
vs. Miami Heat on Monday, August 3 (1:30 p.m, NBA TV)
vs. Orlando Magic on Wednesday, August 5 (8 p.m.)
vs. Boston Celtics on Friday, August 7 (9 p.m, TNT)
vs. Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday, August 9 (2 p.m.)
vs. Milwaukee Bucks on Monday, August 10 (6:30 p.m, ESPN)
vs. Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, August 12 (6:30 p.m, ESPN)
vs. Denver Nuggets on Friday, August 14 (TBD)

Utah Jazz

vs. New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday, July 30 (6:30, TNT)
vs. Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday, August 1 (3:30, ESPN)
vs. Los Angeles Lakers on Monday, August 3 (9 p.m., ESPN)
vs. Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, August 5 (2:30 p.m.)
vs. San Antonio Spurs on Friday, August 7 (1 p.m.)
vs. Denver Nuggets on Saturday, August 8 (3:30 p.m, TNT)
vs. Dallas Mavericks on Monday, August 10 (3 p.m., NBA TV)
vs. San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, August 13 (TBD)

Washington Wizards

vs. Phoenix Suns on Friday, July 31 (4 p.m.)
vs. Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, August 2 (2 p.m.)
vs. Indiana Pacers on Monday, August 3 (4 p.m.)
vs. Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, August 5 (4 p.m, NBA TV)
vs. New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, August 7 (8 p.m.)
vs. Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, August 9 (12:30 p.m.)
vs. Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, August 11 (9 p.m.)
vs. Boston Celtics on Thursday, August 13 (TBD)

Source: nba.nbcsports.com

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The NBA Hub in Orlando Kicks off with Exhibition Games

In one of the longest waits in Basketball history, it looks like the EPSN Hub at Disneyworld is about to be kickstarted with a series of exhibition games.

Here’s the full story from Forbes Correspondent Alex Kay

2020 NBA Season: Exhibition Games Schedule, Restart Dates, Odds And Latest News From Orlando Bubble

Luka Doncic defending LeBron James. Both players are currently in Orlando preparing for the 2019-20

The 2020 NBA season is scheduled to officially resume on July 30, when the 22 teams that traveled to the league’s bubble at the ESPN World of Sports in Walt Disney World, Florida will begin playing in their first of eight “seeding” games that will ultimately crystallize the 2020 NBA Playoffs picture. The NBA’s 2019-20 Restart plan has been criticized by some— including a number of players employed by organizations getting set to return to play—for not doing enough to protect participants from potential coronavirus-related issues, but the league believes it will be able to resume the campaign on time and get through a full postseason without any major issues.

Whether that happens or not remains to be seen, but fans are eager for the return of professional basketball and are looking forward to play resuming this week when teams begin participating in a series of exhibition scrimmages. Sportsbooks are also anticipating the season restart, as it will mark the first time in four months that they will be able to offer odds on NBA action. While nearly every book will be offering the standard betting lines for each contest and futures bets on the winner of the 2020 NBA Finals and other outcomes, some have gone a step further and released a handful of props related to the bubble, a successful start and finish to 2020 NBA season restart and more.

You can find more about these intriguing odds at the end of this article, but first check out the latest news from the Orlando bubble and the complete NBA exhibition schedule for the upcoming week below. You can also find key dates for the 2019-20 NBA Restart, including information on when the 2020 NBA Playoffs will begin, when the 2020 NBA Draft will be held and much more.

2020 NBA Season Restart – Exhibition Schedule

The new landscape will get a test run when exhibition play begins on Wednesday, with the first of 32 total scrimmages on the schedule taking place. These inter-squad matchups will run until Tuesday, July 28 and take place at three separate venues, giving organizers a chance to fine tune the process before meaningful contests resume at the end of the month. One notable change to some of these exhibition contests is that they will utilize shortened quarters, clocking in at 10 minutes each instead of the traditional 12. Each team is slated to participate in three scrimmages, with the first of these using the abbreviated format before moving back to standard 12-minute quarters for the final two games. The league believes that shortened quarters will help players ease back into full speed contests after going over four months without them due to the NBA shutdown.

Having a 40-minute game to start the exhibition schedule is something Denver head coach Mike Malone supports, noting that his top priority is having a healthy, fresh roster in time for the seeding games. The coach told ESPN the following:

“The No. 1 thing for me is can we get through these three scrimmages healthy and not getting guys put in a position where they’re overworked, playing too many minutes and getting hurt. I think the vast majority of the 22 teams will approach it the same way.”

Here’s the full exhibition schedule for all 22 teams ahead of the 2020 NBA season restart:

Wednesday, July 22

• Orlando vs. L.A. Clippers, 3 p.m.
• Washington vs. Denver, 3:30.m.
• New Orleans vs. Brooklyn, 7 p.m.
• Sacramento vs. Miami, 8 p.m.

Thursday, July 23

• San Antonio vs. Milwaukee, 3 p.m.
• Portland vs. Indiana, 3:30 p.m.
• Dallas vs. L.A. Lakers, 7 p.m.
• Phoenix vs. Utah, 8 p.m.

Friday, July 24

• Memphis vs. Philadelphia, 3:30 p.m.
• Oklahoma City vs. Boston, 5 p.m.
• Houston vs. Toronto, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, July 25

• L.A. Lakers vs. Orlando, noon
• Milwaukee vs. Sacramento, 12:30 p.m.
• Miami vs. Utah, 4 p.m.
• Brooklyn vs. San Antonio, 4:30 p.m.
• L.A. Clippers vs. Washington, 8 p.m.
• Denver vs. New Orleans, 8:30 p.m.

Sunday, July 26

• Philadelphia vs. Oklahoma City, noon.
• Phoenix vs. Boston, 1:30 p.m.
• Indiana vs. Dallas, 4 p.m.
• Portland vs. Toronto, 6 p.m.
• Houston vs. Memphis, 8 p.m.

Monday, July 27

• Washington vs. L.A. Lakers, 3 p.m.
• Sacramento vs. L.A. Clippers, 4 p.m.
• Utah vs. Brooklyn, 5:30 p.m.
• Orlando vs. Denver, 7 p.m.
• New Orleans vs. Milwaukee, 8 p.m.

Tuesday, July 28

• Memphis vs. Miami, 2 p.m.
• Toronto vs. Phoenix, 3 p.m.
• San Antonio vs. Indiana, 4 p.m.
• Oklahoma City vs. Portland, 6 p.m.
• Boston vs. Houston, 8 p.m.
• Dallas vs. Philadelphia, 8:30 p.m.

Key Dates For 2020 NBA Return To Play Plan

Once exhibition play is finished, teams will have just a couple days before the seeding games begin. Each squad will participate in a total of eight contests that will finalize the 2020 NBA Playoff bracket, with a chance of a small play-in tournament to determine the No. 8 seed in each conference. This will only be triggered if the team with the eighth-best record finishes within four games of the No. 9 team. If that scenario occurs, those two clubs will compete in a best-of-two battle in which the No. 8 team would need to win just once to earn the final spot on the bracket in its conference, while the No. 9 team would have a chance to usurp by winning both matchups.

Here is a look at when the seeding games will take place, when the play-in tournaments would occur if triggered, the 2020 NBA Playoff dates and more:

• July 30-Aug. 14 — 2019-20 season resumes with seeding games
• Aug. 15-16 — Play-in tournaments take place
• Aug. 17 — Playoffs begin
• Aug. 25 — NBA Draft Lottery
• Aug. 31-Sept. 13 — Conference semifinals
• Sept. 15-Sept. 28 —Conference Finals
• Sept. 30 — NBA Finals begin
• Oct. 13 — Last possible date for Game 7 of NBA Finals
• Oct. 16 — 2020 NBA draft
• Oct. 18 — Free agency begins at 6 p.m. ET
• Dec. 1 — Opening night for 2020-21 season

2020 NBA Season Restart Odds And Prop Bets

While there is a chance that the regular season restart is further delayed, oddsmakers believe that things will go off without a hitch. Offshore bookmakers are now offering lines on several occurrences related to the 2020 NBA season restart, including if it will start on time. The “Yes” side of the prop is a heavy favorite at -400, meaning one would have to risk $4 to return $1 on the campaign officially tipping off on July 30 as scheduled, while “No” is going off at +250, returning $2.50 for each $1 risked on a delay. The odds on a successful, on-time start have improved over the last week, moving from -350 for “Yes” and +225 for “No”. Bookmakers are also indicating the season will reach a conclusion, although that is not as sure of an outcome in their eyes. Bettors would have to put up $2.50 to win $1 on the 2020 NBA season finishing using the new format, while the “No” side of the prop is +170 at this juncture, odds that have remained unchanged despite the improved probability of the season starting promptly.

Should the restarted NBA season be delayed or cancelled, it is almost certainly going to due to COVID-19-related issues. The league has long had plan in place to handle positive tests from players—who will be subjected to tests every other day while they are in Orlando, with an estimated 17,000 tests to take place on the players alone by October 13—and has reportedly already quarantined two that contracted the coronavirus in the bubble. Bookmakers believe it is almost inevitable that more players will test positive during the 2020 NBA season, setting the line on any player doing so at -500. It’s not outside the realm of possibility that an entire team may need to be removed from the bubble due to COVID-19 concerns, but the chances of that are much slimmer based on the +900 betting odds on such an occurrence.

With so many players converging—teams are allowed to bring up to 17 players into the bubble at the start, with rosters shrinking to 15 for the postseason—on such a small area to play out the remainder of the season and subsequent 2020 NBA Playoffs, apprehensions have been voiced over all of them adhering to the strict guidelines the league has put in place to keep personnel safe. Bookmakers feel these are valid concerns, setting a line on bubble guidelines being breached by at least one player at -500, which implies an 83.3% probability of a violation. Some believe the NBA may also crack down on social media usage within the bubble, but the odds of that aren’t likely, with a line set on a player being banned from it at an improbable +800.

Shams Charania reported that the NBA recently sent a memo out notifying clubs that they must use a portion of their next team meeting to discuss bubble protocols:

Sources: The NBA has sent memo to teams reminding them that interacting with or bringing an unauthorized person on Disney Campus is prohibited. Teams are required to utilize part of next team meeting to brief/discuss health protocols.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 16, 2020

Check out the complete list of prop bets for the 2020 NBA Restart below, courtesy of BetOnline.ag. You can also find the updated 2020 NBA Finals championship odds for all 22 teams that have a chance to compete in the 2020 NBA Playoffs:

Will the 2020 NBA Regular Season Restart on time?

• Yes -400 (1/4)
• No +250 (5/2)

Will the 2020 NBA Season finish with the new format?

• Yes -250 (2/5)
• No +170 (17/10)

Will an NBA Player test positive for COVID after July 15?

• Yes -500 (1/5)
• No +300 (3/1)

Will an NBA Team be removed from bubble due to COVID concerns?

• Yes +900 (9/1)
• No -3000 (1/3)

Will the NBA ban players from social media inside bubble?

• Yes +800 (8/1)
• No -2500 (1/25)

Will an NBA player be removed from bubble due to violation?

• Yes +300 (3/1)
• No -500 (1/5)

Will any NBA player violate bubble guidelines?

• Yes -500 (1/5)
• No +300 (3/1)

2020 NBA Finals Championship Odds

• Los Angeles Lakers +240
• Milwaukee Bucks +260
• Los Angeles Clippers +320
• Houston Rockets +1600
• Boston Celtics +1600
• Toronto Raptors +2000
• Philadelphia 76ers +2000
• Denver Nuggets +2500
• Dallas Mavericks +3500
• Miami Heat +4000
• Brooklyn Nets +4000
• Utah Jazz +4000
• Oklahoma City Thunder +8000
• Indiana Pacers +8000
• New Orleans Pelicans +10000
• Portland Trail Blazers +10000
• Memphis Grizzlies +25000
• San Antonio Spurs +75000
• Phoenix Suns +100000
• Orlando Magic +100000
• Sacramento Kings +100000
• Washington Wizards +100000

Source: forbes.com

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Take 2 – Basketball and Netball – The Lockdown Reprise

It’s hard to know what effect this latest lockdown will have on local competitions and Junior grades in Netball and Basketball. Certainly it will push back the reopening of stadiums and to most competitions by a further 6 weeks. Whilst other states like NSW, Western Australia and Queensland remain ‘open’ the major leagues such as the NBL and the Suncorp Super Netball can prepare for competition hubs. But for the rest of us here in Victoria the message is #StaySafeStayHome

This week we wanted to take a peek at the new South Melbourne Primary School, Australia’s first vertical school. So that’s all we could do – take a peek. The school is graced with a full indoor sprung timber competition level court suitable for Basketball, Netball and indoor activities such as Gymnastics, Volleyball and other indoor sports.The new court was installed by Nellakir last year. But as of the 9th of July, it’s now having an enforced lay-off.

In reality the lockdown provides a great opportunity for organisations to access the ‘state of the game’ with their individual sports and plan for the post Covid-19 strategy for their sport.

Netball Australia has been quick off the mark announcing an independent review of the sport of Netball.

Here is their Press Release,

Netball assesses State of the Game

Netball Australia has today announced an independent review to holistically consider the State of the Game in order to reset the sport’s strategy following the impact of COVID-19.

The review, to be headed by former Australian captain Liz Ellis, will canvas the views and experiences of the wide range of customer and stakeholder groups from across the netball nation, inviting diverse and bold thinking to ensure the ongoing sustainability, prosperity and relevance of the game.

Ellis will be joined on the panel by an accomplished group of leaders from across different industries, all sharing a common belief in the power of netball to enrich communities. The three other panel members are Australian Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins, experienced non-executive director and former MP Wendy Machin and experienced non-executive director, CEO, CMO and media executive Joe Pollard.

In the wake of COVID-19 restrictions, Suncorp Super Netball was delayed, community netball was suspended, Netball Australia furloughed half its workforce and Suncorp Super Netball athletes accepted a reduction in their player payments for 2020.

Netball Australia CEO Marne Fechner said the consultation aspect of the review will be the most significant in the sport’s history and for good reason.

“The coronavirus pandemic has had a significant financial impact on the netball ecosystem and comes at a time when the competition to own the hearts and minds of women in sport is at an all-time high,” she said.

“Without action, parts of netball will encounter considerable financial uncertainty. So, faced with this reality, the sport will take steps to ensure its not only future proofed, but that our strategy leading into 2027, our centenary, is designed to strengthen the entire netball community,” she said.

“Across the next two months our aim is to capture the voices and experiences of our entire Australian netball family at a scale that hasn’t been done before. We want to listen to their stories and understand what makes the sport great and where we can do better. Most importantly, we want to capture a collective ambition for our game and, in doing so, shape our future.”

The Review’s terms of reference will see the panel consider:

• Netball’s value proposition and critical pain points.
• The alignment between customer and stakeholder insight and the sport’s purpose, vision and strategy.
• The culture of Netball in Australia.
• The financial, delivery and commercial model of netball in Australia.
• The optimal future governance structure of netball (Netball Australia, Member Organisations, associations, clubs, Suncorp Super Netball and Suncorp Super Netball clubs).
• The roles of each entity in the netball ecosystem.
• Any other matter that would best serve netball in Australia.

Panel Chair Liz Ellis said the State of the Game Review will provide a listening post at a critical juncture of the sport and help build strong, innovative strategies leading to 2027 when the sport hopes to host the Netball World Cup.

“Netball is the preeminent sport of choice for Australian women and girls, but like all sports, netball has experienced significant financial pressure across the system as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said.

“This review is an opportunity, not only to capture the pulse of the netball nation, but to understand what’s most important to people that love netball – from elite through to grassroots, social, mixed and men’s netball. It’s also a chance to also understand what our commercial partners see as the future of our business.

“We need to ensure the sport has a contemporary strategy and structure. This is a unique opportunity for the sport to reimagine and if necessary, reshape relevant features to ensure we can all bounce back stronger together.”

It is estimated the review panel will provide recommendations to Netball Australia by the end of September 2020.

Netball Australia is inviting all netball fans, participants, volunteers, anyone involved in the sport to provide input into this review. Go to netball.com.au/stateofthegame to find out how you can provide feedback.

Source: netball.com.au

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NBA Update – The LA Lakers and Orlando.

Basketball fans are keenly awaiting the resumption of the 2019-20 season at the ESPN complex at Disneyworld located in Orlando Florida.

Here’s a complete rundown from Head Coach Frank Vogel dated July 1st 2020…

Frank Vogel Addresses Lakers Roster Updates for Orlando

When Frank Vogel became the head coach of the Lakers over a year ago, he knew there would be plenty of challenges, and plenty of pressure.

But there’s no way he could have predicted a truly unprecedented 2019-20 season including the events surrounding the team’s preseason trip to China, the tragic death of Kobe Bryant, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the racial and social justice movement that continues to evolve.

Amidst all of that, Vogel is trying to lead his players and staff through never-traveled terrain as the team’s first game in the Walt Disney World bubble is exactly one month away.

As players continue individual workouts at the UCLA Health Training Center, ramping up towards the planned departure of the team charter on July 9, Vogel acknowledged that JR Smith would replace Avery Bradley on the roster, though it would take a team effort to replace Bradley’s role.

The other question mark on the roster is about Dwight Howard, who’s dealing with a unique family situation that he described to us in May, in addition to his focus on social justice.

Vogel offered an update on Howard’s status.

“We’ve been in communication with Dwight the whole way,” he said. “We don’t know what the level of participation is yet. He wants to play. We’re hopeful he’s able to join us. We’re hopeful and optimistic that he’ll be able to join us in Orlando.”

Howard is one of 10 Lakers to average at least 16.8 minutes per game this season: LeBron James (34.9); Anthony Davis (34.3); Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (25.4); Danny Green (25.1); Kyle Kuzma (24.6); Bradley (24.2); Rajon Rondo (20.5); Howard (19.2), Alex Caruso (17.8); and JaVale McGee (16.8). Markieff Morris had also entered the rotation, earning 14.8 minutes in his eight appearances.

Meanwhile, Quinn Cook and Jared Dudley got spot minutes and filled in admirably when needed, and Vogel said repeatedly that he’d trust them in any game situation. One could surmise that both Smith and playoff-roster-deadline acquisition Dion Waiters would fit in with Cook and Dudley as veterans who could be called upon for specific reasons and matchups, i.e., the need for a guy who can get his own bucket off the bench (Waiters) or floor spacing (Smith, who’s a 37.3 percent 3-point shooter who ranks 9th all-time in postseason 3’s made, and 4th in the NBA Finals).

Vogel has yet to work with Smith on the court, but he did have a welcome-to-the-team chat with the 34-year-old veteran.

“The experience factor,” said Vogel about what Smith brings. “This guy’s a big-time player, he’s proven it over the course of his career. We know he can help us. We almost added him earlier in the year when we added Dion Waiters, and now we have the luxury of having both. We’re not going to ask him to come in and be Avery Bradley, he’s going to come in and be JR Smith.”

And while Smith provides depth on the wing, the bulk of Bradley’s 24.2 minutes could be split amongst KCP, Caruso and Rondo, depending upon the game situation.

“Avery’s loss is obviously a huge loss for us, but we’re a next-man-up team,” Vogel continued. “Alex is an elite defender in his own right in a different way than Avery, as is KCP. Offensively, clearly we wouldn’t run plays that Avery uses for Alex, we’d run plays that put Alex in the best position to succeed.”

On his own Zoom call with reporters earlier on Wednesday, Caruso offered a similar sentiment.

“It might not be with one person (filling Bradley’s role), but this team has done a great job this year when guys have been out, of stepping up and filling a role or a need,” he said. “I don’t know if I’ll be the sole provider of everything that Avery did, that’s a lot to ask for because of how good he is at what he does, but I’m definitely going to be ready to fill part of that gap and that need.”

Caruso mentioned Bradley’s skills as a supplementary ballhandler and defender who took open threes as things he thinks he replicate. On the other hand, Caruso acknowledged Bradley’s strength with mid-range pullups and floaters out of the sets Vogel was asked about as things with which he is less comfortable. Fortunately, those are sets that KCP can replicate.

In fact, KCP started all 18 games for Bradley from Nov. 15 – Dec. 22 after Bradley suffered a hairline fracture in November. The Lakers went 15-1 before back-to-back losses at Indiana and Milwaukee at the end of a difficult road stretch. LAL also won games at Chicago (Nov. 5) and at OKC (Jan. 11) with KCP starting for Bradley, bringing the total mark to 17-3.

One benefit to those KCP lineups is the increased floor spacing he provides. Caldwell-Pope has hit 87 3’s this season on an impressive 39.4 percent from the field, compared to Bradley’s 63 makes on 36.4 percent. With LeBron as the primary ballhandler with the starters, Rondo could remain in his playmaking role off the bench.

Fortunately for Vogel, his squad has a 5.5 game lead in the West, meaning he can use the eight seeding games to iron out such rotation questions ahead of the start of the playoffs. Vogel was asked how having that lead might impact his approach in Orlando.

“We do have a different type of perspective from some teams that are playing for their playoff lives, but it doesn’t mean we’re not going to go out and – like we always would if these were the last eight games of the regular season – we would compete to win,” said Vogel. “That’s how your habits are built the best … Does that mean we’re going to play certain guys 47 minutes? Obviously no.

“We’ll be intelligent with the whole process of trying to find the right pace to bring our group along from a conditioning standpoint and evaluating on a daily basis what we feel they can handle and what they’re ready for without compromising their bodies and putting them at risk to injury. We will be cautious with those eight games, but we will compete to win.”

Then it’s time for the playoffs, a unique challenge given the circumstances, and one for which Caruso is ready.

“This is something personally that I relish,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the challenge of lasting, of being the team that can be the mentally toughest, the mentally strongest and saying ‘Yeah, we may be on this isolated campus for three months, but we have a goal, we have a mission and it’s not going to affect us trying to get to that end goal and finish the job.’”

It’s that mental side of the game where Caruso thinks the Lakers will have an edge, with everybody dealing with a similar physical challenge.

“The hardest part for us is getting back to doing physically what we were able to do, as far as being early on assignments, being physically ready to box out, to play as physically as it takes to beat teams like the Clippers, Bucks, Rockets and Nuggets, all the good teams that are competing for championships and are going to be in the playoffs,” he explained. “Just getting back to that physical form of being able to do it night in, take a day off, night out, keep going and going and going for a month and a half. The mental part I feel like for our team is going to be easier just because we have such a heady and basketball-smart team, basketball-IQ led team and coaching staff.”

Source: nba.com

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The NBA – Will it resume as scheduled in Florida?

Just when it appeared there would be a return to something resembling normalcy in the world’s premiere basketball competition, the NBA, it appears the Covid-19 situation in Florida has arced up somewhat. Combine this with an almost certain number of positive cases amongst players now being tested and again there is some concern over this year’s series returning.

We would stress the USA is in a very different situation to Australia with the number of positive identifications here being much lower. However, it points to the need for people to be vigilant and not squander the good work of the current lockdown in Australia. Local competitions here in both Basketball and Netball are looking to resume playing in late July.

Here’s a full report on the current NBA dilemma.

Florida’s Virus Spike Gives N.B.A. Players One More Reason to Hesitate

Concerns over dampening activism, injuries and now a drastic rise in coronavirus cases near Orlando could complicate the league’s plan to restart at Walt Disney World next month.

[The entrance to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Fla., this month. The N.B.A. is set to restart its season at the campus in July.]

Robert A. Iger, the executive chairman of the Walt Disney Company, introduced the phrase into the N.B.A. lexicon. Adam Silver, the league’s commissioner, passed it on to the news media.

In a virtual meeting with N.B.A. team owners on April 17, Iger counseled his audience to make “data and not the date” the focus of the league’s comeback efforts.

Some two months later, as 22 teams ramp up activities in practice facilities and prepare to begin regular coronavirus testing for players and staff members on Tuesday, fretting about the data is suddenly one of the most popular pastimes in the N.B.A. universe.

The main reason: Since Tuesday night, when the league began distributing a 113-page guide of health and safety protocols to govern its planned restart of the 2019-20 season at Walt Disney World next month, the rate of confirmed coronavirus cases in Orange County, Fla., has risen dramatically.

Last Tuesday through Saturday, according to state data, 17 percent of coronavirus tests in the county returned positive results. That was a significant jump from the 10-day period before that, from June 6 to 15, when the positive rate was 5 percent.

The spike is yet another source of apprehension to manage for league and union officials, who just emerged from weeks of complicated discussions to come to terms on all the health and safety restrictions for its restart beginning July 7.

As a Wednesday deadline approaches for players to notify their teams whether they wish to withdraw from participation, for whatever reason, there are three main sources of anxiety among the players and executives in the league:

– The location of the contained campus for the restart is a fresh source of unease. The N.B.A. chose Disney World for its single-site resumption of play for many reasons — business reasons among them given Disney’s status as the league’s top media partner. But Orange County’s increase in positive tests over the past two weeks has made it an “infection hotbed,” as described by Perry Halkitis, dean of the Rutgers School of Public Health.

– As Lou Williams of the Los Angeles Clippers said last week in a video chat with fans, some players are wrestling with fears that returning to full-time basketball may divert momentum from the Black Lives Matter movement, which has surged worldwide since the May 25 death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis.

– “In six weeks, the world may need some healing, they may need us to be on the floor,” Williams said. “But if more black kids or more black adults or any adults dealing with police brutality are getting killed and we’re still outraged, I don’t know if it’s in our best interests to suit up, because it looks like we don’t care.”

– A third prime worry that has been routinely overlooked with so much else happening is the injury risk players will face after what has been, for many, the longest layoff of their career from full-speed, five-on-five play.

– There are certainly several players who have been participating for weeks in unauthorized workouts and pickup games — a photo of LeBron James and Ben Simmons training together was posted on Instagram last week by the Klutch Sports Group, the agency that represents both players — but there are likewise many players who struggled in the initial stages of the pandemic to find places to get shots up.

– Through June 29, there will be a maximum of four players allowed in team practice facilities. The next week, until teams begin arriving at Disney World on July 7, up to eight players will be allowed. Players can thus only count on roughly 20 days of full practices and scrimmages with five-on-five work in Florida before the season resumes — considerably less than the norm. A month’s worth of pickup games in team practice facilities every September typically precede the start of N.B.A. training camps.

[Bradley Beal of the Wizards at a rally in Washington to mark Juneteenth on Friday.]

Regarding the first (and perhaps foremost) concern, Halkitis, like many in his field, has praised the scope of the N.B.A.’s plans to combat the coronavirus at the Disney campus near Orlando.

“It is very, very, very well structured,” Halkitis said of the 113-page document in a telephone interview. “My reaction is that it makes the best use of the science we have to date, knowing perfectly well that things can change tomorrow.”

The main weakness in the N.B.A.’s approach, Halkitis said, is the prospect of players or team staff members leaving the campus without authorization and exposing themselves to the coronavirus — or “workers who are not staying on the grounds” bringing it in.

“Do I 100 percent believe that people aren’t going to leave?” Halkitis said. “I mean, these are adults, right? Human behavior is really hard to control.”

Yet he also acknowledged that the worrying trajectory of the testing data, at the very least, is bound to prompt questions about whether even the N.B.A.’s strict protocols will be sufficient. The Florida Department of Health has seemed to acknowledge the shifting situation, issuing a lengthy health advisory on Saturday that included a reminder to “wear masks in any setting where social distancing is not possible,” and a recommendation that “all individuals should refrain from participation in social or recreational gatherings of more than 50 people.”

Another concerning development in the state from the weekend: Major League Baseball, while still searching for the labor agreement it needs to salvage some semblance of a 2020 season, ordered all team facilities in Florida and Arizona to shut down after players in both locations tested positive for the coronavirus.

“If the numbers were staying stable or they were going down, I’d have lots of confidence in the plan,” Halkitis said of the N.B.A.’s restart. “The numbers going up mean you have a different circumstance now, which increases the probability of transmission and makes the plan — which is excellent but not foolproof — more susceptible to infiltration by the virus.

“I keep using the flood and the dam example: A dam holds water, but if there’s a lot of pressure on the dam, like lots of infections, it’s more likely to crack. And that’s the problem here. They have to keep an eye on what’s going on.”

As players and coaches begin to reunite in earnest, with only two weeks to go before charter planes are revved up to take them straight to Disney World, one suspects that no one on the N.B.A. map will have to hear that advice twice.

Source: nytimes.com

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Return Dates for Local Basketball and Netball Competitions Imminent.

It seems that most of Australia has ‘dodged a bullet’ with the Covid-19 pandemic. Compared to the USA, we seem to have remained relatively unscathed. However there is still the need to maintain vigilance with the possibility of the ‘second wave’ of infections being very real. It’s easy to be complacent but remember in the USA, UK and Europe the toll has been tragic.

Both Basketball Victoria and Netball Victoria have been in discussions with the Victorian Government and the relevant State and Federal health Authorities. Both have provided press releases as to the present status on a return to local competition. For your information we repeat the for you here…

COVID-19 Updates as of June 17, 2020

Guideline Level: WE ARE CURRENTLY AT RED-10 (Outdoor) – until June 22

Thank-you to those who attended the Return to Sport Update today. Although it is an exciting time with some clearer dates for us to return, we need to remain vigilant, patient and prepare as best we can to ensure the health and safety of our community is the highest priority while we aim to get participants back on the court.

We’ve put forward a position to SRV and DHHS that our understanding and application of the Victorian Government return to sport announcement from Sunday June 14, allows for basketball to move to “Orange-50” reactivation status. We anticipate we will be in a position to confirm this status for indoor training and competition for participants 18 years and under by the end of the week.

Please find below links to guidelines, tools, signage and checklists (in preparation for an Orange-50 status) as well as the recording from todays webinar. The Q&A from todays session is being drafted and will be available tomorrow.

Please note the documents and tools provided for the proposed Orange-50 status are to be considered for preparation purposes and not to be treated as confirmed until Basketball Victoria notifies otherwise of acceptance from SRV and DHHS.

We appreciate the patience and understanding of the whole community, we ask that everyone continues to maintain increased hygiene practices as well as adequate social distancing measures to ensure we get through this together.

As of June 15, 2020

Return to Sport Update

Basketball Victoria welcomes the Victorian Government’s announcement of the further easing of COVID-19 restrictions (announced Sunday June 14), regarding community sport.

Managing our return to basketball training and competitions in a timely, yet safe and controlled manner is critical. This will ensure the health and wellbeing of participants, as well as the viability of our associations and clubs.

To be clear, basketball is regarded as a ‘contact-sport’ for the purposes of these Victorian Government restrictions and guidelines.

We have summarised the restrictions below from the DHHS and SRV releases, however we are seeking further clarity on the number of spectators/participants allowed per area/zone, aiming for an Orange-50 stage, as per our Return to Sport Guidelines from the 22nd June.

We will provide the relevant and updated guidelines, information sheets, checklists and signage to assist the resumption of competition as soon as we have received Government confirmation.

Summary of Restrictions:

– For 18 years old and under – full contact training and competition for both indoor and outdoor is possible from June 22
– For 18 years and over – non-contact training for both indoor and outdoor is possible from June 22
– For 18 years and over – full contact training for both indoor and outdoor (forecast for) July 13
– For 18 years and over – resumption of competition both indoor and outdoor (forecast for) July 20

Note: the forecast July dates are not locked in yet, the Victorian Government will still need to confirm these dates in the coming weeks.

We appreciate the patience and understanding of our community throughout the COVID-19 postponement of basketball and into the future as we ease restrictions and see our sport return to competition in upcoming weeks and months.

It is important to remain vigilant as we return to indoor basketball training and competitions – please continue to maintain increased hygiene practices as well as adequate social distancing measures, as this will aid in the ongoing health and safety of our community.

Source: http://basketballvictoria.com.au/covid-19/

And from Netball Victoria…

15 JUNE 2020

Netball Victoria is delighted with the Victoria State Government announcement today of a road map for the return of community sport in Victoria. We have seen netballers return to training with cautious excitement, and know the delight that a return to competition will bring our community.
We are processing the detail in these announcements and seeking further clarification before we can provide further advice to our netball community. We will provide the updated Return to Community Netball guidelines as soon as we can.

27 MAY 2020

The Victorian Government has announced further easing of restrictions which will enable groups of up to 20 – plus a coach – to participate in training at outdoor venues from Monday 1 June, 2020. All activity and training must continue to be non-contact and no competitions or match play may take place. Netball Victoria will continue to support Associations, Leagues and Clubs through this unprecedented time to ensure they adhere to the Return to Community Netball guidelines.

Netball Victoria continues to advocate on behalf of our community to the State Government for a roadmap to resume competitive netball. At this point in time, we are advocating for a recommencement of competition netball in mid-July 2020.

To enable us to effectively assess the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on your annual Netball Victoria membership, we have deferred an announcement until October 31, 2020. This will enable us to make an informed decision based on the state of play, and to further assess a range of options to manage current and future memberships. We continue to accept applications for refunds based on hardship or medical reasons, which are assessed on a weekly basis.

We are aware our netball community are doing all you can to make decisions in this uncertain environment. We encourage you to wait for the Victorian Government announcements regarding further easing of restrictions before making any definitive decisions. We expect to see a strong Return to Community Netball and look forward to continuing to work with our passionate netball community to achieve this.

Source: vic.netball.com.au

It will be fantastic for the kids to finally get back to enjoying a game, but it’s critically important that families and friends follow the directives and advice provided to ensure there is a full return to competition in the following months.

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We wish all competitors at all levels the very best of luck in returning to full competition. As the referee says, “Play Ball!”

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The NBA – It’s ON – Season to be completed by Mid October.

Last week, the NBA officially announced that the season was to be completed by mid October at a hub established at Disney World in orlando Florida.

Here’s the full report…

NBA to restart season in Disney World hub as top 22 teams aim to complete season by mid-October

The NBA is aiming to resume in less than two months at a Disney World hub

The NBA has approved a plan to restart the suspended 2019-20 season at a designated hub at Disney World in Florida, with a tentative start date of July 31.

Key points:

• NBA franchises voted near-unanimously to restart the season at Disney World in Florida
• The 16 teams currently in playoff positions and the six teams closest to breaking in will see out the season
• The league is hoping to be able to start the 2020-21 season on December 1

The plan would see 22 of the NBA’s 30 teams play eight seeding games to determine a 16-team playoff field that would follow the traditional post-season format, with four best-of-seven series that would crown a champion no later than October 12.

“While the COVID-19 pandemic presents formidable challenges, we are hopeful of finishing the season in a safe and responsible manner based on strict protocols now being finalised with public health officials and medical experts,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said.

The league said approval from its board of governors, which came on the day originally scheduled for the start of the NBA Finals, is the first formal step among the many required to resume the season.

According to ESPN, the vote on the format was 29-1, with the Portland Trail Blazers voting against the proposal.

All games, practices and housing would be at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, which is inside Disney’s Orlando resort and has multiple hotels and arenas and would allow the league to limit outside exposure.

The NBA was the first North American sports league to suspend its season due to the COVID-19 pandemic after one of its players tested positive for the new coronavirus in mid-March with five weeks remaining in the 82-game regular season.

Twenty-two of the league’s 30 teams will compete to finish the season.

The 22 returning teams would be comprised of the eight teams from each of the two conferences currently in playoff positions plus the six clubs that are six games or fewer behind the eighth seed in their respective conferences.

At the conclusion of the seeding games, the seven teams in each conference with the best combined records across regular-season games and seeding games would qualify for the playoffs.

A play-in tournament would be used to determine the final playoff seed in each conference if the team with the eighth-best combined record is four games or fewer ahead of the team with the ninth-best combined record in the same conference.

The NBA season was suspended in March after Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive to COVID-19.

The Minnesota Timberwolves, one of the teams excluded from the NBA’s return-to-play plan because of their record, expressed disappointment at not being able to play more games but said they understood and accepted the decision.

“It is important that we be a good teammate not only to the NBA, but to the other 29 teams to support the efforts to complete this season and prepare for next season in a healthy and safe manner,” the Timberwolves said in a statement.

If everything goes according to plan, the NBA said the 2020-21 season would begin on December 1.

The league also said it planned to hold its 2020 NBA Draft Lottery to determine the order of the first 14 selections on August 25. Lottery teams would be comprised of the eight clubs that do not participate in the restart and the six that go to Florida but do not qualify for the playoffs.

The actual NBA Draft, typically held in June, is now scheduled for October 15.

Source: abc.net.au

Here in Victoria, make sure your team gets to play on an absolute premium surface, every game. With local competitions scheduled to commence playing by July/August now is the perfect time to undertake annual maintenance of your valuable Timber Sports Flooring. Re-coating, Re-lining and ensuring the smooth vibrant surface players enjoy is a paramount task. Call Nellakir on 03 9467 6126 for a prompt response or leave your details here and one of our technicians will contact you to arrange a site visit.

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