1988 NBL season
The 1988 NBL season was the tenth season of competition since its establishment in 1979. A total of 13 teams contested the league.
| 1988 NBL season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Basketball League |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Duration | 12 February 1988 – 9 July 1988 (Regular Season) 14 – 24 July 1988 (Elimination/Semi-Finals) 30 July – 7 August 1988 (Grand Finals) |
| Number of teams | 13 |
| TV partner(s) | Seven Network |
| Regular season | |
| Top seed | Adelaide 36ers |
| Season MVP | Joe Hurst (Hobart) |
| Top scorer | Andrew Gaze (Melbourne) |
| Finals | |
| Champions | Canberra Cannons (3rd title) |
| Runners-up | North Melbourne Giants |
| Finals MVP | Phil Smyth (Canberra) |
Clubs
Following the merger of the Sydney Supersonics and West Sydney Westars to form the Sydney Kings, the NBL had 13 clubs spread across all Australian states and territories with the exception of the Northern Territory.
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Regular season
The home and away season took place over 22 rounds between 12 February 1988 and 9 July 1988 with Elimination finals taking place on the 14th and 16 July, the Semi Finals taking place between 19 July 1988 and 24 July 1988 and the grand final series on 30 July until 7 August 1988.
Ladder
This is the ladder at the end of season, before the finals. The top 6 teams qualified for the finals series.
| # | Team | Pld | Won | Lost | Last 5 | Streak | Home | Away | For | Against | % Pts | % Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adelaide 36ers | 24 | 19 | 5 | 4-1 | W2 | 11-1 | 8-4 | 2,744 | 2,400 | 114.33% | 79.17% |
| 2 | North Melbourne Giants | 24 | 18 | 6 | 4-1 | W3 | 9-3 | 9-3 | 2,903 | 2,697 | 107.64% | 75.00% |
| 3 | Brisbane Bullets | 24 | 18 | 6 | 3-2 | W1 | 9-3 | 9-3 | 2,603 | 2,423 | 107.43% | 75.00% |
| 4 | Canberra Cannons | 24 | 16 | 8 | 5-0 | W7 | 9-3 | 7-5 | 2,691 | 2,515 | 107.00% | 66.67% |
| 5 | Newcastle Falcons | 24 | 13 | 11 | 3-2 | L1 | 8-4 | 5-7 | 2,850 | 2,832 | 100.64% | 54.17% |
| 6 | Perth Wildcats | 24 | 13 | 11 | 3-2 | W1 | 9-3 | 4-8 | 2,653 | 2,573 | 103.11% | 54.17% |
| 7 | Illawarra Hawks | 24 | 11 | 13 | 1-4 | L2 | 6-6 | 5-7 | 2,455 | 2,410 | 101.87% | 45.83% |
| 8 | Eastside Melbourne Spectres | 24 | 11 | 13 | 3-2 | W2 | 7-5 | 4-8 | 2,495 | 2,500 | 99.80% | 45.83% |
| 9 | Hobart Tassie Devils | 24 | 10 | 14 | 1-4 | L4 | 7-5 | 3-9 | 2,298 | 2,414 | 95.19% | 41.67% |
| 10 | Sydney Kings | 24 | 10 | 14 | 2-3 | L2 | 7-5 | 3-9 | 2,460 | 2,554 | 96.32% | 41.67% |
| 11 | Westside Melbourne Saints | 24 | 9 | 15 | 1-4 | W1 | 6-6 | 3-9 | 2,534 | 2,589 | 97.88% | 37.50% |
| 12 | Melbourne Tigers | 24 | 8 | 16 | 2-3 | L1 | 4-8 | 4-8 | 2,562 | 2,681 | 95.56% | 33.33% |
| 13 | Geelong Supercats | 24 | 0 | 24 | 0-5 | L24 | 0-12 | 0-12 | 2,298 | 2,958 | 77.69% | 00.00% |
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.
Finals
Elimination Finals
Both matches were single game elimination contests. The team that qualified 3rd at the end of the regular season would host the team that finished 6th, with the team finishing 4th hosting the team placed 5th.[2] The teams that finished the regular season 1st and 2nd had a bye into the semi final stage.
| Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 July | Canberra Cannons | 102-92 | Newcastle Falcons | The Palace, Canberra |
| 16 July | Brisbane Bullets | 98-113 | Perth Wildcats | Boondall |
Semi-Finals
Each were played as a best of 3 game series
| Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 July | Canberra Cannons | 100-91 | Adelaide 36ers | The Palace |
| 20 July | Perth Wildcats | 108-105 | North Melbourne Giants | Perth Superdrome |
| 22 July | Adelaide 36ers | 95-100 | Canberra Cannons | Apollo Stadium |
| 22 July | North Melbourne Giants | 137-113 | Perth Wildcats | The Glass House |
| 24 July | North Melbourne Giants | 134-111 | Perth Wildcats | The Glass House |
Grand Final
| Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 July | Canberra Cannons | 120-95 | North Melbourne Giants | The Palace |
| 5 August | North Melbourne Giants | 117-101 | Canberra Cannons | The Glass House |
| 7 August | North Melbourne Giants | 101-108 | Canberra Cannons | The Glass House |
1988 NBL statistics leaders
| Category | Player | Team | Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points per game | Andrew Gaze | Melbourne Tigers | 36.9 |
| Rebounds per game | Dean Uthoff | Eastside Melbourne Spectres | 17.2 |
| Assists per game | Brendan Joyce | Westside Melbourne Saints | 7.9 |
| Steals per game | Jerry Dennard | Hobart Tassie Devils | 2.8 |
| Blocks per game | Willie Simmons | Canberra Cannons | 3.6 |
| Free throw percentage | Leroy Loggins | Brisbane Bullets | 85.6% |
NBL awards
- Most Valuable Player: Joe Hurst, Hobart Tassie Devils
- Most Valuable Player Grand Final: Phil Smyth, Canberra Cannons
- Rookie of the Year: Shane Heal, Brisbane Bullets
- Coach of the Year: Bruce Palmer, North Melbourne Giants
All NBL Team
| # | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| PG | Phil Smyth | Canberra Cannons |
| SG | Andrew Gaze | Melbourne Tigers |
| SF | Leroy Loggins | Brisbane Bullets |
| PF | Mark Davis | Adelaide 36ers |
| C | Tim Dillon | North Melbourne Giants |