Physical Playoffs spark debate

The basketball play and tempers have been hot during the Hungry Jack’s NBL26 Playoff Series between Adelaide and South East Melbourne.

In Game 1, which the 36ers won 104-97, Adelaide big man Nick Rakocevic came under scrutiny for his hard foul on Phoenix forward Akech Aliir, which was upgraded to an unsportsmanlike foul.

That led to South East Melbourne owner Romie Chaudhari labelling the 36ers star "dirty".

Then in Game 2, which the Phoenix claimed victory, Nathan Sobey and Flynn Cameron were both issued technical fouls for their altercation in the second half.

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Now in the countdown to Game 3, the NBL Overtime panel commented on the heated series.

“We know Nathan Sobey plays with more fire than most players,” 1990 NBL MVP Derek Rucker said on Monday’s episode of NBL Overtime.

“I like the positioning of the elbow, very strategic from Sobey. That’s something that needed to be looked at [by the officials] also.

“[But] when you get an elbow like that around your chin to neck region, Flynn Cameron has every right to come up aggressively at Sobey.”

Those sentiments were echoed by NBL champion Pete Hooley.

“I'm with you on that [Cameron’s reaction] for sure,” Hooley said.

“But I go back to the Rakocevic incident [and base your decision on that], saying that if you're gonna eject one [Rakocevic], you have to eject the other [Sobey], especially with the discussion around intentional/unintentional contact above the shoulders.

“We’ve now set the tone of what the Playoffs are, which includes this Game 3 and the Championship Series, so now you need to keep that.

“We know these games are going to be a little bit more tense, and emotions will be flying, so that [consistency] is the key.”

Fellow NBL commentator Damon Lowery also weighed in on the issue, saying calls for Sobey to be ejected were “ridiculous”.

“He [Sobey] didn't drop it; it wasn't the atomic elbow. It was a forearm, and it was just up high,” Lowery said on Tuesday’s NBL Now

“But as far as chatter about Sobey should be getting tossed. Stop it. That's ridiculous. We are here to see the superstars. We ain't here to get all pedantic and turn the game into a police state.”

The sudden-death Game 3 tips off at 7.30pm AEDT, live on ESPN.

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