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For the latest and most important news of the day | https://www.thecanadianpressnews.ca To watch daily news videos, follow us on YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@CdnPress The Canadian Press on X (formerly Twitter) | https://twitter.com/CdnPressNews The Canadian Press on LinkedIn | https://linkedin.com/showcase/98791543…

For the latest and most important news of the day | https://www.thecanadianpressnews.ca To watch daily news videos, follow us on YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@CdnPress The Canadian Press on X (formerly Twitter) | https://twitter.com/CdnPressNews The Canadian Press on LinkedIn | https://linkedin.com/showcase/98791543…

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After an 0-2 start to the season, the Adelaide 36ers responded with back-to-back wins. Isaac Humphries found form and Kendric Davis appears to have found a level of comfort, with Olgun and Kane reacting to the possible turnaround. Where the Cairns Taipans the biggest winners of the weekend and is Taran Armstrong ready to lead a team to the playoffs…

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The Illawarra Hawks are sitting atop the NBL ladder after a seriously impressive week, while the South East Melbourne Phoenix are 0-3 and there are calls for some changes to be made. The Adelaide 36ers and Brisbane Bullets are also winless and feeling the pressure. Over in New Zealand, the Breakers are undefeated and may be more open to Tacko Fall …

HoopsFest was a huge success in Perth as NBL25 tipped off across the weekend. Did Adelaide prove they could be in the mix for playoffs? What are the big questions for the Sydney Kings and Brian Goorjian? Is Scott Roth becoming a villain? Are the Brisbane Bullets already showing signs of cracking? Kane Pitman and Olgun Uluc discuss all the key story…

It's been another long wait but we're back with a new episode of The Scratch Cast. Since we last met, Grant laid some slabs and became a Swifty, while Snedds witnessed a man's descent into madness during Dune: The Musical. On our singles swap we’re discussing The Sink by indie folk duo hey, nothing and Danzig With Myself by your favourite specialis…

Welcome from the NBL Blitz! As all teams converge onto Queensland's Gold Coast, ESPN's Olgun Uluc and Pete Hooley take you inside the NBL Blitz 2024 and explain how it feels to be in the hub of NBL! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesDe către ESPN AU/NZ, Kane Pitman, Olgun Uluc

The Opals are back on the Olympic podium! In a game that was fitting of the Opals resilient campaign, the team lost the lead early in the fourth quarter before recovering to close out Belgium. Ezi Magbegor was dominant with 30 points, while the key veterans that stood up all tournament came up clutch. Kane and Olgun breakdown the wildly entertainin…

Outside of a short period to end the first quarter, the Opals were comprehensively beaten by Team USA in the Olympic semi final. Kane and Olgun discuss the loss and the challenges now facing the team with a quick turnaround to Sunday’s bronze medal game. Will the loss be difficult to mentally overcome? How does this compare to the semi final loss a…

What a difference nine days can make. After starting their campaign with a bad loss to Nigeria, the Opals are now ensured of a place in a medal game at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Australia dominated Serbia from start to finish, behind the dynamic duo of Jade Melbourne and Alanna Smith. Kane and Olgun break down the result, praise the resilience of Me…

Leading by 24 points in the first half, the Boomers were unable to sustain the level, falling to Serbia in overtime. Patty Mills and Josh Giddey combined for 51 points on the night, but it wasn’t enough as turnovers and defensive lapses cost the team a place in the semi finals. Kane and Olgun discuss what went wrong after the first 15 minutes, and …

Tough. Gritty. Courageous. The Opals sent 27,000 French fans home quiet in an iconic Olympic win to punch their place in the Quarter Finals. Kane and Olgun react to the performance, praise Tess Madgen’s leadership, discuss the mental challenges the Opals overcame, Ezi Magbegor steadily improving and plenty more. Australia will now face Serbia on th…

The first half was described as “diabolical” by head coach Brian Goorjian, but a push to reduce the deficit proved pivotal as the Boomers advance to the Quarterfinals after a loss to Greece. Kane and Olgun discuss the rollercoaster game, breakdown a poor first half and identify what changed in the third. How did the Boomers defend Giannis? Why was …

The Opals needed a response desperately and while it wasn’t perfect, they registered their first win at the Olympics. The 70-65 win over Canada keeps their Paris dreams alive and sets up a matchup with host nation France on Monday morning. Kane and Olgun react to the win and particularly the performances of the veteran core. Sami Whitcomb, Cayla Ge…

The Boomers fell short against Canada 93-83, with a costly turnover count hurting the green and gold in the second half. Kane and Olgun bring instant reaction, discussing the offensive struggles after the half. Other story lines to surface from the game included Patty Mills being put in the Dorture Chamber, Dante Exum making a positive return, the …

It could hardly have gone any worse. The Opals drop their opener to Nigeria 75-62, committing 26 turnovers and missing 10 free throws in the process. Kane and Olgun try to make sense of the performance, find any positives, and discuss how the team can turn it around and keep their medal hopes alive. Also, the Boomers prepare for Canada as Dante Exu…

Facing demons from the past, the Boomers held of multiple Spain runs to start their Olympic campaign with a 92-80 win. Kane and Olgun break down the huge win, discussing the Josh Giddey and Jock Landale connection, Dyson Daniels and Josh Green on defence and Jack McVeigh’s rollercoaster Olympic debut. They also chat about Brian Goorjian’s motivatio…

The Boomers Olympic opener against Spain is just days away with a late injury to Dante Exum producing a potential wrinkle. Kane and Olgun discuss the impact of a potential Exum absence and expanded roles for Matthew Dellavedova, Joe Ingles and Josh Green. Have the Australian coaching staff been adjusting on the fly? Is Dyson Daniels the biggest pos…

The 2024 Paris Olympics will feature the most stacked men's basketball tournament in its history, so ESPN's Olgun Uluc and Brian Windhorst run the rule on the big storylines to keep an eye on. The Australian Boomers have a renewed hope despite being in the group of death, Team USA looks unsurprisingly unbeatable, and there are clear medal contender…

After a week of questions following squad selection, the Boomers impressed in warm up games against the USA and Serbia. Kane and Olgun break down the big man rotation and address a lack of Duop Reath minutes, praise the emergence of Dyson Daniels and dive into the Patty Mills discussion. Can a lack of volume shooting be overcome? Can the Josh Gidde…

As Australia announced their squads for the Paris Olympics, the Boomers drew all the headlines with some big names missing out including Matisse Thybulle. Kane and Olgun discuss the final squad after the dust has settled on the initial announcement. Does the makeup make sense? Does the selected team fix problems from the World Cup? Are they able to…

With NBA free agency underway another Australian has been traded, with Josh Green heading to Charlotte. Kane and Olgun break down the news, while also touching on recent transactions involving Dyson Daniels and Josh Giddey. With further cuts looming to the Olympic squad, the guys look at all the big stories from the Boomers camp and what decisions …

We're finally back with another new episode of The Scratch Cast: The Alternative Music Podcast. Did you miss us? On this episode Grant talks a lot about Blackpool, we try to find Keanu Reeves, and we discuss the phenomenon of people our age looking a lot older in the 80s... On our singles swap we discuss: "10 Mile Smile" by Elgin solo artist Jay Ta…

The road to the Paris Olympics continues to ramp up, with the Boomers dropping their initial 22-man squad. While the entire World Cup squad has been named, who are the players pushing for a spot in the squad? Kane makes a case for Matthew Dellavedova. Olgun makes a case for Jack McVeigh. The young additions to the squad are on the agenda and so is …

Island. Defended. In what may have been the greatest NBL Championship series of all time, the Tasmania JackJumpers walked away with the title. From Jack McVeigh's heroics, Scott Roth's sideline genius, Jordan Crawford's scoring outbursts and Will Magnay's toughness, Tasmania got the job done. Kane and Olgun break down everything that went down in t…

Well, that was emphatic. Melbourne United handed Tasmania it's biggest loss of the season, dominating the JackJumpers to take a 1-0 lead in the series. Kane and Olgun break down what went right for Melbourne, what went wrong for Tasmania and what it means for Game 2 and beyond. Will Magnay's minutes, the influence of officiating, MVP progress and t…

It all comes down to 40 minutes. Illawarra upset Melbourne and Tasmania steady to down Perth, forcing a pair of Game 3's on Wednesday night. Kane and Olgun name one thing that has surprised them from the series' so far. What happened to Keanu Pinder? How was Marcus Lee suspended? What has happened to Melbourne's defence? How has Sam Froling formed …

The final four is set in the NBL, with the Illawarra Hawks outlasting the New Zealand Breakers on Monday night. How did the Hawks win? Should the Breakers feel unlucky? Was this a coming of age moment for Sam Froling? How will the Hawks handle United? Also, Brian Goorjian looks set to re-join the Sydney Kings, as Kane and Olgun ponder why this job …

After an unfortunate pause for the FIBA break, the NBL postseason is ready to launch. Kane and Olgun preview New Zealand vs. Sydney and Illawarra vs. Tasmania. Key matchups, concerns and important storylines are all on the agenda. Should Justin Tatum have won coach of the year? Has the NBL ruined league momentum with the pause into the postseason? …

Brad Newley -- a two-time Olympian who was among the trailblazers for Australians playing professional basketball in Europe -- has made the decision to retire at the conclusion of the 2023-24 NBL season. He sat down with ESPN's Olgun Uluc to talk about the decision, his career, and what lies ahead! Congratulations Newls! Learn more about your ad ch…

With one round to play, one of the Sydney Kings, New Zealand Breakers, Illawarra Hawks or Brisbane Bullets will miss the Play-In tournament. How did the Kings get here? Why have they been unable to stop the skid despite boasting a star studded roster? Which team is in the greatest danger of missing out? Have the Breakers found an easy fix for losin…

With two rounds to play, the race for the NBL Play-In Tournament in delicately poised. Can New Zealand withstand the loss of Anthony Lamb? Will Illawarra navigate a four-game gauntlet to end the regular season? Can Sydney find any semblance of their old selves? Where does Brisbane fit in the mix? Kane and Olgun discuss this, before pouring into an …

This episode should have come out in August 2023. We had planned to record it, but I got sick and it was postponed. Then, life got busy with staggers, weddings (both hosts included), and honeymoons. It’s been over six months since our last episode - which is absolutely mental - but we’re finally back with loads of great new (ish) music to talk abou…

South East Melbourne stunned the Sydney Kings behind a monster Mitch Creek game, but another postseason without Creek seems on the cards. Have the Phoenix wasted the last few years? Illawarra once again nullified Bryce Cotton, but what did the loss mean for the Perth WIldcats in the big picture? Between Dean Vickerman and John RIllie, press confere…

A dominant first quarter from the Perth Wildcats set up a big road win that has them within touching distance of Melbourne United for top spot and home court throughout the playoffs. That road win came against the Sydney Kings, but did the defending champs make progress despite the result? What led to Tasmania's dominant win over Melbourne United a…

Tasmania are really difficult to put away. That's a good thing. But....they keep losing close games so what does it all mean? As for the Sydney Kings, did a blow out win over New Zealand re-ignite the faith in the team? Kane and Olgun also look into bounce back seasons for Nathan Sobey and Isaac Humphries, while also looking ahead to this week and …

The Sydney Kings lost twice on the weekend and the postgame press conference left the impression that they are a team unclear on where to turn. What are the issues? Can they be fixed? Is the 3-peat possible? If the Kings are looking for in season turnaround inspiration, they could look West, with the Perth Wildcats continuing to run through the lea…

Finally healthy, have the New Zealand Breakers announced themselves as a threat in the NBL title race? Losers of four out of their last five games, what is going on in Tasmania and are the JackJumpers in trouble? Only one team has beaten Melbourne United twice this season….the Cairns Taipans. While that might be surprising, the young talent on the …