Chris, the All-Star organiser, content producer, YouTube host and producer, commentator and social media observer, had four exciting contests to sift through, with Hemel, Reading, Bradford and Derby all punching a ticket to the next round.
Have your say on this week's choices and give a shout-out to the players you think deserve one using the hashtag #NBL2324 and #ReboundTOTW. Don't forget to tag us!
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Chris will pick a Player of the Week and four other selections to round out his Team of the Week, paying attention to the following criteria:
Other players will also receive a shout out as honourable mentions at the bottom of the piece.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
The Reading captain stepped up when it mattered to secure a final four spot with an impressive all-round performance in the 17-point win.
Champion led his team with an impressive two-way performance, including a solid shooting stat line to go with with five steals.
Those forced turnovers were part of a team effort of disrupting the Rebels’ offence, and proved to be a catalyst as the Rockets recorded an impressive 36 points from turnovers.
The former Sheffield Sharks’ forward was a predator in the paint in an all-round performance which was just two dimes short of a triple-double.
Marsden’s box score contribution in the first quarter was one of the keys to the Trailblazers' success as the hosts raced to a 17 point lead at the end of the opening frame, leaving Barking to chase for the duration.
A loss to my Player Of The Week Lewis Champion is the only slight preventing Poorman from receiving this week’s top individual honour for himself, as the Rebels eventually went down 102-85 against Reading.
The explosive guard posted a highly-efficient performance in his duel with Champion, with the former Solent man being trusted to shoot a third of the Rebels’ shots as he knocked down bucket after bucket with ease.
Defensively, Poorman's four steals also ensured the Rebels matched the Rockets with 13 steals each.
Player of the Game Zain Poorman finished with 32 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals (Index 36) against Reading Rockets 😤#WeAreRebels pic.twitter.com/fVoJzwEIlm
— Essex Rebels Basketball (@EssexRebels) October 1, 2023
Gayle put together a mammoth 26 point, 14 rebound double-double performance against an imposing Bradford Dragons side.
The CoB captain was the only player to record double digits in the paint, limiting the damage from a top rebounding side to take the game down to the wire.
Hemel and Sylla had to pull out all the stops to eke out a narrow win over Milton Keynes this weekend, but the victory came thanks to the ever-reliant forward putting on a masterclass down low with a routine double-double and key free throws down the stretch.
Sylla’s dominance in the paint at both ends was key in an otherwise tight game as Hemel outscored Milton Keynes by 16 points in the paint.
A look back at yesterday’s events ⛈️😤@certaservice pic.twitter.com/Y51HvXIkjM
— Hemel Storm (@hemelstorm) October 2, 2023
Behind a top performance from their captain, Reading set Loddon Valley ablaze in a dominant win, disrupting the Rebels time and time again.
Reading achieved success by forcing turnovers, scoring their share of points in transition and using fast breaks to find easier looks in the paint. That gameplan allowed all but one shooting player to record points in what was an excellent team performance.
Raheem May Thompson (DTB) – 24P/9R/4A/1S/4B/25EFF
Fin Porter (REA) - 16P/7R/1A/1B/20EFF
Brayden Inger (HEM) – 20P/4R/4A/1B/21EFF
Corey Johnson (DTB) - 22P/10R/3A/1B/26EFF
Rihards Sulcs (BRA) - 9P/7R/6A/2S/15EFF
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