Rebound's Chris Hughes, the All-Star organiser, content producer, YouTube host and producer, commentator and social media observer, was on hand to sift through seven games from across the Easter weekend, singling out the best and brightest for some further recognition.
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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
Luke Busumbru put on a clinic this weekend to earn my Rebound’s NBL Player Of The Week award. The former BBL guard was the guy to take care of title rivals Hemel with a 25-minute triple-double special.
In a tight game across three of the four intervals, Busumbru provided the answers needed to unlock the Storm defence with five of his 10 dimes coming in a pivotal 31-18 second quarter, showcasing his playmaking prowess as a catalyst for his side's big win.
The former Solent guard made up for a poor night's shooting from the free throw line by leading the Rebels in rebounds to help prevent Hemel from gaining too many second chance opportunities.
Greg Skoric put in a double-double performance this weekend as his 20 point, 11 rebound showing helped Nottingham to an OT win against Newcastle.
The forward impressed me in the opening and closing quarters of regulation with efficient shooting and rebounding to keep the momentum for his side, with the hosts eventually getting it done following the extra period.
'The General’ as he is affectionately known to the Rockets' fans put in a shooting masterclass on all three levels against Derby, coming off the bench to help orchestrate an upset win against the two-time KitKing Trophy champions.
13 was an unlucky number for Derby with Jenkins netting that many points in the final minutes to knock the Trailblazers' title challenge off course, earning a rest as the buzzer sounded as a result.
Reading Rockets supplied another intriguing twist to a fascinating, nail-biting NBL1 title race.
— NBL (@NBLengland) April 1, 2024
Weekend recap ➡️ https://t.co/5a8DM5A9jf pic.twitter.com/9NOCrPik2I
Johde Campbell is finding some great form as the playoffs approach with back-to-back selections to my Rebound NBL Team Of The Week.
This time it was a near triple-double performance against Newcastle that was certainly in the running for Player Of The Week honours.
This year’s All Stars’ captain shone brightest in overtime with four points from three attempts along with a pair of boards and dimes. Without conceding a single turnover, that production helped Nottingham secure the seven-point win, a vital result in the race for the eighth and final playoff spot.
Coach Nuruzade relied on Maynard for all but nine seconds of the forty in the win against a strong and physical Derby side, and the 6'4" guard didn't disappoint with a solid 21 point, seven rebound performance.
Maynard put in a big push on the glass, especially in the first quarter, to help Reading cruise to a 15-point lead after the opening frame, using that early advantage to seal a great W.
Reading started the Easter weekend early with a statement win, leading for the majority and denying Derby a victory that would have edged them ever-closer to the regular season title.
Reading shot the ball really well as a team (60%), along with hitting 48% of their triples. The hosts also protected the rock, winning the turnover battle 13-20.
The scoring was shared across a balanced attack, with all shooters contributing at least six points. Reis Pinnock's respectable 3-7FGM (42%) was the lowest mark of any Reading scorer, showing just how good a performance it was from the Berkshire outfit.
Josh Guddemi (NOT) - 16P/17R/19EFF
Mitch Clarke (REA) - 20P/5R/6A/2S/22EFF
Malcolm Smith (DTB) - 24PTS/8REB/5AST/23EFF
Victor Ndoukou (LOU) - 30P/5R/5A/33EFF vs LON & 15P/5R/3A/15EFF vs BRA
Juan Manning (BAR) - 14P/7R/7A/18EFF
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Main image credit - Kay Lu
