BRISBANE BULLETS
GAME DAY EMAG ROUND 5 VS FRI 3 NOV TIP-OFF 6.30PM Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
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PATHION POSITIONS ITSELF AS BRISBANE BULLETS POWER FORWARD PATHION POWER FORWARD
Brisbane Australia – November 3rd, 2017 - Energy innovators PATHION Inc., shine a light on the Brisbane Bullets and the NBL as the renewable energy ‘Power Forward’ announces its principal partnership with the Bullets for the next two seasons, the partnership is the largest signing since the club returned to the NBL last October. The landmark partnership will see PATHION appear on the front chest of the Brisbane Bullets on-court jersey, training apparel and broadcast signage assets. The Brisbane Bullets General Manager Richard Clarke said he was excited with the signing of PATHION as the clubs Principal Partner, “The partnership with PATHION is a landmark occasion for the Brisbane Bullets having only returned to the league back in October last year. We’ve been in discussion with PATHION for some time now and have enjoyed our working relationship to date, largely founded on business to business introductions for the US-based organization.”
PATHION’s mission is to power the world more efficiently and sustainably to develop, build and sell safe, intelligent energy storage solutions for commercial, industrial, utilities, marine and government customers. With offices in the US, Europe, and Australia, PATHION delivers renewable and intelligent energy storage solutions that address today’s critical problems of electric quality, reliability, and increasing costs. “PATHION was equally delighted with the signing of the Bullets having watched the rise of the NBL in recent years and the return of the Brisbane Bullets last season, we’re delighted to now be part of the
NBL and broader Bullets business family.” said PATHION CEO Mike Liddle “PATHION’s solutions result in maximized energy savings, ongoing energy resilience and security, delivering broader economic value and grid stability across both customers and communities.” The announcement of PATHION not only represents a commercial outcome for the club but solidifies its support of renewable energy and sustainability communities. The announcement will be followed by another in Adelaide in the coming days. The Brisbane Bullets will look to continue their winning streak at home with the next three out of four games being played at home throughout the month of November.
About PATHION Inc. PATHION provides safe and intelligent energy solutions that address today’s critical problems of energy quality, reliability, and increasing costs. With offices in the US, the UK, and Australia, PATHION delivers high-performance energy systems for commercial, industrial, utility and government applications. PATHION’s solutions result in maximized energy savings, ongoing energy resilience and security, and new revenue. Our system combines any on-site clean generation source such as solar or wind with advanced energy storage to provide a fully-financed, turnkey solution delivering the highest performance. The centrepiece of PATHION’s energy solutions is an Energy Management System (EMS) that delivers ongoing flexibility and optimized performance of local energy assets. With continued advancements in energy technologies, customers need protection from solutions that are locked into a single vendor or technology type. In addition, the system enables ongoing participation in our evolving energy markets, delivering broader economic value and grid stability across both customers and communities. All of these energy solutions can be combined with PATHION’s innovative financial, engineering, and program management services. As a result, PATHION accelerates customers and communities towards a more stable, costeffective, and clean energy future.
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FRIDAY 3RD NOVEMBER
GAME PREVIEW REDEMPTION is on the mind of the Brisbane Bullets in Friday November 3’s clash with Illawarra and they won’t be taking any notice of how desperate the bottom placed Hawks are entering Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. The Hawks have won just the one game this season as they take on Brisbane in Round 5 but that came against the Bullets. Brisbane came away from that game in Illawarra back in Round 3 feeling it was a real missed opportunity as the Hawks won 105-96. What it meant was that Brisbane has not defeated Illawarra since February 16, 2008. The Bullets won that night 129-98 and Adam Gibson was on hand with 15 points and five assists. Current Hawks veteran Rhys Martin also played for Brisbane that night as did current assistant coach CJ Bruton. The Bullets haven’t beaten the Hawks in their five matches since returning last season, but prior to that Brisbane had won seven straight against the Illawarra team.
None of that will matter once the two teams get out onto the floor with the Bullets looking to capitalise on the momentum off a thrilling win over Melbourne United. That was an impressive and confidence-boosting win by the Bullets. Assistant coach Mick Downer will help ensure they are focused on what they need to do for 40 minutes to beat the Hawks this time around. “The win they have got was against us but we felt in that game that we were in a strong position at different points but we didn’t finish it off. Going into this game there a few areas we absolutely have to be better at.” Downer said. “There are a few things we absolutely have to be better at. Rotnei Clarke is a game-changer and they have other guys who play their role, get to the foul line and put the ball to the deck. We need to be really solid with our defensive rules.”
VS
There’s no question how desperate for a win the Hawks will be as they come to Brisbane. They are the team that made the NBL Grand Final last season and on paper at least, look to have improved with nine of their 11 players back plus the arrival of imports Demitrius Conger and Delvon Johnson. That doesn’t change the way the Bullets will approach the game or the confidence they take out of the win against Melbourne. Without question the best part about it was every player contributing whether it was Stephen Holt’s high of 17 points, Shaun Bruce’s cameo with 13, Daniel Kickert’s all-round effort 11 points, five rebounds and five assists or even Mitch Young’s four points, everyone did their part. Downer has no question that if they can do that again against the Hawks, that can overcome any emotion they will be feeling heading into the game with their backs to the wall. “I don’t think it really means much to us in terms of preparing for them. They can come in and they can say they are desperate or whatever, but it doesn’t impact on what we feel about how we have to go into the game,” Downer said. “It’s still early in the season and you find areas that you are good and poor in at this point, so there are so many moving pieces with things you need to work on. “We are much more focused on getting ourselves right and not how they will be approaching the game. We just want to focus on the areas we need to execute better than them in the game so we can come away with the win.”
STATS STORY VS
“It’s clear we have a very talented offensive team here.” That was a direct quote from Brisbane Bullets head coach Andre Lemanis after their Round 4 loss to the New Zealand Breakers… And he is right. For a team which struggled on that end of the floor during the 2016/17 season, the Bullets have not only turned it around – they have become the most potent offensive team in the National Basketball League. Brisbane have shot over 50% in each of their five games, including their recent loss to this week’s opponents the Illawarra Hawks at the Sandpit two weeks ago. In their second year together, with only changes in the import department, it’s clear the Bullets cohesion is no longer a problem. The team also averages 17.2 assists per game, which means more than half of their made field goals each game is created by teammates.
Lemanis’ team is also taking care of the ball – something which was also a problem last season – with the Bullets only averaging 11.2 turnovers. Brisbane also showed their capability of capitalising turnovers into points against Melbourne United last week and it may be an area they can use to their advantage against Illawarra as well with the Hawks giving the ball back to their opposition more than 15 times per game. The Bullets will have to defend the three-point line to get this win with Rob Beveridge’s high-powered team shooting more than 23 attempts from beyond the arc. They are yet to catch fire for an entire game yet this season but you only need to look at the last game between these two opponents to see what they can do. The Hawks were hot in the third quarter against Brisbane in Round 3, scoring 39 points for the period to record their 105-96 victory – their first and only win so far this season. Friday’s clash is also another chapter in a storied rivalry between Lemanis and Beveridge after the
FUN FACT: Brisbane hold the overall advantage over the Hawks with 45 wins to 34 but Illawarra are the only team the Bullets have not beaten since their return to the competition.
two master coaches fought tooth and nail in several grand final series during the Breakers’ threepeat from 2011-2013. Beveridge has a slight edge over the Boomers coach with 17 wins to 16. Adam Gibson has 17 assists and no turnovers to this point of the season which is a new all-time NBL record. The previous most turnovers in first four weeks with no turnovers was Mark Leader for the North Melbourne Giants in 1989 with 16 assists and no turnovers. The last time these teams played in Brisbane resulted in the Hawks winning in overtime 9185 back in December 2016.
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COACHES CORNER WITH
MICK DOWNER THE Brisbane Bullets are happy to be home again and having welcomed back Mitch Young while assistant coach Mick Downer remains confident of Adam Gibson being fit against the Illawarra Hawks. Following a gruelling travel schedule, the Bullets are home for the second consecutive week to host the Illawarra Hawks on Friday November 3 at Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. That’s on the back of a home game and tight loss to the New Zealand Breakers on Thursday October 26 followed by a tremendous victory two days later against the highly-fancied Melbourne United on the Gold Coast. Following a period that saw the Bullets play their final pre-season game in New Zealand, begin the NBL season in Perth, play against the Suns in Phoenix and then return home for a first home game followed by a match in Wollongong two days later, the Bullets have enjoyed the time home. But Downer sees the positives in the time on the road early in the season as well. “I’m sure the guys are happy to be home even though there are benefits for the guys to be on the road so much earlier in the season,” Downer said. “All that time hanging out together and getting to know your teammates is something you try to make the most of, but coming back and sleeping in your own bed and having all our medical staff on ground here and a familiarity with our training
environment is something you can’t beat.” Coming off the narrow loss to the Breakers, the Bullets were outstanding beating Melbourne two days later. Even though it got a little too close to comfort down the stretch, Downer was delighted with a lot of what the Bullets delivered.
But it’s been a controlled and prescribed return to play, and we’re really happy with the job he’s done to stick with it and be patient.”
“We were really happy with the win and we just made it interesting for the fans at the finish, they want to see a close finish,” he said.
Given that was the injury that ended his season in 2016/17, no risks were taken but Downer is confident of him facing the Hawks.
“Whether it’s little cameos or guys making significant contributions with big court time, we had a lot of guys stepping up.
“It was a precautionary thing to shut him down there and he knows his body pretty well. It wasn’t worth the risk to throw him back out there as much as I’m sure he would have wanted to get back in, but it was good to get away with the win without feeling like we had to get him back,” Downer said.
“There has been no secrets to the way the league has been the last couple of seasons with how close it is so at the end of the day it comes down to the depth of your roster and all the guys playing their role. We are absolutely rapt with the way that everyone contributed.” Another tremendous lift for the Bullets in the games against the Breakers and Melbourne was the return of Mitch Young. The big man is continuing to shrug off a bout of glandular fever but Downer and the rest of the group was pumped for his return. “When you are an elite athlete and you have a lot of things weighing on your mind, glandular fever isn’t an easy thing to deal with so even just seeing him back at practice in recent times, I couldn’t be happier for the guy,” Downer said. “He is awesome in so many ways with his professionalism and effort, and it’s been tough for him because he wants to do more.
Bullets captain Adam Gibson also sat out the final minutes of the win against Melbourne with a tight calf.
“He’ll work his way back into it this week and with tightness like that it’s about having the confidence that it’s fine. We have a crack medical team behind us helping him and the plan is to get him right for the game.”
BRISBANE
BULLETS
Travis Trice Guard Springfield, Ohio
Matt Kenyon Guard Gosford, NSW
Daniel Kickert Forward Melbourne, VIC
Perrin Buford Forward Decatur, Alabama
Shaun Bruce Guard Horsham, VIC
Reuben Te Rangi Forward Auckland, NZ
Adam Gibson Guard Launceston, TAS
Stephen Holt Guard Portland, Oregon
Anthony Petrie Forward Tenterfield, NSW
Mitch Young Forward Brisbane, QLD
Tom Jervis Centre Kalgoorlie, WA
Andrej Lemanis Coach Melbourne, VIC
ILLAWARRA
HAWKS
Demitrious Conger Forward Brooklyn, New York
Mitch Norton Guard Townsville, QLD
Delvon Johnson Forward Chicago, Illinois
Kevin White Guard Manly, NSW
Nick Kay Forward Tamworth, NSW
Tim Coenraad Forward Brisbane, QLD
AJ Ogilvy Centre Sydney, NSW
Rhys Martin Guard Brisbane, QLD
Cody Ellis Forward Perth, WA
Oscar Forman Forward Adelaide, SA
Rotnei Clarke Guard Claremore, Oklahoma
Rob Beveridge Coach Canberra, ACT
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PLAYER PROFILE
ADAM GIBSON FOR the first time he can remember Brisbane Bullets captain Adam Gibson enjoyed a full pre-season and felt as good as he has in years heading into an NBL season as a result while particularly buoyed by the back court he will feature in. The unintended positive from Gibson’s 2016/17 season ending prematurely through a calf injury was that he could start preparing for 2017/18 straight away. Right throughout most of his NBL career Gibson has had other commitments through the off-season having been a regular member of the Australian Boomers team highlighted by his appearance at the 2012 Beijing Olympics, and 2010 and 2014 FIBA World Cups. Even coming into last season upon return to the Bullets, he had undergone ankle surgery during the pre-season meaning it took some time to get going. That’s why the recently turned 30-yearold enjoyed so much putting in a lot of work with the Bullets even before preseason officially began. He then was able to do a mountain of work to get ready during the pre-season proper. That all led to the 365-game veteran feeling as good as he can remember coming into this season and things have started well for him in a backcourt also featuring Stephen Holt, Travis Trice and Shaun Bruce. The twotime NBL champion is averaging 6.6 points and 3.4 assists over the opening five games and has no doubt the pre-season work is paying off. “This off-season felt like it was a long one and a lot of us stayed around in Brisbane. We had four to six weeks off but then were going three days a
week practicing as a group with six to eight of us in the team,” Gibson said. “Obviously coming into last season after ankle surgery it took a little while to get back going again, but having worked this whole off-season and being able to work on individual things has been great. “It was nice to be able to work on things individually. Then coming off the hard weights program that we had leading into pre-season and through pre-season, I definitely feel a lot better. Hopefully that translates into a good season.” Along with being happy to be physically able to go through the whole pre-season working on his body and game, Gibson also credits a change in the Bullets strength and conditioning staff as working tremendously. Gibson elected to return to the Bullets upon their return to the NBL. It’s where he began his career and played in the 2007 championship but was first to move elsewhere. He went on to spend two seasons at the South Dragons, winning another championship in 2009, before three seasons with the Gold Coast Blaze and then four more with the Adelaide 36ers. Finally, Gibson was able to make his own decision on his future rather than having to find a new home with a club closing down and he always wanted to return to the Bullets as soon as they were back in the NBL.
Injuries ravaged what was a promising season for the Bullets though.
With Anthony Petrie and Cam Bairstow already ruled out for the rest of the season, Gibson was stepping up huge over a three-game stretch for the Bullets averaging 16.3 points a game. He then suffered his own injury hurting his calf late in the game in Illawarra against the Hawks. He missed the last seven games and it was a frustrating way to end his Brisbane return. While Gibson is feeling good early in the new season after his strong pre-season, he’s particularly excited by what the Bullets’ backcourt combination of himself and Bruce along with imports Holt and Trice can deliver as 2017/18 rolls on. “I think with the four of us we cover a lot of different roles. Trav brings that speed and ability to create his own shot, and to get others involved,” he said. “Steve is a knockdown shooter who can score but he’s also an underrated defender, I think he’s one of our best perimeter defenders so I think he will surprise people at that end of the floor. “Then we’ve got me and Shaun too. It’s a good mix and I think we’ll get to play together at times and mix it up. Whatever each game needs I think we can cater for most stuff now.”
2017/2018
VS
28/10/17
ROUND 5
26/10/17
ROUND 4
VS
ROUND 4
20/10/17
VS
3/11/17 VS
6.30pm AEST
(GCSLC)
(BCEC)
12/11/17
17/11/17
3/12/17
23/12/17
VS
VS
ROUND 11
4.30pm AEST
(BCEC)
ROUND 8
6.30pm AEST
(BEC)
ROUND 7
6.30pm AEST
VS
VS
4.30pm AEST
(BCEC)
(BCEC)
7/1/18
14/1/18
20/1/18
27/1/18
VS
VS
2.00pm AEST
2.00pm AEST
(BCEC)
(BCEC)
8/2/18
15/2/18
VS
ROUND 16
2.00pm AEST
(BEC)
ROUND 15
6.30pm AEST
(BCEC)
ROUND 14
2.00pm AEST
ROUND 19
ROUND 18
ROUND 13
ROUND 6
ROUND 3
HOME FIXTURE
VS
4.30pm AEST (BEC)
VS
4.30pm AEST (BCEC)
VS
6.30pm AEST
6.30pm AEST
(BCEC)
(BEC)
(GCSLC) Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre (BCEC) Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BEC) Brisbane Entertainment Centre * Draw subject to change. For latest information visit brisbanebullets.com.au
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