1986 NBL season

1986 NBL season
League National Basketball League
Sport Basketball
Duration 25 April 1986 – 28 September 1986
1 – 4 October 1986 (Semi-Finals)
11 – 19 October 1986 (Grand Finals)
Number of teams 14
TV partner(s) ABC, SAS-10, TV0, STW9
Regular season
Top seed Adelaide 36ers
Season MVP Leroy Loggins
Top scorer Andrew Gaze (922 - 36.9 ppg)
Finals
Champions Adelaide 36ers
  Runners-up Brisbane Bullets
Finals MVP Mark Davis

The 1986 NBL season was the eighth season of competition since its establishment in 1979. A total of 14 teams contested the league.

Clubs

The NBL had 14 clubs spread across all Australian states and territories with the exception of the Northern Territory.

Regular season

The home and away season took place over 21 rounds between 25 April 1986 and 28 September 1986 with semi-final on 1 October 1986 until 4 October 1986 and grand final on 11–19 October 1986.

The Adelaide 36ers had a near perfect regular season recording a 24–2 win/loss record which included an undefeated 13-0 home record at the Apollo Stadium, a feat not matched before or since in the NBL. Adelaide's only two losses of the year came away in Round 6 when they lost 89–87 to the West Sydney Westars in Sydney, and in Round 11 against the Coburg Giants in Melbourne when they went down 116–114. Both the Westars and Giants won the games on last second baskets. The 36ers were easily the best offensive team in the league, averaging 116 points per game (11.5 points more per game than the next best team, the Brisbane Bullets), while they had the 5th best defence in the NBL only giving up 96.5 points per game.

6'5" (196 cm) Brisbane Bullets swingman Leroy Loggins was selected as the NBL's Most Valuable Player. Loggins averaged 29.8 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 3.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per game in 1986. It was Loggins' 2nd NBL MVP award having also won in 1984.

Ladder

# Team Pld W L Last 5 Streak Home Away For Against % Win %
1Adelaide 36ers 262425-0W1213-011-23,0162,510120.16%92.31%
2Canberra Cannons 261974-1W111-28-52,7182,520107.86%73.11%
3Brisbane Bullets 261793-2W110-37-62,6502,485106.64%65.38%
4West Sydney Westars 2615123-2L18-56-72,5182,438103.28%53.85%
5Illawarra Hawks 2615113-2W210-35-82,5512,472103.20%57.69%
6Sydney Supersonics 2614113-2W28-57-62,5192,492101.08%57.69%
7Geelong Supercats 2614122-3W18-56-72,8752,88999.52%53.85%
8Coburg Giants 2614122-3W29-45-82,8412,825100.57%53.85%
9Nunawading Spectres 2612144-1L18-54-92,5922,64298.11%46.15%
10Newcastle Falcons 2610161-4L46-74-92,7822,87896.66%38.46%
11Hobart Devils 269172-3L17-62-112,6062,70496.38%34.62%
12Perth Wildcats 268180-5L56-72-112,4582,69391.27%30.77%
13Melbourne Tigers 266201-4L15-81-122,8223,08991.36%23.08%
14St Kilda Saints 265211-4L23-102-112,7423,05389.81%19.23%

Finals

There were two quarter finals, two semi-finals, and then best of three grand final. All of the Quarter and Semi-finals were sudden death. As the top two teams in the regular season the Adelaide 36ers and Canberra Cannons automatically qualified to host a home Semi-final.

Quarter-Finals

Date Home Team Score Away Team Venue
1 OctoberBrisbane Bullets100-82Sydney SupersonicsBrisbane Entertainment Centre
1 OctoberWest Sydney Westars86-105Illawarra HawksState Sports Centre

Semi-Finals

Date Home Team Score Away Team Venue
4 OctoberCanberra Cannons100-120Brisbane BulletsAIS Arena
4 OctoberAdelaide 36ers116-92Illawarra HawksApollo Stadium

Grand Final

After being a single game from 1979-1985, 1986 saw the establishment of the best of three Grand Final series. Game 1 in Brisbane saw a then NBL record attendance of over 11,000. The game went into overtime with the 36ers coming out on top with a 122-119 win. Game 2 saw Adelaide lose its only game at home for the season when the Bullets kept the series alive with a 104-83 win. Adelaide wrapped up its first NBL Championship with a 113-91 win in Game 3 at the Apollo Stadium.

Regular season MVP winner, Brisbane's Leroy Loggins, fouled out of both Games 1 and 3. Adelaide import Power forward Mark Davis was selected as the Grand Final MVP. Davis averaged 25.0 points, 19.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists over the series.

Date Home Team Score Away Team Venue Attendance
11 OctoberBrisbane Bullets119-122 (OT)Adelaide 36ersBrisbane Entertainment Centre11,000
17 OctoberAdelaide 36ers83-104Brisbane BulletsApollo Stadium3,000
19 OctoberAdelaide 36ers113-91Brisbane BulletsApollo Stadium3,000

1986 NBL statistics leaders

CategoryPlayerTeamStat
Points per gameAndrew GazeMelbourne Tigers36.9
Rebounds per gameMark DavisAdelaide 36ers16.1
Assists per gameDamian KeoghWest Sydney Westars8.0
Steals per gameSteve CarfinoHobart Devils3.4
Blocks per gameWillie SimmonsCoburg Giants3.8
Field goal percentageMurray SheilsHobart Devils57.3%
Three-point percentagePaul StanleyMelbourne Tigers47.5%
Free throw percentageDane SuttleGeelong Supercats89.3%

NBL awards

All NBL Team

# Player Team
PGSteve CarfinoHobart Devils
SGAndrew GazeMelbourne Tigers
SFLeroy LogginsBrisbane Bullets
PFJim FosterCoburg Giants
CMark DavisAdelaide 36ers
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