1991 NBL season
The 1991 NBL season was the 13th season of competition since its establishment in 1979. A total of 14 teams contested the league.
| 1991 NBL season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Basketball League |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Duration | 6 April 1991 – 22 September 1991 25 September 1991 – 11 October 1991 (Finals) 19 – 27 October 1991 (Grand Finals) |
| Number of teams | 14 |
| TV partner(s) | Seven Network |
| Regular season | |
| Top seed | Perth Wildcats |
| Season MVP | Andrew Gaze |
| Top scorer | Andrew Gaze |
| Finals | |
| Champions | Perth Wildcats |
| Runners-up | Eastside Melbourne Spectres |
| Finals MVP | Pete Hanson |
Clubs
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Regular season
The home and away season took place over 24 rounds between 6 April 1991 and 22 September 1991 with semi-final on 25 September 1991 until 11 October 1991 and grand final on 19 October until 27 October 1991.
1991 saw Melbourne Tigers superstar Andrew Gaze became the first player to score 1,000 points in an NBL regular season. He scored 1,007 points in 26 games at 38.7 points per game. For his efforts he was awarded the first of what would eventually become a league record seven NBL Most Valuable Player awards as well as his 6th straight selection to the All NBL team.
Ladder
| Team | Pld | Won | Lost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Perth Wildcats | 26 | 22 | 4 |
| 2 | Eastside Melbourne Spectres | 26 | 17 | 9 |
| 3 | Geelong Supercats | 26 | 17 | 9 |
| 4 | Adelaide 36ers | 26 | 16 | 10 |
| 5 | Melbourne Tigers | 26 | 16 | 10 |
| 6 | North Melbourne Giants | 26 | 16 | 10 |
| 7 | Sydney Kings | 26 | 14 | 12 |
| 8 | Gold Coast Rollers | 26 | 14 | 12 |
| 9 | Brisbane Bullets | 26 | 13 | 13 |
| 10 | Canberra Cannons | 26 | 9 | 17 |
| 11 | Southern Melbourne Saints | 26 | 9 | 17 |
| 12 | Hobart Devils | 26 | 9 | 18 |
| 13 | Illawarra Hawks | 26 | 6 | 20 |
| 14 | Newcastle Falcons | 26 | 5 | 21 |
Finals
There were two best of three Elimination finals, two best of three semi-finals, and then best of three grand final. All three of these finals were sudden death.
Elimination Finals
| Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 September | Melbourne Tigers | 115-129 | Adelaide 36ers | The Glass House |
| 25 September | Geelong Supercats | 139-119 | North Melbourne Giants | Geelong Arena |
| 27 September | Adelaide 36ers | 132-96 | Melbourne Tigers | Apollo Stadium |
| 27 September | North Melbourne Giants | 136-116 | Geelong Supercats | The Glass House |
| 29 September | Geelong Supercats | 113-125 | North Melbourne Giants | Geelong Arena |
Semi-Finals
| Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 October | North Melbourne Giants | 93-99 | Eastside Melbourne Spectres | The Glass House |
| 5 October | Adelaide 36ers | 99-102 | Perth Wildcats | Apollo Stadium |
| 10 October | Perth Wildcats | 105-104 | Adelaide 36ers | Perth Entertainment Centre |
| 11 October | Eastside Melbourne Spectres | 115-104 | North Melbourne Giants | The Glass House |
Grand Final
| Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 October | Eastside Melbourne Spectres | 83-109 | Perth Wildcats | The Glass House | 7,200 |
| 25 October | Perth Wildcats | 81-86 | Eastside Melbourne Spectres | Perth Entertainment Centre | 8,200 |
| 27 October | Perth Wildcats | 90-80 | Eastside Melbourne Spectres | Perth Entertainment Centre | 8,200 |
1991 NBL statistics leaders
| Category | Player | Team | Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points per game | Andrew Gaze | Melbourne Tigers | 38.7 |
| Rebounds per game | James Bullock | Newcastle Falcons | 16.0 |
| Assists per game | Butch Hays | Adelaide 36ers | 9.0 |
| Steals per game | Bobby Locke | Geelong Supercats | 3.0 |
| Blocks per game | John Dorge | Geelong Supercats | 4.3 |
| Free throw percentage | Leroy Loggins | Brisbane Bullets | 91.1% |
NBL awards
- Most Valuable Player: Andrew Gaze, Melbourne Tigers
- Most Valuable Player Grand Final: Pete Hansen, Perth Wildcats
- Best Defensive Player: Terry Dozier, Geelong Supercats
- Most Improved Player: Andrew Parkinson, Southern Melbourne Saints
- Rookie of the Year: Andrew Vlahov, Perth Wildcats
- Coach of the Year: Murray Arnold, Perth Wildcats
All NBL Team
| # | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| PG | Ricky Grace | Perth Wildcats |
| SG | Andrew Gaze | Melbourne Tigers |
| SF | Scott Fisher | North Melbourne Giants |
| PF | Mark Davis | Adelaide 36ers |
| C | Mike Mitchell | Gold Coast Cougars |