1998 NBL season
Professional basketball season
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The 1998 NBL season was the 20th season of competition since its establishment in 1979. A total of 11 teams contest the league. This season marked the NBL's final winter season. The Illawarra Hawks were renamed the Wollongong Hawks.
| 1998 NBL season | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| League | National Basketball League | |||||||||
| Season | 1998 | |||||||||
| Dates | 30 January – 1 July 1998 | |||||||||
| Teams | 11 | |||||||||
| TV partners | Australia: | |||||||||
| Regular season | ||||||||||
| Season champions | S.E. Melbourne Magic | |||||||||
| Season MVP |  Andrew Gaze (Melbourne) | |||||||||
| Finals | ||||||||||
| Champions | Adelaide 36ers (2nd title) | |||||||||
| Runners-up | S.E. Melbourne Magic | |||||||||
| Semifinalists | Perth Wildcats Brisbane Bullets | |||||||||
| Finals MVP |  Kevin Brooks (Adelaide) | |||||||||
| Statistical leaders | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
Regular season
The 1998 regular season took place over 19 rounds between 30 January 1998 and 9 June 1998.
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
Round 6
Round 7
Round 8
Round 9
Round 10
Round 11
Round 12
Round 13
Round 14
Round 15
Round 16
Round 17
Round 18
Round 19
Ladder
| Pos | 1998 NBL season | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Pld | W | L | PCT | Last 5 | Streak | Home | Away | PF | PA | PP | |
| 1 | S.E. Melbourne Magic | 30 | 26 | 4 | 86.67% | 4–1 | L1 | 14–1 | 12–3 | 3016 | 2661 | 113.34% |
| 2 | Adelaide 36ers | 30 | 19 | 11 | 63.33% | 2–3 | L3 | 12–3 | 7–8 | 3114 | 2932 | 106.21% |
| 3 | Perth Wildcats | 30 | 17 | 13 | 56.67% | 2–3 | W1 | 9–6 | 8–7 | 3029 | 2911 | 104.05% |
| 4 | Brisbane Bullets1 | 30 | 16 | 14 | 53.33% | 3–2 | W1 | 8–7 | 8–7 | 2876 | 2835 | 101.45% |
| 5 | Melbourne Tigers1 | 30 | 16 | 14 | 53.33% | 4–1 | W4 | 9–6 | 7–8 | 3103 | 3048 | 101.80% |
| 6 | Wollongong Hawks2 | 30 | 14 | 16 | 46.67% | 3–2 | L1 | 8–7 | 6–9 | 2875 | 2995 | 95.99% |
| 7 | Canberra Cannons2 | 30 | 14 | 16 | 46.67% | 3–2 | W1 | 6–9 | 8–7 | 2874 | 2966 | 96.90% |
| 8 | Sydney Kings | 30 | 13 | 17 | 43.33% | 3–2 | W2 | 8–7 | 5–10 | 3089 | 3228 | 95.69% |
| 9 | Townsville Suns | 30 | 12 | 18 | 40.00% | 2–3 | L3 | 6–9 | 6–9 | 3008 | 3077 | 97.76% |
| 10 | North Melbourne Giants3 | 30 | 9 | 21 | 30.00% | 1–4 | L1 | 8–7 | 1–14 | 2916 | 3089 | 94.40% |
| 11 | Newcastle Falcons3 | 30 | 9 | 21 | 30.00% | 2–3 | L2 | 4–11 | 5–10 | 2790 | 2948 | 94.64% |
Updated to match(es) played on 9 June 1998. Source: NBL.com.au
The NBL tie-breaker system as outlined in the NBL Rules and Regulations states that in the case of an identical win–loss record, the results in games played between the teams will determine order of seeding.
1Brisbane Bullets won Head-to-Head (2-1).
2Wollongong Hawks won Head-to-Head (2-1).
3North Melbourne Giants won Head-to-Head (2-1).
Finals
Playoff bracket
| Elimination Finals | Semifinals | Grand Final | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | S.E. Melbourne Magic | 106 | 90 | X | ||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Brisbane Bullets | 93 | 114 | X | 4 | Brisbane Bullets | 98 | 84 | X | |||||||||||
| 5 | Melbourne Tigers | 80 | 81 | X | 1 | S.E. Melbourne Magic | 93 | 62 | X | |||||||||||
| 2 | Adelaide 36ers | 100 | 90 | X | ||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Adelaide 36ers | 114 | 117 | X | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Perth Wildcats | 95 | 120 | X | 3 | Perth Wildcats | 97 | 110 | X | |||||||||||
| 6 | Wollongong Hawks | 85 | 97 | X | ||||||||||||||||
Elimination Finals
Semi-finals
Grand Final
1998 NBL statistics leaders
| Category | Player | Team | Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points per game | Andrew Gaze | Melbourne Tigers | 31.5 |
| Rebounds per game | Ray Owes | Townsville Suns | 12.6 |
| Assists per game | Derek Rucker | Townsville Suns | 7.0 |
| Steals per game | Clint McDaniel | South East Melbourne Magic | 2.7 |
| Blocks per game | Simon Dwight | Canberra Cannons | 2.6 |
| Free throw percentage | Steve Woodberry | Brisbane Bullets | 92.2% |
NBL awards
- Most Valuable Player: Andrew Gaze, Melbourne Tigers
- Most Valuable Player Grand Final: Kevin Brooks, Adelaide 36ers
- Best Defensive Player: Mike Kelly, South East Melbourne Magic
- Most Improved Player: Ben Melmeth, Newcastle Falcons
- Rookie of the Year: David Smith, North Melbourne Giants
- Coach of the Year: Brian Goorjian, South East Melbourne Magic
All NBL Team
| # | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| PG | Derek Rucker | Townsville Suns |
| SG | Steve Woodberry | Brisbane Bullets |
| SF | Andrew Gaze | Melbourne Tigers |
| PF | Ray Owes | Townsville Suns |
| C | Ben Melmeth | Newcastle Falcons |