1988 NBL season
| 1988 NBL season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Basketball League |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Duration |
12 February 1988 – 16 July 1988 19 – 24 July 1988 (Semi-Finals) 30 July – 7 August 1988 (Grand Finals) |
| Number of teams | 13 |
| TV partner(s) | Seven Network |
| Regular season | |
| Top seed | Adelaide 36ers |
| Season MVP | Joe Hurst |
| Top scorer | Andrew Gaze (886 - 36.9 ppg) |
| Finals | |
| Champions | Canberra Cannons |
| Runners-up | North Melbourne Giants |
| Finals MVP | Phil Smyth |
The 1988 NBL season was the tenth season of competition since its establishment in 1979. A total of 13 teams contest the league, Sydney Supersonics did not return this season instead they replaced by the Sydney Kings.
Regular season
The home and away season took place over 22 rounds between 12 February 1988 and 16 July 1988 with semi-final on 19 July 1988 until 24 July 1988 and grand final on 30 July until 7 August 1988.
Ladder
| Team | Pld | Won | Lost | Last 5 | Streak | Home | Away | % Pts | % Won | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adelaide 36ers | 26 | 19 | 7 | 2-3 | L2 | 11-2 | 8-5 | 112 | 73 |
| 2 | Brisbane Bullets | 26 | 19 | 7 | 3-2 | L1 | 9-4 | 9-3 | 106 | 72 |
| 3 | Canberra Cannons | 26 | 18 | 8 | 4-1 | W1 | 12-3 | 9-6 | 107 | 70 |
| 4 | North Melbourne Giants | 25 | 18 | 7 | 3-2 | L1 | 12-4 | 9-5 | 106 | 70 |
| 5 | Perth Wildcats | 28 | 15 | 13 | 3-2 | L2 | 10-3 | 5-10 | 101 | 53 |
| 6 | Newcastle Falcons | 25 | 13 | 12 | 3-2 | L2 | 8-4 | 5-8 | 100 | 52 |
| 7 | Illawarra Hawks | 24 | 11 | 13 | 1-4 | L2 | 6-6 | 5-7 | 101 | 45 |
| 8 | Eastside Melbourne | 24 | 11 | 13 | 3-2 | W2 | 7-5 | 4-8 | 99 | 45 |
| 9 | Sydney Kings | 24 | 10 | 14 | 2-3 | L2 | 7-5 | 3-9 | 96 | 41 |
| 10 | Hobart Devils | 24 | 10 | 14 | 1-4 | L4 | 7-5 | 3-9 | 95 | 41 |
| 11 | Westside Saints | 24 | 9 | 15 | 1-4 | W1 | 6-6 | 3-9 | 97 | 37 |
| 12 | Melbourne Tigers | 24 | 8 | 16 | 2-3 | L1 | 4-8 | 4-8 | 95 | 33 |
| 13 | Geelong Supercats | 24 | 0 | 24 | 0-5 | L24 | 0-12 | 0-12 | 77 | 0 |
Finals
Main article: 1988 NBL Finals
There were four semi-finals, and then best of three grand final. All three of these finals were sudden death.
Semi-Finals
| Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 July | Canberra Cannons | 100-91 | Adelaide 36ers | AIS Arena |
| 20 July | Perth Wildcats | 108-105 | Adelaide 36ers | Perth Superdrome |
| 20 July | Perth Wildcats | 108-105 | North Melbourne Giants | Perth Superdrome |
| 22 July | Adelaide 36ers | 95-100 | Canberra Cannons | Apollo Stadium |
| 22 July | North Melbourne Giants | 137-113 | Perth Wildcats | The Glass House |
| 24 July | North Melbourne Giants | 134-111 | Perth Wildcats | The Glass House |
Grand Final
| Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 July | Canberra Cannons | 120-95 | North Melbourne Giants | AIS Arena |
| 5 August | North Melbourne Giants | 117-101 | Canberra Cannons | The Glass House |
| 7 August | North Melbourne Giants | 101-108 | Canberra Cannons | The Glass House |
1988 NBL statistics leaders
| Category | Player | Team | Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points per game | Andrew Gaze | Melbourne Tigers | 36.9 |
| Rebounds per game | Dean Uthoff | Eastside Melbourne | 17.2 |
| Assists per game | Brendan Joyce | Westside Saints | 7.9 |
| Steals per game | Jerry Dennard | Hobart Devils | 2.8 |
| Blocks per game | Willie Simmons | Canberra Cannons | 3.6 |
| Free throw percentage | Leroy Loggins | Brisbane Bullets | 85.6% |
NBL awards
- Most Valuable Player: Joe Hurst, Hobart Devils
- Most Valuable Player Grand Final: Phil Smyth, Canberra Cannons
- Rookie of the Year: Shane Heal, Brisbane Bullets
- Coach of the Year: Bruce Palmer, North Melbourne Giants
All NBL Team
| # | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| PG | Phil Smyth | Canberra Cannons |
| SG | Andrew Gaze | Melbourne Tigers |
| SF | Leroy Loggins | Brisbane Bullets |
| PF | Mark Davis | Adelaide 36ers |
| C | Tim Dillon | North Melbourne Giants |