1997 NBL season
| 1997 NBL season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Basketball League |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Duration |
11 April 1997 – 28 September 1997 3 – 18 October 1997 (Finals) 25 October 1997 – 3 November 1997 (Grand Finals) |
| Number of teams | 11 |
| TV partner(s) |
Network Ten Fox Sports |
| Regular season | |
| Top seed | South East Melbourne Magic |
| Season MVP | Andrew Gaze |
| Finals | |
| Champions | Melbourne Tigers |
| Runners-up | South East Melbourne Magic |
| Finals MVP | Lanard Copeland |
The 1997 NBL season was the 19th season of competition since its establishment in 1979. A total of 11 teams contest the league. The Hobart Devils, Geelong Supercats and Gold Coast Rollers did not return this season.
Regular season
The home and away season took place over 24 rounds between 11 April 1997 and 28 September 1997 with final series on 3 October 1997 until 18 October 1997 and grand final on 25 October until 3 November 1997.
Ladder
| # | Team | Pld | W | L |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South East Melbourne Magic | 35 | 25 | 10 |
| 2 | Melbourne Tigers | 35 | 23 | 12 |
| 3 | North Melbourne Giants | 35 | 20 | 15 |
| 4 | Perth Wildcats | 34 | 19 | 15 |
| 5 | Canberra Cannons | 33 | 16 | 17 |
| 6 | Brisbane Bullets | 32 | 15 | 17 |
| 7 | Townsville Suns | 30 | 14 | 16 |
| 8 | Adelaide 36ers | 30 | 14 | 16 |
| 9 | Sydney Kings | 30 | 12 | 18 |
| 10 | Newcastle Falcons | 30 | 12 | 18 |
| 11 | Illawarra Hawks | 30 | 12 | 23 |
Finals
There were four finals, and then best of three grand final. All three of these finals were sudden death.
Quarter Finals
| Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 October | Canberra Cannons | 104-93 | North Melbourne Giants | AIS Arena |
| 4 October | Perth Wildcats | 81-79 | Brisbane Bullets | Perth Entertainment Centre |
| 5 October | North Melbourne Giants | 108-98 | Canberra Cannons | The Glass House |
| 7 October | Brisbane Bullets | 71-88 | Perth Wildcats | Brisbane Entertainment Centre |
| 7 October | North Melbourne Giants | 102-75 | Canberra Cannons | The Glass House |
Semi-Finals
| Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 October | Perth Wildcats | 82-92 | South East Melbourne Magic | Perth Entertainment Centre |
| 15 October | North Melbourne Giants | 99-107 | Melbourne Tigers | The Glass House |
| 17 October | South East Melbourne Magic | 96-69 | Perth Wildcats | Melbourne Park |
| 18 October | Melbourne Tigers | 112-105 | North Melbourne Giants | Melbourne Park |
Grand Final
| Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 October | Melbourne Tigers | 111-74 | South East Melbourne Magic | Melbourne Park |
| 29 October | South East Melbourne Magic | 84-78 | Melbourne Tigers | Melbourne Park |
| 1 November | South East Melbourne Magic | 83-93 | Melbourne Tigers | Melbourne Park |
1997 NBL statistics leaders
| Category | Player | Team | Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points per game | Andrew Gaze | Melbourne Tigers | 30.9 |
| Rebounds per game | Clarence Tyson | Townsville Suns | 13.7 |
| Assists per game | Darryl Mcdonald | North Melbourne Giants | 8.9 |
| Steals per game | Darryl Mcdonald | North Melbourne Giants | 3.3 |
| Blocks per game | Simon Dwight | Canberra Cannons | 4.3 |
| Free throw percentage | Dylan Rigdon | Illawarra Hawks | 88.2% |
NBL awards
- Most Valuable Player: Andrew Gaze, Melbourne Tigers
- Most Valuable Player Grand Final: Lanard Copeland, Melbourne Tigers
- Best Defensive Player: Mike Kelly, South East Melbourne Magic
- Most Improved Player: Ben Pepper, Newcastle Falcons
- Rookie of the Year: Matthew Nielsen, Sydney Kings
- Coach of the Year: Lindsay Gaze, Melbourne Tigers & Brian Goorjian, South East Melbourne Magic
All NBL Team
| # | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| PG | Derek Rucker | Townsville Suns |
| SG | Robert Rose | Canberra Cannons |
| SF | Andrew Gaze | Melbourne Tigers |
| PF | Clarence Tyson | Townsville Suns |
| C | Mark Bradtke | Melbourne Tigers |