NBA All Star Game Updates:
December 4, 2007
THE fans have spoken and come up with a mix of old and new for the starters in the NBL All-Star Game.
First-year imports Martin Muursepp, Corey "Homicide" Williams and Kirk Penney have been voted in as starters for the World team, while young guns Joe Ingles and his likely successor as NBL Rookie of the Year, Nathan Jawai, will start for the Aussies.
But there will be plenty of experience and familiar faces on the floor at tip-off with Olympians Chris Anstey and CJ Bruton starting for the Australia alongside Mark Worthington, while two-time NBL championship winner Ebi Ere will join MVP candidate Shawn Redhage as a World starter.
That means Victoria will have three starters - Anstey and Muursepp from the Melbourne Tigers and Ingles from the South Dragons - for the game, which will be played at The Cage on Wednesday, returning to the venue where the All-Star Game was relaunched four seasons ago.
While an online fan vote was used to name the starters, NBL headquarters named Sydney Kings swingman Glen Saville and Cairns Taipans import Larry Abney as replacements for Sam Mackinnon and Rick Rickert, who have withdrawn with injuries.
Saville will move onto the Aussies bench under coach Brian Goorjian, while Abney will be among the World back-ups under the direction of Tigers boss Al Westover.
NBL Hall-of-Famers Larry Sengstock and Ray Borner have been named as assistant coaches for the All-Star Game.
Sengstock will work with Goorjian, while Borner will be on hand to help Westover.
BOOMERS big man Andrew Bogut had 19 points and 12 rebounds yesterday as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the LA Clippers, 87-78, on the road.
The win snapped a four-game losing skid by the Bucks (8-8) as Bogut (12.1 ppg, 8.4 rebounds) continued his solid performances early in his third NBA season.
BULLEEN Boomers and Bendigo Spirit will be out to strengthen their WNBL playoff hopes with a crucial game at The Arena in Geelong tonight.
The fifth-placed Boomers (5-5) and the Spirit (6-6) are in a dogfight with Townsville Fire (6-6) for the fourth and final playoff spot with tonight's game going a fair way towards shaping their chances.
NBL All-star game starters
World team: Corey Williams (Townsville), Ebi Ere (Brisbane), Kirk Penney (NZ), Shawn Redhage (Perth), Martin Muursepp (Melbourne).
Aussie team: CJ Bruton (Brisbane), Joe Ingles (South), Mark Worthington (Sydney), Chris Anstey (Melbourne), Nathan Jawai (Cairns).
