NBL Legends Fire Australia to Hot 3x3 Comm Games Start

They have been the most bitter of rivals throughout their storied NBL careers, but Daniel Johnson and Jesse Wagstaff fired to open Australia's 3x3 Commonwealth Games campaign in Birmingham with wins against Trinidad and Tobago, and New Zealand.

The basketball tournament at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England is of the 3x3 variety and Australia's selected men's team is Jesse Wagstaff, Daniel Johnson, Greg Hire and Tom Wright.

They entered the Games one of the favourites to take out the gold medal and they certainly did nothing to change that with their performance on Saturday night to open their pool phase.

The Australian team opened up their Pool B action with a 21-6 win first up against Trinidad and Tobago before backing it up beating New Zealand 21-11.

That has the Australian team sitting on top of Pool B after the opening two matches before a match up with host nation England on Sunday at 11.10pm AEST.

The quarter and semi finals will then be held on Monday evening before the medal games will take place on Tuesday.

Precious little separates Australia and England in Pool B after their first two matches with Australia having scored 42 points and conceded 17, while England have also scored 42 and given up just 16.

The winner of Sunday's final pool game will determine top spot with the winner to then take on the second placed team out of Pool A while the loser will take on the winner of Pool A.

Those Pool A teams are Scotland, Canada, Kenya and Sri Lanka. So far, Scotland has won both their matches while Canada and Kenya have a win each, and Sri Lanka is out of the running.

After the opening two matches, Daniel Johnson has been outstanding with the superstar big man with 387 games of NBL experience leading the tournament averaging 10 points a game while shooting at 92 per cent from one-point territory, 67 from two and 100 per cent at the foul line. 

Perth Wildcats captain and six-time championship winner Jesse Wagstaff has had a terrific start too averaging 6.0 points with his former 'Cats teammate and four-time championship winner Greg Hire showing he's far from a spent force too.

Still playing in the NBL1 West competition with the Rockingham Flames, he produced four points, seven rebounds and two assists.

Tom Wright is a player who was on the fringe of the NBL at the Sydney Kings and is still playing NBL1 South at the Nunawading Spectres, but he has embraced 3x3 and is rewarded with his place in this Australian team.

Over the first two matches he has scored six points to go with seven rebounds, six key assists and two drives.

Australia's Commonwealth Games campaign got underway against Trinidad and Tobago and it was a dominant showing on the way to the 21-6 victory.

Wagstaff scored the opening three points for Australia before Johnson joined in with a two-pointer off an offensive rebound. Another one and then a two-pointer from Johnson put the Australians up 8-0 before he scored again for the 9-0 start.

After Steven Lewis scored for Trinidad and Tobago going to the rack, Johnson hit another two point and when Wagstaff also hit from outside the lead was out to 15-4.

In the end it was at the free-throw line that Wagstaff secured Australia's first up 21-6 win.

Johnson was the standout for Australia with the Adelaide 36ers seven-time MVP winner delivering 11 points while shooting 4/4 from one-point range and 3/3 from two-point territory.

Wagstaff added eight points on 3/5 shooting from one and 2/3 from two along with two rebounds.

Wright also finished with one point and three key assists and three rebounds along with Hire ending up with one point from the free-throw line to go with five rebounds.

Kemrick Julien scored three of the six points for Trinidad and Tobago.

Then later on Saturday night in Birmingham, it was a battle of the local rivals with Australia taking on New Zealand.

In the end, Australia were once again ultra-impressive winning 21-11 shooting 14/18 from one-point territory opposed to 9/14 while hitting the only two two-point shots of the game.

Johnson delivered another nine points, five rebounds and four drives for Australia on 7/8 shooting from one.

Wagstaff put up another four points with Wright delivering five points, four rebounds and three key assists, and Hire finishing with three points, two assists and two rebounds despite appearing to suffer somewhat of a leg injury.

It was a second loss on the night for New Zealand after earlier going down to England. Jayden Bezzant scored four points, Dominique Kelman-Poto three, Tai Wynyard three and Richard Rodger one.

New Zealand scored first thanks the Bezzant before Hire got Australia on the board. However, it was the Kiwis who got the better of the start and they led 5-3 after another drive and make from Rodger.

Wynyard hit a free-throw to make it 6-4 before a steadying offensive rebound and putback for Australia from Wright.

Johnson then knocked down a two-pointer to make it 7-6 but it remained a tight contest.

That was until Australia turned a 10-9 advantage into a 19-10 lead including a two-pointer from Hire before again it was Wagstaff who iced the win at the foul line on the back of scoring 11 of the last 13 points.

Meanwhile, Australia's women's team in the 3x3 tournament also won their opening two matches, 21-15 against Kenya and 21-9 against Scotland on Friday night.

Across the two games, Lauren Scherf averaged 7.0 points, Marena Whittle 6.0, Ally Wilson 5.0 and Lauren Mansfield 3.0. All four are currently also playing in the NBL1 competitions across the country.

The Australian women's team wrap up their Pool A matches against Sri Lanka on Sunday.

And Australia's wheelchair women's team beat Scotland first up 12-5. Amber Merritt scored five points, Georgia Inglis four, Hannah Dodd two and Ella Sabljak one.

They will take on South Africa next up on Sunday.

The men's wheelchair team also won their opening match 13-11 against Canada. Lachlin Dalton scored eight points and Luke Pople five while Kurt Thomson and Jake Kavanagh had a rebound each.

They will now take on Northern Ireland on Sunday.