The National Basketball League has announced that Sydney Kings import forward Jerai Grant has been named the Player of the Week for Round 14 of the iiNet NBL Championship after an impressive performance against the Gold Coast Blaze on Saturday night.
Grant scored a game-high 23 points and added 12 rebounds and four assists as he powered the Kings to a critical 102-96 victory at the Sydney Entertainment Centre to keep the Kings very much in the playoff race.
Grant went 10-of-14 from the field, shooting the ball at a super-accurate 71% from the field. He is the second Kings player to win the award this season after teammate Julian Khazzouh took out Player of the Week back in Round Three.
The American forward took out the award by the narrowest of margins as Round 14 saw a bevy of impressive individual performances. New Zealand’s Cedric Jackson and Townsville’s Jacob Holmes could both have grounds to feel hard done by, as they each flirted with a triple-double.
Jackson scored 11 points and added 11 assists and nine rebounds to come just one board shy of that statistical feat as the Breakers scored a 90-79 road win over the Melbourne Tigers on Sunday night to snap a two-game losing streak.
Holmes, one of the great success stories this season after looking destined to be without a contract before Townsville’s Russell Hinder broke a leg at the pre-season tournament, scored 13 points and added 16 rebounds and seven assists as the Crocs downed Wollongong on the road.
Perth’s Shawn Redhage was also a strong contender after scoring a 19-point, seven-rebound performance in his side’s 72-67 win over Melbourne to maintain the Wildcats’ grip on top sport.
Others considered for Player of the Week for Round 14 included Aaron Bruce (Sydney), Thomas Abercrombie (New Zealand), Andrew Warren (Cairns), Cameron Tragardh (Melbourne), Mark Worthington (Gold Coast) and Diamon Simpson (Adelaide).
2011/12 iiNet NBL Championship Player of the Week Winners
Round 1 – Patty Mills (Melbourne Tigers)
Round 2 – Shawn Redhage (Perth Wildcats)
Round 3 – Julian Khazzouh (Sydney Kings)
Round 4 – Daniel Johnson (Adelaide 36ers)
Round 5 – Gary Wilkinson (New Zealand Breakers)
Round 6 – Eddie Gill (Townsville Crocodiles)
Round 7 – Jamar Wilson (Cairns Taipans)
Round 8 – Adris Deleon (Gold Coast Blaze)
Round 9 – Thomas Abercrombie (New Zealand Breakers)
Round 10 – Jamar Wilson (Cairns Taipans)
Round 11 – Adam Gibson (Gold Coast Blaze)
Round 12 – Eddie Gill (Townsville Crocodiles)
Round 13 – Cameron Tragardh (Melbourne Tigers)
Round 14 – Jerai Grant (Sydney Kings)
