Slazinski rains fire in Manly scoring avalanche

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Manly Warringah Sea Eagles continued their climb toward the top tier of the 2026 NBL1 East Men standings, while Sydney Comets survived a defensive overtime battle in one of the grittiest games of Round 6.

What the Round Told Us

• Canberra still owns the league benchmark
• Manly’s offence is becoming increasingly dangerous
• Norths continue to look like a legitimate title threat
• Sydney Comets are winning ugly and staying in the finals race
• The middle of the ladder remains volatile week to week

Game of the Round #1

Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 107 def. Bankstown Bruins 98 – Watch the Replay

Quinn Slazinski caught fire as Manly Warringah Sea Eagles outgunned Bankstown Bruins in a 205-point offensive shootout.

Manly’s perimeter shooting proved decisive, knocking down 18 threes at 52.9% while repeatedly stretching Bankstown’s defence across all four quarters.

Slazinski delivered one of the performances of the round with 33 points, eight assists and five made threes while constantly controlling offensive tempo.

Isaiah Lee added 24 points and seven rebounds, while Stefan Valkovic drilled six triples on his way to 23 points.

Manly shot 51.6% from the field overall and generated efficient half-court offence throughout the night.

Bankstown stayed within reach through Alexander Higgins-Titsha, who exploded for 28 points on 11-from-15 shooting, while Deonte Williams added 27 points and six rebounds.

But the Bruins couldn’t contain Manly’s perimeter scoring late.

The Sea Eagles outscored Bankstown 30-23 in the third quarter to establish separation before closing the game out from the free throw line.

The result strengthened Manly’s position inside the top five while reinforcing their offensive ceiling against playoff-level opposition.

Game Snapshot

• Quarter Scores: Manly 25-22, 25-20, 30-23, 27-33
• Largest Lead: Manly +15
• Game Context: Sea Eagles controlled through perimeter shooting

By the Numbers

• Quinn Slazinski: 33 pts - 8 ast - 5 made threes
• Manly: 18-from-34 from three
• Alexander Higgins-Titsha: 28 pts on 73.3% shooting

Game of the Round #2

Sydney Comets 79 def. Hills Hornets 74 (OT) – Watch the Replay

Sydney Comets survived an overtime grind against Hills Hornets to strengthen their hold on a finals position.

The game turned into a defensive battle across the second half, with both teams struggling to generate efficient offence late in possessions.

Akil Douglas led the Comets with 24 points, while Obiri Kyei added 20 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in a physical inside battle.

Sydney controlled the glass throughout the game, winning the rebounding count 55-50 while producing 11 blocked shots defensively.

Goc Malual anchored the interior with 18 rebounds and six blocks as the Comets repeatedly disrupted Hills around the rim.

The Hornets stayed in the contest through Meekness Payne, who scored 19 points on efficient shooting, while Shaun Stewart added 17 points and 10 rebounds.

But Hills struggled offensively overall, shooting just 35.6% from the field and 35.2% inside the arc.

The Comets executed better in overtime, outscoring Hills 11-6 in the extra period to secure an important home win.

Sydney improved to 5-4 and remained inside the top six heading into Round 7.

Game Snapshot

• Quarter Scores: Sydney 19-14, 17-23, 15-11, 17-20, 11-6
• Largest Lead: Sydney +9
• Game Context: Defensive grind decided in overtime

By the Numbers

• Akil Douglas: 24 pts
• Goc Malual: 18 reb - 6 blk
• Sydney: 55 rebounds - 11 blocks

Other Results

Canberra Gunners 103 def. Hills Hornets 77

Canberra remained unbeaten and continued to look like the league benchmark.

Norths Bears 102 def. Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Spiders 96

Norths survived a high-scoring contest to move to 9-1.

Illawarra Hawks 97 def. Inner West Bulls 76

Illawarra extended its winning streak and remained inside the top four.

Centre of Excellence 96 def. Central Coast Crusaders 74

The CoE continued its impressive season behind another balanced offensive performance.

Maitland Mustangs 103 def. Albury-Wodonga Bandits 79

Maitland stayed inside the top-eight race with a strong offensive outing.

Men’s Ladder – After Round 6

1. Canberra Gunners – 7-0
2. Norths Bears – 9-1
3. Centre of Excellence – 7-1
4. Illawarra Hawks – 7-1
5. Manly Warringah Sea Eagles – 7-2

Watchlist – Round 7

• Sydney Comets vs Manly – major top-six clash
• Canberra vs Bankstown – can the Bruins slow the unbeaten Gunners?
• Hills vs Centre of Excellence – difficult bounce-back matchup
• Norths vs Central Coast – Bears chasing tenth win

Round 6 Questions

• Can anyone slow Canberra’s unbeaten run?
• Is Manly now the league’s most dangerous perimeter offence?
• How high can Norths climb before finals?
• Can Sydney continue winning defensive battles?
• Which mid-table team separates from the pack first?