- Download the Gateway Basketball app today at www.teamapp.com
- 2024a 1st Thunder/Tsunami, 2nd Blizzard/Downpour/Heatwave
- 2021b 1st Blizzard/Thunder/Tsunami, 3rd Heatwave, 4th Downpour, B&F Nairn/Josh Smith, r-up Jon Smith
- 2021a 1st Blizzard/Heatwave/Thunder in a Gateway threepeat, 3rd Downpour
- 2020b 1st Heatwave/Vortex, 2nd Blizzard/Thunder, 11th Downpour, r-up J.Collinson
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Game preview: Gateway v Air Journey
With the Thunder's bench resembling a hospital ward, Gateway find themselves coming into tonight's game off a loss to the Tsunami and in serious strife as we head towards the finals. Air Journey meanwhile are on the rise and finding form at the right time. One team down, the other team up. This has danger game written all over it. Two teams enter, one team leave. With no further adieu, we present to you Gateway v Air Journey.
LAST FIVE GAMES HEAD-TO-HEAD
23/9/2024: Gateway 78 (Jon.Smith 25, D.Smith 18, Sleep 10) d Air Journey 51
13/11/2023: Gateway 89 (D.Smith 33, Vucetic 18, J.Smith 11) d Air Journey 33
18/9/2023: Gateway 71 (D.Smith 20, Vucetic 19, Sleep 10) d Air Journey 52
31/7/2023: Gateway 65 (Jon.Smith 23, D.Smith 19, Vucetic 11) d Air Journey 37
LADDER
1. Gateway Thunder 10-1, 31pts @ 148%
4. Air Journey 6-6, 23pts @ 108%
THUNDER STATS LEADERS
Points: Jon.Smith 225, D.Smith 162, Vucetic 124
PPG: Jon.Smith 22.5, D.Smith 14.7, Vucetic 13.8
3-point FG: Vucetic 35, Jon.Smith 17, D.Smith 9
2-point FG: Jon.Smith 73, D.Smith 59, Sleep 31
Free Throws: Jon.Smith 28, D.Smith 17, Sleep 5
Fouls: Sleep 5, Jon.Smith 4, Jos.Smith 4
AIR JOURNEY STATS LEADERS
Points: Bertram 122, Oakley 88, Iles 87
PPG: Hogarth 18.0, Bertram 13.6, Iles 12.4
3-point FG: Oakley 17, Bertram 8, Hogarth 6
2-point FG: Bertram 42, Iles 40, Montesi 23
Free Throws: Bertram 14, Iles 7, Montesi 7
Fouls: Bertram 12, Oakley 8, Iles 5
OUR PREDICTION
We wouldn't be surprised if we see Hawkeye Pierce, BJ Hunnicutt or Trapper John Mcintyre on the Thunder bench tonight. Their resemblance to a Mash 4077 outfit means there's only one set of uniforms they should be wearing - the 36ers camouflage - and if the team has any sense of theatre, they'll do it. It might be the only win the Thunder get though, with Air Journey needing a win to hold on to 4th place meaning they have the perfect combination of personnel and motivation and that makes us nervous. Gateway will need to be at their best to be competitive but as for the win, we just don't see it. Our tip? Air Journey by 12 points but we sure hope not. The season might depend on a win tonight so expect the Thunder to give this one an almighty crack. It may just not be enough. Nervous times, nervous times.
Thunder lose player for season Part 2
Who came across a black cat while walking under a ladder on Friday the 13th? The bad news just keeps coming for the Thunder with just two games to the finals, with the club confirming that Player Y will miss the rest of the season with broken ribs. Yes folks, a day after they lost a player to a toe and tendon, they lose another with ribs. We turn to club surgeon Dr Reed Alldabooks for his diagnosis:
Player Y has multiple rib fractures from a collision in-game two weeks ago. It's unclear if surgery is required but we can confirm there is no internal organ damage which is great news for the player and his family. Nobody wants that. 4-6 weeks off which means he's likely out for the season but may return if all goes well. Fingers crossed he can make it back for the semi-final - unlikely - or grand final - possibly.
Not good news for the Thunder. Not good at all. Nervous times, nervous times.
Thunder lose player for season Part 1
Bad news for the Thunder with just two games to the finals, with the club confirming that Player X will miss the rest of the season with a broken toe and tendon injury. We turn to club surgeon Dr Reed Alldabooks for his diagnosis:
Player X has an avulsion fracture to the fourth metarsal bone from a stubbed toe, with concern for the oblique head of the adductor hallucis muscle and tibialis posterior muscle. It's unclear if there's damage to the dorsal and plantar metarsal and tarsometatarsal ligaments and could potentially also involve the Lisfranc ligament complex. 2 weeks off, potentially 6 and possibly a whole lot more. It's likely he's out for the season though we'll meet with the player and coach during the week and discuss the next steps in his recovery.
Not good news for the Thunder. Not good at all. Anxious times, anxious times.
FCA's Friday Fellowship: your influence as an athlete
Words
As we scroll through social media, stream live games or match up against hometown rivals, we unfortunately hear a lot of coaches and athletes saying things and speaking in tones that are not pleasing to the Lord. But what if we spoke words of encouragement to our teammates? Let’s look to be the example in what we say.
Actions
Making an impact as athletes goes far beyond what we say; we must follow through with our actions in the way we live. Everyone is watching during the game, but it’s often the seemingly unnoticeable things that matter the most to God. The little things we do have a big impact on our lives. Do we complete every rep and touch every line even when our coach’s back is turned?
Attitude
The reason we say and do things reveals a lot about the posture of our hearts. The greatest example of a loving attitude comes from God who loved us and gave us His Son (John 3:16). Because of His love for us, we have the opportunity to shine the light of His love in the sports world.
Live in such a way that you’ll have a teammate notice something different in your words, actions and attitudes. This will be your opportunity to live out your influence as an athlete and share the hope found in Jesus Christ.
Go: How does what you say and do reflect your relationship with God? What Bible verse can you memorize that reminds you of your worth in Christ, no matter your age? Find an accountability partner who will call you out when you aren’t representing Christ well and who will encourage you in His love to live out your faith.
Workout: Ephesians 4:29; Galatians 6:7-10; Matthew 22:37-38
Overtime: “Lord, thank You for the gift of athletic ability. Thank You that You promise to be with me wherever I am. I want to lead a life that looks like Jesus. Please remind me of who I am in You so I may point to You in all I say and do. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
WCB NBA Fantasy Round 3 review
Round 3 is in the books and things continue to look good for our Gateway teams and each week - just as we did last season and the season before - we'll report on the ads that appear on our mobile device. Today it's the 4WD Supacentre Seaford, open 8am - 7pm. Shop Hot Bargains in store now. We know we will be and we don't even have a 4WD. We have two 2WDs though and if you have one tow the other, that's 4WD. Back to the action and most games were blowouts with three games under 100 points as Wacko Jacko Elite defeated Irritable Bol Syndrome by 94 points, Sam Bowies Left Leg defeated Tanking for Wembanyama by 36 points, and South Tower defeated Giddey Party by 32 points. Your Hoxley Tigers defeated everyone's least favourite team Big Girls Don't Kawhi by 299 points, only to see Chet Holmgren break his pelvis but more on that next week. No doubt Big Girls Don't Kawhi are cheating again much like they did when they won last season's championship but we digress. With no further adieu, here's the up-to-date ladder (with last week's position noted) with our Thunder teams highlighted in blue. Exciting times, exciting times.
LADDER (points are current at time of printing)
1 (1). Mr 66 3-0, 5322pts
2 (3). Bleak Team 3-0, 5094pts
3 (4). Sam Bowies Left Leg 2-1, 5484pts
4 (2). Highbury PIP 2-1, 5181pts
5 (6). North Tower 2-1, 4839pts
6 (5). South Tower 2-1, 4749pts
7 (11). Fli on Zion 2-1, 4707pts
8 (10). Perkins for MVP 2-1, 4612pts
9 (12). Wacko Jacko Elite 2-1, 4566pts
10 (13). Hoxley Tigers 2-1, 4428pts
11 (7). Tanking for Wembanyama 1-2, 4963pts
12 (9). Hoxley Cubs 1-2, 4799pts
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
13 (8). Big Girls Don't Kawhi 1-2, 4506pts
14 (15). Irritable Bol Syndrome 1-2, 4250pts
15 (14). Blaming Injuries 1-2, 4229pts
16 (17). My Team is a Jokic 0-3, 4399pts
17 (16). Bart Simpson 0-3, 4298pts
18 (18). Giddey Party 0-3, 4157pts
WCB Round 15 ladder
Each Wednesday we'll publish the WCB A Grade Men premiership ladder here because well ..... just because. OK, it's because we're old and can't work out the app but we have managed to work out how websites work. Next stop is to give away our cassettes and start using CDs but we're not sure the technology will last. We shall see. With no further adieu, here's the full A Grade Men premiership ladder. Enjoy.
1 (1). Gateway Thunder 10-1, 31pts @ 148%
2 (2). Futures Hornets 8-1-4, 31pts @ 101%
3 (3). Futures Pioneers 8-5, 29pts @ 100%
4 (5). Air Journey 6-6, 23pts @ 108%
5 (4). CFC Stars 5-1-6, 23pts @ 86%
6 (6). Gateway Tsunami 3-8, 17pts @ 88%
7 (7). Futures Gladiators 1-11, 13pts @ 77%
WCB finals confirmed for 2-Dec and 9-Dec
No more of this three-week finals double-chance games as has been the norm for so many years. The WCB continue their experiment of two-week knockout finals with the announcement today that this season's finals series will again be two-weeks of high-powered, knockout action. 1v4, 2v3, with the winners straight through to the grand final. Win two finals and you're the champ. Lose a final and you are done. We like it despite the fact that we're old and we're sure it's a young person conspiracy from the tick tocks or Instaface but hey, that's change. Two more minor round games to the big stuff. Let's go. Good times, good times.
Lest we forget
They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. Lest we forget.
Early game preview: Gateway v the bye
There aren't many things that could shift a Thunder game preview off its traditional Monday story but that's Remembrance Day for you. More on that tomorrow but for today, a reminder that the Thunder have a bye tomorrow night as well as the CFC Stars and Futures Gladiators. Yes folks, if they are the three teams you follow it's bye bye bye. Sorry, it's an obvious joke but we couldn't help it. Enjoy the night off and a big shoutout to veteran Thunder guard Nick Kyriazis for helping out with the stadium tomorrow night. Appreciate it, mate. Good times, good times.
Spanish Uncle Drew and the 70 and up league
If you haven't seen the 70 and up league on Bookface - highlighted by the Spanish Uncle Drew - Google it and watch. Only a matter of time before our Gateway Thunder end up playing there in an exhibition game. Some would say they belong there already but gee, one loss and the world has ended. From everyone at leaguelineup.com and the Thunder, wish Spanish Uncle Drew and his teammates all the best and look forward to our Movember 2035 exhibition contest at the Telstra Dome. Wait until they get a look at Lithuanian Cal. Let's go. Good times, good times.
FCA's Friday Fellowship: supreme confidence
WCB NBA Fantasy Round 2 review
Round 2 is in the books and things continue to look good for our Gateway teams and each week - just as we did last season and the season before - we'll report on the ads that appear on our mobile device. Today it's the Mini Demonstrator Sale. Receive a $5000 deposit contribution with Mini finance. While stock last. Must end on 31 December. Back to the action and most games were blowouts with only two games under 100 points as Bleak Team defeated Perkins for MVP by 52 points, and Blaming Injuries defeated Giddey Party by 27 points. Your Hoxley Tigers lost to Sam Bowie's Left Leg by 571 points, Bowie clearly cheating and using his right and left leg against the rules but we digress. With no further adieu, here's the up-to-date ladder (with last week's position noted) with our Thunder teams highlighted in blue. Exciting times, exciting times.
LADDER (points are current at time of printing)
1 (3). Mr 66 2-0, 3950pts
2 (2). Highbury PIP 2-0, 3843pts
3 (4). Bleak Team 2-0, 3689pts
4 (10). Sam Bowies Left Leg 1-1, 4194pts
5 (13). South Tower 1-1, 3759pts
6 (12). North Tower 1-1, 3688pts
7 (8). Tanking for Wembanyama 1-1, 3652pts
8 (11). Big Girls Don't Kawhi 1-1, 3642pts
9 (1). Hoxley Cubs 1-1, 3626pts
10 (6). Perkins for MVP 1-1, 3577pts
11 (9). Fli on Zion 1-1, 3515pts
12 (6). Wacko Jacko Elite 1-1, 3343pts
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
13 (5). Hoxley Tigers 1-1, 3272pts
14 (18). Blaming Injuries 1-1, 3245pts
15 (15). Irritable Bol Syndrome 1-1, 3198pts
16 (16). Bart Simpson 0-2, 3284pts
17 (14). My Team is a Jokic 0-2, 3239pts
18 (17). Giddey Party 0-2, 3159pts
WCB Round 14 ladder
Each Wednesday we'll publish the WCB A Grade Men premiership ladder here because well ..... just because. OK, it's because we're old and can't work out the app but we have managed to work out how websites work. Next stop is to give away our cassettes and start using CDs but we're not sure the technology will last. We shall see. With no further adieu, here's the full A Grade Men premiership ladder. Enjoy.
1 (1). Gateway Thunder 10-1, 31pts @ 148%
2 (3). Futures Hornets 8-1-3, 30pts @ 105%
3 (2). Futures Pioneers 8-4, 28pts @ 105%
4 (4). CFC Stars 5-1-6, 23pts @ 86%
5 (5). Air Journey 5-6, 20pts @ 102%
6 (7). Gateway Tsunami 2-8, 14pts @ 82%
7 (6). Futures Gladiators 1-11, 13pts @ 77%
Game review: Gateway d Gateway
Down to four fit players, one of who arrived to the game late, and the Thunder found themselves in a serious hole going into last night's game v Gateway Tsunami. From the opening tip, the unlikely alliance of Jonty and James Smith had the scoreboard ticking over with help from Daniel Smith but the Tsunami just wouldn't lay down, a narrow margin skipping across to a narrow deficit after half time and the capacity crowd knew we had a game. The Tsunami got hot outside, the Thunder got hot outside, the Thunder in the midrange, the Tsunami on the o-boards. As the time clock ticked down, it felt like the Thunder might just steal a win they didn't deserve but it wasn't to be as the Tsunami held on for a last v first-placed victory that nobody other than leaguelineup.com saw coming. Final score Gateway Tsunami 46 d Gateway Thunder 43 (Jon.Smith 14, J.Smith 12, D.Smith 8, Penn 7, Jos.Smith 2) and many teams are left wondering and hoping the Tsunami don't make the finals because they could go anywhere. Meanwhile, the Thunder dream of players returning from injury and heaven knows what else. Come back soon, gents.
