Basketball

The 71st season of the NBA tips off this week. Already the pundits are predicting defending champs Cleveland and beaten finalists Golden State will make it all the way for the third straight year. Not so certain though is another record number of wins as achieved by GSW last season, even if they have bolstered their roster with the controversial signing of Kevin Durant. Steven Adams, the third New Zealander to play in the NBA, is expected to be even more of a force for the Thunder who open their campaign at Philadelphia. Sean Marks, the first Kiwi to play in the NBA, is now GM at the Nets who are predicted to be the worst of the 30 teams in the 82- game regular season. The Celtics, with 17 titles, remain the most successful. Gisborne- born Aron Baynes, who plays for Australia, is at the Pistons. Closer to home, the Breakers are in Brisbane tonight, keen to bounce back from their narrow away loss to the Wildcats especially as former Breakers boss Andrej Lemanis now calls the shots for the Bullets.