Basketball

NBA, Thursday 1pm/ 3pm. ANBL, Thursday 7.30pm.

Basketball is the second- biggest sport in the world — after football — and its mostwatched championship is about to tip off for its 72nd season. The NBA is back on the floor this week, as 30 teams set out on their 82- game regular season which runs until April 11 followed by the playoffs from April 14 to May 28 and the finals from late May to mid- June. An extra week has been added to the regular season this time, which will end the need for teams, for the first time in its long history, to play four games in five days. Four NBA experts all have Golden State as repeat winners and again beating the Cavs in the final. Kiwi interest again focuses on Oklahoma City with Steven Adams again alongside Russell Westbrook, and with Carmelo Anthony and Paul George adding to their stocks. They are seen as a team capable of winning 50- plus games without threatening to make it to the big stage. After playing the Sydney Kings at home last night, the Breakers are back at Spark Arena on Thursday to face them again and looking for better than they managed in their season- opening home game against the Snakes.