Bruton wins NBL Weekly honour

The National Basketball League (NBL) has named Sydney Kings guard CJ Bruton as the winner of the Philips Player of the Week award for Round Five of the 2005/06 season.

Bruton helped his team to a perfect 2-0 record in Round 5, leading the three-time defending champion Kings to a 95-88 win over the previously undefeated Melbourne Tigers, and a 128-94 victory against another red-hot team, the Townsville Crocodiles.

Sydney’s floor leader was instrumental in his team’s two week five victories, as he averaged 20.5 points, 8.0 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals.

The Kings point guard used his long-range game to help Sydney continue its dominance in Melbourne, scoring 28 points in a haul that included seven three-pointers. He also added seven rebounds and seven assists as Sydney handed Melbourne their first loss of the season. Bruton has now helped Sydney win eight of their last nine games at ‘The Cage’ (the State Netball and Hockey Centre) in Melbourne.

Bruton followed up that performance with 13 points, nine assists, four rebounds, and three steals in just 29 minutes as the Kings easily dispatched Townsville, 128-94.

Bruton narrowly edged out West Sydney guard James Harvey for the weekly honours by the barest of margins after the Razorbacks gutsy performance of 39 points, seven rebounds and two assists in a hard-fought 109-102 loss at New Zealand.

Other players in the running for the Philips Player of the Week award for Round Five included Casey Calvary (Townsville), Larry Abney (Townsville), Sam Mackinnon (Brisbane), Stephen Black (Brisbane), Mike Helms (Hunter), Peter Crawford (Perth), Chris Anstey (Melbourne), Cortez Groves (Wollongong), Glen Saville (Wollongong), Dusty Rychart (Adelaide), Brett Maher (Adelaide), Gary Boodnikoff (Cairns), Jermaine Blackburn (West Sydney) and Rich Melzer (New Zealand).

For winning the Philips Player of the Week award this round, Bruton will receive a Philips Shoqbox, the new tiny personal sound system designed for people that love to share their music experience with others.