# 1987 NBL Finals

The 1987 NBL Finals was the championship series of the 1987 season of Australia's National Basketball League (NBL) and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Brisbane Bullets defeated the Perth Wildcats in two games (2-0) for their second NBL championship.

## Format

The 1987 National Basketball League Finals started on 30 September and concluded on 16 October. The playoffs consisted of two best of three Semi-finals and the best of three game Grand Final series.

## Qualification
### Qualified teams

| Team | Finals appearance | Previous appearance | Previous best performance |
| Brisbane Bullets | 6th | 1986 | Runners up (1986) |
| Adelaide 36ers | 4th | 1986 | Champions (1986) |
| Illawarra Hawks | 3rd | 1986 | 4th in 1986 |
| Perth Wildcats | 1st | - | 8th in 1985 |

### Ladder

| Pos | 1987 NBL season vte | 1987 NBL season vte | 1987 NBL season vte | 1987 NBL season vte | 1987 NBL season vte | 1987 NBL season vte | 1987 NBL season vte | 1987 NBL season vte | 1987 NBL season vte | 1987 NBL season vte | 1987 NBL season vte | 1987 NBL season vte |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PCT | Last 5 | Streak | Home | Away | PF | PA | PP |
| 1 | Adelaide 36ers | 26 | 21 | 5 | 80.77% | 4–1 | W2 | 11–2 | 10–3 | 3046 | 2677 | 113.78% |
| 2 | Brisbane Bullets$^1$ | 26 | 20 | 6 | 76.92% | 5–0 | W9 | 13–0 | 7–6 | 2711 | 2497 | 108.57% |
| 3 | Illawarra Hawks$^1$ | 26 | 20 | 6 | 76.92% | 4–1 | W4 | 13–0 | 7–6 | 2680 | 2528 | 106.01% |
| 4 | Perth Wildcats | 26 | 19 | 7 | 73.08% | 4–1 | W4 | 11–2 | 8–5 | 3005 | 2756 | 109.03% |
| 5 | Canberra Cannons | 26 | 17 | 9 | 65.38% | 3–2 | W1 | 10–3 | 7–6 | 2848 | 2770 | 102.82% |
| 6 | North Melbourne Giants | 26 | 15 | 11 | 57.69% | 2–3 | W1 | 10–3 | 5–8 | 3060 | 2807 | 109.01% |
| 7 | Hobart Tassie Devils | 26 | 14 | 12 | 53.85% | 2–3 | L3 | 8–5 | 6–7 | 2599 | 2568 | 101.21% |
| 8 | Eastside Spectres$^2$ | 26 | 13 | 13 | 50.00% | 2–3 | L1 | 6–7 | 7–6 | 2607 | 2596 | 100.42% |
| 9 | Geelong Cats$^2$ | 26 | 13 | 13 | 50.00% | 3–2 | L2 | 10–3 | 3–10 | 2644 | 2707 | 97.67% |
| 10 | Sydney Supersonics | 26 | 9 | 17 | 34.62% | 2–3 | W1 | 5–8 | 4–9 | 2744 | 2861 | 95.91% |
| 11 | West Sydney Westars | 26 | 8 | 18 | 30.77% | 2–3 | L2 | 4–9 | 4–9 | 2564 | 2695 | 95.14% |
| 12 | Newcastle Falcons | 26 | 6 | 20 | 23.08% | 3–2 | W1 | 4–9 | 2–11 | 2948 | 3176 | 92.82% |
| 13 | Westside Saints | 26 | 4 | 22 | 15.38% | 0–5 | L6 | 3–10 | 1–12 | 2673 | 2980 | 89.70% |
| 14 | Melbourne Tigers | 26 | 3 | 23 | 11.54% | 1–4 | W1 | 3–10 | 0–13 | 2635 | 3146 | 83.76% |
Updated to match(es) played on 20 September 1987. Source: NBL.com.au
The NBL tie-breaker system as outlined in the NBL Rules and Regulations states that in the case of an identical win–loss record, the results in games played between the teams will determine order of seeding.

## Playoff bracket

| Elimination Finals | Elimination Finals | Elimination Finals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Grand Final | Grand Final | Grand Final | Grand Final | Grand Final |
| | | | 1 | Adelaide 36ers | 99 | 99 | 93 | | | | | |
| 4 | Perth Wildcats | 101 | 4 | Perth Wildcats | 98 | 101 | 103 | | | | | |
| 5 | Canberra Cannons | 96 | | | | | | 2 | Brisbane Bullets | 80 | 106 | X |
| | | | | | | | | 4 | Perth Wildcats | 79 | 87 | X |
| | | | 2 | Brisbane Bullets | 109 | 77 | 100 | | | | | |
| 3 | Illawarra Hawks | 105 | 3 | Illawarra Hawks | 87 | 78 | 82 | | | | | |
| 6 | North Melbourne Giants | 97 | | | | | | | | | | |

## Elimination Finals

| Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Venue |
| 26 September | Illawarra Hawks | 105-97 | North Melbourne Giants | Illawarra Basketball Stadium |
| 27 September | Perth Wildcats | 101-96 | Canberra Cannons | Perth Superdrome |

## Semifinals
### (2) Brisbane Bullets vs (3) Illawarra Hawks
#### Game 1

* ATN7
* 30 September
* boxscore
Illawarra Hawks 87, Brisbane Bullets 109 :
| Scoring by quarter: 19-26, 16-32, 27-34, 25-17 |||
| Pts: Bateman, Borner 15 each Rebs: Jim Bateman 11 Asts: McLeod, Borner 4 each | Pts: Leroy Loggins 38 Rebs: Leroy Loggins 10 Asts: Ron Radliff 6 |
* Illawarra Basketball Stadium Attendance: 2,000 Referees: Ray Hunt, Geoff Weeks

#### Game 2

* BTQ7
* 2 October
* boxscore
Brisbane Bullets 77, Illawarra Hawks 78 :
| Scoring by quarter: 12-21, 22-18, 32-17, 11-22 |||
| Pts: Ron Radliff 15 Rebs: Larry Sengstock 11 Asts: Leroy Loggins 6 | Pts: Jim Bateman 22 Rebs: Jim Bateman 14 Asts: Gordie McLeod 8 |
* Brisbane Entertainment Centre Referees: Eddie Crouch, Bill Mildenhall

#### Game 3

* BTQ7
* 4 October
* boxscore
Brisbane Bullets 100, Illawarra Hawks 82 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26-19, 20-21, 26-27, 28-15 |||
| Pts: Larry Sengstock 16 Rebs: Larry Sengstock 14 Asts: Darren Perry 5 | Pts: Bateman, Borner 17 each Rebs: Jim Bateman 13 Asts: Gordie McLeod 6 |
| Brisbane win the series 2-1 |||
* Brisbane Entertainment Centre Referees: Eddie Crouch, Bill Mildenhall

### (1) Adelaide 36ers vs (4) Perth Wildcats
#### Game 1

* STW9
* 30 September
* boxscore
Perth Wildcats 98, Adelaide 36ers 99 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23-30, 26-29, 23-24, 26-16 |||
| Pts: Pinder, Crawford 24 each Rebs: Kendal Pinder 16 Asts: Alan Black 9 | Pts: Darryl Pearce 24 Rebs: Mark Davis 14 Asts: Darryl Pearce 6 |
* Perth Superdrome Attendance: 4,500 Referees: Eddie Crouch, Bill Mildenhall

#### Game 2

* SAS10
* 2 October
* boxscore
Adelaide 36ers 99, Perth Wildcats 101 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26-22, 22-26, 32-22, 19-31 |||
| Pts: Darryl Pearce 29 Rebs: Mark Davis 21 Asts: Al Green 4 | Pts: James Crawford 40 Rebs: Kendal Pinder 13 Asts: Black, Bruton, Crawford 3 each |
* Apollo Stadium, Adelaide Attendance: 3,000 Referees: Ray Hunt, Robert Barnett

#### Game 3

* SAS10
* 4 October
* boxscore
Adelaide 36ers 93, Perth Wildcats 103 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23-33, 27-23, 18-26, 25-21 |||
| Pts: Mark Davis 36 Rebs: Mark Davis 16 Asts: Jones, McKay 3 each | Pts: James Crawford 34 Rebs: James Crawford 13 Asts: Cal Bruton 4 |
| Perth win the series 2-1 |||
* Apollo Stadium, Adelaide Attendance: 3,000 Referees: Ray Hunt, Robert Barnett

## Grand Final series
### (2) Brisbane Bullets vs (4) Perth Wildcats
#### Game 1

* STW9
* 10 October
* boxscore
Perth Wildcats 79, Brisbane Bullets 80 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25-23, 15-22, 21-19, 18-16 |||
| Pts: Kendal Pinder 27 Rebs: Kendal Pinder 15 Asts: Cal Bruton 6 | Pts: Emery Atkinson 22 Rebs: Larry Sengstock 15 Asts: Sibley, Radliff 3 each |
| Brisbane leads series, 1–0 |||
* Perth Superdrome Attendance: 4,500 Referees: Eddie Crouch, Bill Mildenhall

#### Game 2

* BTQ7
* 16 October
* boxscore
Brisbane Bullets 106, Perth Wildcats 87 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29-23, 18-21, 33-26, 26-17 |||
| Pts: Leroy Loggins 36 Rebs: John Dorge 10 Asts: Loggins, Perry 3 each | Pts: Kendal Pinder 25 Rebs: Kendal Pinder 15 Asts: Cal Bruton 6 |
| Brisbane wins series and NBL Championship, 2–0 Grand Final MVP: Leroy Loggins (Brisbane) |||
* Brisbane Entertainment Centre Attendance: 11,000 Referees: Ray Hunt, Eddie Crouch