1989 NBL Finals
The 1989 NBL Finals was the championship series of the 1989 season of Australia's National Basketball League (NBL) and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The North Melbourne Giants defeated the Canberra Cannons in two games (2-0) for their first NBL championship. Format. The 1989 National Basketball League Finals started on 20 September and concluded on 20 October. The playoffs consisted of two best of three Elimination finals, two best of three Semi-finals and the best of three game Grand Final series. As the two top teams at the end of the regular  season, the North Melbourne Giants and Canberra Cannons both qualified for home court advantage during the Semi-finals. Semi-finals. Game 3. North Melbourne's 55 point win over Perth in game 3 of their Semi-final series was the record winning margin for an NBL Semi-final breaking the previous record of 48 held by Adelaide for their 151–103 win over Newcastle in 1985. The Giants score of 165 also remains (as of the 2016 NBL Finals) the highest score in an NBL Finals game.