DrinkWise Preview: NBL23 - Blitz Game 2 v Perth Wildcats

Written by Melbourne United Media

Following a loss in their first game of the NBL Blitz, Melbourne United will look to bounce back against the Perth Wildcats on Wednesday evening.

Missing both their Captain, Chris Goulding, and Vice Captain, Shea Ili, United battled hard for much of the game to create offence with their new-look lineups.

With CG43 set to return, expect Melbourne’s offence to fire much more effectively against the so-far undefeated Wildcats.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Despite playing limited minutes on Sunday night, Ariel Hukporti was a clear standout for Melbourne.

The towering seven-footer tallied 13 points and eight rebounds in under 17 minutes of play, while finishing as a team-best +10 in his time on the court.

Heading into the game against Perth, look for Big A to do what he does best: attack the glass and be a menace around the rim at both ends.

KEY MATCHUP

Wednesday will see the first meeting between one of the league’s most accomplished imports in Bryce Cotton and perhaps its greatest ever athlete in Rayjon Tucker.

Cotton will look to channel his form from his opening game of the Blitz, where he caught fire for 36 points, while putting a somewhat quiet seven-point outing on Monday evening behind him.

Tucker on the other hand has had no issues scoring the ball since joining United, having notched 20 points or more in each of his three preseason games.

If Tucker is able to slow Cotton, much like his teammate Shea Ili has done in the past, United are well poised to come away with their first win of the tournament.

THE OTHER GUYS

Outside of Cotton, Perth will need their shooters to cash in on their opportunities if they wish to stay undefeated across their Blitz games.

The Wildcats have had no qualms about letting it fly from deep, averaging 40 attempted three-pointers per game, but have had some issues connecting, shooting the ball at just 31%.

Corey Webster appears to be settling in to his new surroundings, scoring 16 points in their win over the SEM Phoenix, while Brady Manek showed flashes of what he can achieve in his first pro season with 13 points and nine rebounds.

GAME INFO

Who: Melbourne United vs Perth Wildcats

Tip off: 8pm (AEST), Wednesday 21 September, 2022

Where: Darwin Basketball Stadium, Darwin

Tickets: Available here

Watch: Kayo Freebies