DrinkWise Preview: NBL23 - Round 15, Game 2 v Brisbane Bullets

Written by Melbourne United Media

Melbourne United will look to build upon their momentum following a win over the Breakers in New Zealand when they travel to Brisbane for a clash with the Bullets.

United have put up a pair of strong performances against the Bullets, registering two double-digit wins against Brisbane.

A win would lift Melbourne above .500 for the first time since the first five rounds of the season, and could place the side in the top-six depending on other results.

For Brisbane, they will be searching for some semblance of form as they come off the largest defeat in the 40-minute era; a 49-point drubbing on Wednesday night against Sydney.

PLAYER TO WATCH

After being limited on Thursday night, look for Chris Goulding to fire again against the Bullets.

CG43 connected on just one of his seven three-point attempts on Thursday, however he’s had no such issues against the Bullets this season, registering 20 points in each of their previous meetings.

Goulding’s marksmanship was the major difference when the two sides met on New Year’s Day, as after missing his first six long-range looks, United’s captain sunk four consecutive threes in the third quarter to propel Melbourne to victory.

KEY MATCHUP

In what has been a difficult season for the Bullets, a bright-spot has been the performance of their reserves.

Led by former NBA guard Tyler Johnson, the likes of Gorjok Gak, Tyrell Harrison, and Andrew White have been strong at times.

This group will have to contend with United’s bench-mob, who came up huge against the Breakers.

Xavier Rathan-Mayes and Brad Newley combined for 34 points, while David Okwera and Callum Dalton held down the fort on the front line when called upon.

Whichever of these two units can take the upper hand on Saturday night could go a long way in deciding the result of the game.

THE OTHER GUYS

Desperate for a good performance in front of their home fans, Brisbane needs their stars to shine bright.

In his past two games since returning from injury, Aron Baynes has struggled, averaging just 4.5 points and six rebounds in 15 minutes a night.

Needing his teammates to step up, outside of Tyler Johnson, their production has been limited, with no Bullets player other than Johnson averaging more than eight points per game across Rounds 14 and 15.

A pair to keep an eye on are Nathan Sobey and Jason Cadee, who have combined for an average of 30.5 points between them in games against MU this season.

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GAME INFO

Who: Melbourne United vs Brisbane Bullets

Tip off: 5:30pm (AEDT), Saturday 14 January, 2023

Where: Nissan Arena, Brisbane

Watch: ESPN via Kayo and Foxtel