DrinkWise Preview: NBL23 - Round 16 v Adelaide 36ers

Written by Melbourne United Media

Melbourne United will look to extend its winning streak to five games when they head on the road for a meeting with the Adelaide 36ers.

United have been on fire for over a month now, winning seven of their last eight games to propel themselves back into the playoff mix.

In order to keep this run alive, they will need to overcome the 36ers, who bested Melbourne in their only previous meeting this season.

For Adelaide, a horror run of form has seen them drop to eighth on the ladder after losing their past four games, including an overtime loss to Brisbane on Thursday evening.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Coming off two of his best games in recent memory, Xavier Rathan-Mayes will look to once again provide United with a boost off the bench.

The Canadian guard was instrumental in Melbourne’s pair of Round 15 wins, averaging 20-5-4 while cashing in on a quintet of three pointers.

Against the at-times shaky interior defence of the 36ers, look for XRM to stay aggressive at the point of attack, getting to the rim to create opportunities for himself and his teammates.

KEY MATCHUP

Across his career thus far, Antonius Cleveland has thrived when playing against Melbourne United.

In four games against MU, the powerful wing has averaged nearly 18 points per game, and will look to put up some big numbers once again on Saturday.

Tasked with slowing Cleveland will be Rayjon Tucker, who is one of the rare players in the NBL who can match up with last year’s Defensive Player of the Year athletically.

Look for Tucker to stay in front of the 36ers star, forcing him to take jump shots rather than getting all the way to the hoop.

THE OTHER GUYS

Needing a full-team performance in order to secure a win, Adelaide will call upon all their weapons against United.

The frontcourt trio of Robert Franks, Daniel Johnson and Kai Sotto is a versatile group capable of scoring from all over the court.

They will be well supported by Sunday Dech, Anthony Drmic and Ian Clark, who can all get hot from behind the arc.

A major factor will be the availability of Mitch McCarron, who missed the Sixers’ game on Thursday due to family reasons.

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GAME INFO

Who: Melbourne United vs Adelaide 36ers

Tip off: 8pm (AEDT), Saturday 21 January, 2023

Where: Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide

Watch: ESPN via Kayo and Foxtel