DrinkWise Preview: NBL24 Round 1, Game 2 vs Adelaide 36ers

Melbourne United will look to continue their perfect start to the season on Sunday when they hit the road to face the Adelaide 36ers.

Coming off a 15-point victory in Throwdown XXI, United are full of confidence heading into their first test away from home.

The Adelaide Entertainment Centre is a venue that Melbourne have enjoyed great success at over recent years, having won four of their last five games at the Sixers’ home base.

PLAYER TO WATCH

After a stellar debut in MU colours, Luke Travers will be looking to continue to produce at an elite level come Sunday.

Scoring 20 points against the Phoenix, Travers became just the seventh player in the club’s history to tally 20 or more points on his first time out with United.

Combine that with his unbelievable activity at both ends of the floor (eight rebounds, two assists, one block, one steal), LT has quickly endeared himself to the Melbourne faithful.

Against Adelaide, look for Travers to push the pace in transition to create opportunities for his teammates while pressuring the rim.

KEY MATCHUP

Heading into NBL23, there was major excitement within Melbourne United about the potential partnership between Ariel Hukporti and Isaac Humphries.

While they never got to share the court in the regular season, the duo will battle it out on Sunday in a colossal matchup of skilled seven-footers.

Hukporti showed that he hasn’t lost a step defensively in his first game back at John Cain Arena, tallying 14 rebounds and three blocks in 19 minutes.

He’ll need to use all of his skills to lock down Humphries, who led Adelaide in scoring in their first game of the season against Brisbane, scoring 17 points.

THE OTHER GUYS

Jumping out to a 16-0 advantage to start their game on Friday night against the Bullets, this 36ers lineup showcased they can score quickly if you're not dialled in on defence.

Import forward Jacob Wiley is looking as good if not better than his last time in the league, using his athleticism to create scoring chances for himself and others, while Sunday Dech remains one of the league’s craftiest bucket-getters on the perimeter.

What Adelaide can get from their bench will be a major focus heading into the game, as they’ll be hoping for more than the 13 points on a combined 3-14 shooting that they got against Brisbane.

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GAME INFO

Who: Melbourne United vs Adelaide 36ers

Tip off: 2pm (AEST), Sunday 1 October, 2023

Where: Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide

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