DrinkWise Preview: NBL24 - Round 11 Game 2 vs Adelaide 36ers

Fresh off a dominant Throwdown victory, Melbourne United will look to close Round 11 with another win as they host the Adelaide 36ers at John Cain Arena on Saturday evening.

Having won four of their last five meetings with Adelaide, including a 82-74 W on the road in Round 1, United will be aiming to continue their hot run of form.

For the Sixers, three straight losses and a coaching change has seen the team drop to last place on the NBL24 ladder.

A win over Melbourne could see Adelaide rise off the bottom, depending on other results.

PLAYER TO WATCH

While much has been made about United’s high-scoring stars, Shea Ili’s play has been nothing short of spectacular of late.

With the kiwi point guard on the floor, MU have outscored opponents by 18 points per game across Rounds 10 and 11 so far.

Coming up against the Sixers, look for Ili to impose himself on the game with his defensive pressure and quickness.

KEY MATCHUP

After dominating the Throwdown with his interior play at both ends, Jo Lual-Acuil Jr will battle another one of the league’s most talented bigs in Isaac Humphries.

JLA destroyed Alan Williams on Thursday evening, finishing the contest with 17 points, seven rebounds and an NBL24 season-high seven blocks.

He will look to repeat this against Humphries, who himself put together a strong performance in his last outing, tallying 22 points and nine rebounds before fouling out.

Whichever big-man gains the upper hand on Saturday will go a long way in deciding the contest.

THE OTHER GUYS

Since making their coaching change heading into Round 10, Adelaide’s rotations have switched up, with a fresh crop of players looking to make an impact.

Dejan Vasiljevic, Trey Kell and Jacob Wiley all provide a source of energy and scoring punch, while Next Star Trentyn Flowers has shown the ability to stretch the floor with his shooting.

What the 36ers will get from young wing Nick Marshall remains to be seen, while Alex Starling has shown he can provide highlights off the bench.

How much the visitors play veterans such as Mitch McCarron (10 minutes in Round 10), Jason Cadee (zero minutes), Sunday Dech (zero minutes) and Tohi Smith-Milner (zero minutes) will be something to watch.

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GAME INFO

Who: Melbourne United vs Adelaide 36ers

Tip-off: 8pm AEDT, Saturday 16 December, 2023

Where: John Cain Arena Arena, Melbourne

Watch: ESPN via Kayo

Tickets: Click here