DrinkWise Preview: Round 11 Game 2 v SEM Phoenix

Throwdown VII is here and it promises to be an absolute beauty! With Melbourne United and South East Melbourne Phoenix set to go head-to-head for the seventh time, United will be looking to avenge for the Round 9 loss to their cross-town rival on Saturday night.

After claiming a big comeback win over New Zealand on Thursday night, Melbourne will be hoping to make it three wins on the trot when they face their cross-town rivals.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Yudai Baba is one of the fastest players in the league and his defensive energy and relentlessness changes the game for Melbourne. Against New Zealand on Thursday night, Baba was in fine form on both ends of court.

While he scored on impressive dunks and reverse layups, his defence was what truly stood out. He thrives on defensive assignments and simply doesn’t stop. His steal off an inbounds pass which resulted in a fastbreak dunk was simply magnificent, while an 18-second patch of pressure in the fourth quarter saw him draw an unlikely offensive foul before bringing down an offensive rebound and getting a key bucket.

He’s a joy to watch and with some great guards on the South East Melbourne roster, he will relish the opportunity to shut them down.

KEY MATCH UP

It’s impossible to go past the match up between two Boomers who can shoot the lights out; Chris Goulding and Ryan Broekhoff. These two sharpshooters have pulled on the green and gold many times and on Saturday night, they’ll be doing all they can to lead their team to victory.

The Phoenix have eased Broekhoff into life in the NBL with limited minutes as he gets accustomed to his new teammates, but there’s no doubting the fact that he can turn it on at any second and change the course a game.

Having played three games thus far, Broekhoff is averaging only 11 minutes per game for 4.3 points, but as he gets settled into the NBL, he will be one of the premier outside threats in the league.

We all know just how important Goulding is to United; you only need to look back to Round 10 when he dragged Melbourne across the line over Illawarra with 12 fourth-quarter points and plenty of highlights.

This match up is one to savour and displays just how impressive the talent is in the league at the moment. These two world-class shooters will put on show, so enjoy it!

THE OTHER GUYS

South East Melbourne has been on a roll in recent times, winning their last four games. Their most recent win was against Adelaide and after a nail-biting final quarter the game went into overtime and the Phoenix was able to get the job done, 95-89.

The big man tandem of Ben Moore (26 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists) and Yannick Wetzell (22 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists) was dominant and they’ll need to be kept in check on Saturday night.

With no Mitch Creek or Keifer Sykes, the Phoenix got the job done by committee and they certainly have dangerous players all over the court.

Kyle Adnam is having a career year, averaging 14.4 points, 4 assists and 2 rebounds per game. He’s such a crafty player and despite his size he relentlessly attacks, causing headaches for opposition defences.

Cam Gliddon continues to look more and more comfortable with every game he plays for South East Melbourne. When he gets hot, he’s one of the best shooters in the league and with Broekhoff added to the mix, he will likely find more open shooting opportunities.

Reuben Te Rangi is another Phoenix player to keep an eye on. He was clutch down the stretch last time these two teams met and look for him to keep shouldering more load with Creek out.

GAME INFO

Who: Melbourne United v South East Melbourne Phoenix.

Tip off: 8:00pm (AEDT), Saturday 27 March.

Where: John Cain Arena, Melbourne.

Watch: ESPN and SBS On Demand.