DrinkWise Preview: Round 13 Game 2 v Brisbane Bullets

Melbourne United claimed a hard-fought win over the New Zealand Breakers on Saturday night and in doing so, moved into top spot on the NBL ladder.

On top of the ladder and riding a six-game winning streak, the next assignment for United is a Monday night match up against the Brisbane Bullets at John Cain Arena.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Scotty Hopson did Scotty Hopson things on Saturday night and provided buckets in key moments throughout the win over his former team. Hopson was important in the first quarter, and then in the final 40 seconds of the game he scored six points to close out the Breakers.

Finishing with a team-high 19 points on 50% shooting from the field, to go along with 3 rebounds and 3 assists, Hopson was terrific when his team needed him.

Hopson is the type of player that can create his own offence at any given moment and his strength makes him a tough match up when he gets into the paint.

In the final moments of United's Saturday night clash against the Breakers Hopson tweaked his ankle meaning he will be subject to a fitness test prior to tomorrow's game. 

KEY MATCH UP

Chris Goulding and Jason Cadee are two great shooters and both can change the course of a game with their ability to hit long-range shots.

In the Bullets win over the Hawks on Wednesday night, Cadee was a man on a mission. He played all but three minutes of the game and finished with 22 points (five triples), 4 rebounds and 2 assists. After a slow start by Brisbane, Cadee was massive in helping his team get back into the game and eventually grab a key win.

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Goulding was important in helping Melbourne get the win over the Breakers on Saturday night, finishing with 14 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds. He’s draining 3.4 triples per game this season (the most in the league) and shooting just a touch under 40% from long-range.

Both players will make the opposition pay if left open, and it should be a great match up to keep an eye on.

THE OTHER GUYS

The Bullets completed a strong comeback win over the Hawks on Wednesday to kick off Round 13 and will take plenty of confidence away from their second half performance. Their stars stood up when it mattered most and Brisbane came away with an 88-82 win, which takes their season record to an even 10 wins and 10 losses.

Sitting just outside of the top four, Brisbane will be as hungry as ever to make a statement on Monday night and with Lamar Patterson back with the team, they’re a very dangerous proposition.

Patterson made his season debut for the Bullets on Wednesday night after making the mid-season move from the Breakers and having played some incredible basketball for Brisbane in seasons past, he’s a game-changer for their team.

Patterson will feature prominently going forward for Brisbane, but everything revolves around superstar Nathan Sobey. He’s having a career season for the Bullets, averaging 23 points, 4.2 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game, while shooting just under 50% from the field.

Brisbane’s big man pairing of Matt Hodgson and Harry Froling is a tough cover. Both were great in their win over Illawarra, with Froling filling the stat-sheet with 21 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists and Hodgson lodging a double-double of 10 points and 14 rebounds.

Anthony Drmic also plays key minutes for the Bullets and he injects incredible energy anytime he steps on the floor.

GAME INFO

Who: Melbourne United v Brisbane Bullets.
Tip off: 7:30pm (AEST), Monday 12 April.
Where: John Cain Arena, Melbourne.
Tickets: BUY YOURS HERE
Watch: ESPN and SBS On Demand.