DrinkWise Preview: Round 15 Melbourne United v Adelaide 36ers

It’s been eight wins in a row for Melbourne United and on Saturday evening, the squad will be looking to make it nine on the trot when they face the Adelaide 36ers.

For United, wins are needed to stay on top of the ladder, while for the 36ers, they need wins as they find themselves not too far out of the top four.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. has been instant offence all season long for United and in last Sunday’s win over the Illawarra Hawks, that’s exactly what he was.

He top-scored for Melbourne with 15 points, as well as 7 rebounds, in just 19 minutes of game time.

Lual-Acuil Jr. has been vital off the bench and when Coach Dean Vickerman injects him into the game, he gets to work straight away and can score plenty of points very quickly, and in a variety of ways.

He has a green light to take shots and isn’t shy to take over United’s offence when the second unit gets into the game. Adelaide’s Daniel Johnson is a scoring big man and Lual-Acuil Jr., along with Jock Landale and Mason Peatling, will have their work cut out trying to slow him down.

KEY MATCH UP

Both teams have energizer bunnies that come off the bench and provide so much for their team. Adelaide’s Jack McVeigh and Melbourne’s Yudai Baba are incredibly valuable with the energy and momentum they can give their teammates with game-changing plays.

We’ve seen it all season long from Baba with his tenacious defence, lightning fast speed and amazing athleticism. Whether he’s grabbing steals on one end, throwing down fastbreak dunks on the other or hitting triples from the corner when opponents don’t close out on him, Baba has been a revelation.

McVeigh has averaged 20 points over his last two games and when he’s on fire, the 36ers are a far better team. He’s a guy that never stops and if McVeigh gets going early, he can light it up very quickly.

Baba and McVeigh can turn a game on it’s head with exciting plays that make the fans stand on their feet and applaud.

THE OTHER GUYS

Adelaide have won three of their past four games, including a big 15-point win over Perth and a strong road win over South East Melbourne last round. Johnson was a monster against the Phoenix, finishing with 22 points and 9 rebounds, while McVeigh (18 points) was also impressive.

You can’t talk about the 36ers without mentioning young gun Josh Giddey. Giddey will be in the NBA next season and his draft stock continues to rise as he puts together well-rounded performances. He dished out 11 assists against South East Melbourne and is averaging 11 points, 7.3 assists and 6.9 rebounds per game, highlighting his do-it-all nature.

Since joining the 36ers mid-season, former NBA player Brandon Paul has provided important offence. He’s averaging 15 points per game and as he continues to find his feet with his new teammates, Paul will only get more dangerous.

Sunday Dech has been another important contributor for Adelaide this season and was vital in the win over South East Melbourne, finishing with 16 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals.

GAME INFO

Who: Melbourne United v Adelaide 36ers.
Tip off: 5:30pm (AEST), Saturday 24 April.
Where: John Cain Arena, Melbourne.
Watch: SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand.
Tickets: