DrinkWise Preview: Round 20 Game 1 v Sydney Kings

Round 20 gets underway for Melbourne United on Saturday night when they take on the Kings in Sydney. It’s a big encounter any time Melbourne and Sydney face off, but this one will have Finals implications as United looks to lock away top spot on the ladder and the Kings hope to stay in the post-season race.

This will be the fourth and final time these two teams meet in the regular season and Melbourne leads the season series 2-1, including a commanding 103-78 win in the most recent battle back in early May.

Despite both Round 20 games now being played on the road, United remains committed to Melbourne, its members and its fans. Now more than ever, it’s time to unite as one.

PLAYER TO WATCH

David Barlow has been in Melbourne for a long time, and he just always produces. The veteran forward is showing no signs of slowing down and his ability to knockdown triples makes him extremely valuable.

Barlow is having a ridiculously efficient season and is a constant threat from the outside. Shooting a very healthy 46% from deep and 45% overall, Barlow is the most efficient three-point shooter in the league for those attempting at least two triples per game.

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Averaging just over 15 minutes per game, Barlow is a key piece of United’s puzzle and Coach Dean Vickerman has complete trust in him being able to perform his role night in, night out.

KEY MATCH UP

Xavier Cooks has returned to the court recently after being forced to sit out most of the season due to injury and he’s key to the Kings’ Finals hopes. Cooks will put plenty of pressure on United’s frontcourt and the likes of Mason Peatling and Barlow will have their hands full.

Cooks and Peatling will battle it out for large parts of the night and as Peatling has shown all season long, he’s always ready to step up to a challenge.

Cooks is still finding his feet after such a long layoff but as he showed in Round 19 against the Breakers, he’s capable of getting going. In what was a double-header weekend against New Zealand, Cooks scored 15 points on 56% shooting in their first match up before recording 7 points and 7 rebounds in the second game.

Peatling has started in 15 games this season and has become a vital frontcourt player with his energy and hustle standing out. Across both wins in Round 19, Peatling averaged 9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2 steals.

THE OTHER GUYS

Sydney remains very much in the Finals race, but as the regular season gets closer to concluding they need to make the most of every game to ensure they’re a chance to take part in the post-season.

Jarell Martin was a force in Sydney’s Round 19 win over New Zealand. The Kings came away with an 81-76 victory as Martin dominated on his way to posting 29 points and 9 rebounds. Martin certainly knows how to score and is averaging 21 points and 7.6 rebounds over his last five outings.

Casper Ware has been leading Sydney through an injury-plagued season and continues to put on a show. Averaging a team-high 18.6 points and 4.4 assists, while also grabbing 3.3 rebounds per game, Ware loves to put pressure on the opposition defence with strong drives to the bucket and outside shooting.

Big man Jordan Hunter has enjoyed an impressive season, putting forth a strong case for the Most Improved Player Award with averages of 8.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.

Shaun Bruce, Brad Newley, Craig Moller and Daniel Kickert all have important roles to play for Sydney and Melbourne’s second unit will need to be ready for the fight against those guys.

GAME INFO

Who: Melbourne United v Sydney Kings.
Tip off: 8:00pm (AEST), Saturday 29 May.
Where: Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney.
Watch: ESPN and SBS On Demand.