DrinkWise Preview: Round 9 Game 1 v South East Melbourne Phoenix

It all comes down to Round 9 in the race for the NBL Cup, and Melbourne United is right there in the thick of action.

Currently third on the NBL Cup ladder with 25 points, United will have some extra motivation – not that it’s needed – in Throwdown VI on Wednesday night at John Cairn Arena against South East Melbourne Phoenix.

With $150,000 up for grabs for the winner of the NBL Cup, Melbourne will be looking to make some ground up on Perth (29.5 points) and Brisbane (25.5 points) this round.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Chris Goulding made his return to the court on Sunday against the Brisbane Bullets and it sure was great to have him back. The superstar wasted no time getting back into the groove of things, shooting the lights out from deep on his way to 21 points.

Everybody knows just how dangerous Goulding is when he gets going and he almost did enough to drag United back after the team had a slow start to the game against the Bullets.

With Scotty Hopson out for a few games after suffering an injury in the win over New Zealand on Friday night, even more offensive responsibility will continue to be placed on the shoulders of Goulding.

We’ve seen exactly what he is capable of for years and more often than not, he rises to the occasion. South East Melbourne is next in his sights and Goulding was impressive earlier in the season against the Phoenix as he helped lead United home with 19 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists.

KEY MATCH UP

Mitch Creek is the most important player to everything the Phoenix do and he’s having another monster year. Currently averaging 20.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists on a very healthy 56% shooting from the field, Creek is doing work on both ends of the court.

In South East Melbourne’s loss to Sydney on Saturday night, Creek did all he could for his team with a game-high 22 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists.

Keeping Creek in check will require a total team effort from United’s frontcourt, with the likes of David Barlow, Jock Landale, Mason Peatling and Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. all needing to make life as difficult as possible for Creek.

Peatling has been a real bright spot for United this season. The Development Player has made his minutes count in his first season in the NBL and is averaging 7 points and 5 rebounds in his last two games.

THE OTHER GUYS

The Phoenix have lost two games in a row and own a 6-7 record, but remain a very real threat. As mentioned earlier, Creek is the man for South East Melbourne, and he has a strong supporting cast.

Kyle Adnam is having a career year, averaging 14 points, 3.5 assists and 2 rebounds per game. United fans especially know the type of energy Adnam plays with and when he enters the game, he’s a player than can turn a game on its head.

Cam Gliddon is a great shooter, who is more than capable of scoring in bunches. Averaging 15.4 points and 4.4 rebounds in his last five outings, Gliddon looks to be finding his feet on his new team.

Yannick Wetzell, Ben Moore and Reuben Te Rangi also all play valuable minutes for the Phoenix.

GAME INFO

The NBL Cup - Sunday 7th March
Game 1: New Zealand Breakers v Cairns Taipans, 5pm tip off
Game 2: South East Melbourne Phoenix v Melbourne United. 7.30pm tip off
Where: John Cain Arena, Melbourne.
Tickets: Get yours here 
Watch: ESPN, SBS On Demand, NBL TV, Twitch
Listen: 1116 SEN