NBL27 Preview - Round 2 vs South East Melbourne Phoenix

With another Throwdown set to take place this Thursday inside John Cain Arena, both Melbourne United and the South East Melbourne Phoenix will be looking to take the crown as the city’s dominant force. 

Thursday’s game is a Phoenix home game, but Head Coach Jacob Chance and his playing group will be looking to add another win to Melbourne’s dominant 22 - 10 record in the matchup since the Phoenix formed. 

Both sides are heading into the game off the back of a loss, with United eager to grab their first win of the season. 

WHAT’S THE WORD?

South East Melbourne come into the game leading the league in fastbreak points through two games, and in the words of United Head Coach Jacob Chance, have made pace their “clear identity” as a team. 

In anticipation of the game, two-way forward Luke Travers spoke on how he’s looking to match the Phoenix’s play with aggressiveness of his own in the open court. 

“It's always a point of emphasis,” Travers explained.

“I didn't get to do it as much as I would have liked last game… But it's always a good point for me to grab rebounds and push. We've got so many guys that can grab rebounds and handle, and any time we can push the pace, it's good.”

Former United NBL Next Star Dash Daniels will be playing his first game against Melbourne in the Hungry Jack’s NBL since moving to the Phoenix in the offseason. 

Daniels comes into the game off a hot start to the season, averaging 17.5 points and 7.5 rebounds on great efficiency in his first two games, and will be a focal point for Travers defensively.

“[Daniels will] be a guy that is pretty heavily on the scout [report], so we'll be ready for him,” Travers said. 

WHO’S HOT,  WHO’S NOT 

Coming off Saturday night’s thriller against the Adelaide 36ers, United’s new look squad is looking to carry over the good that came out of that matchup into their first Throwdown of the season. 

30 points in 22 minutes may be a hard act to follow, but there’s no doubt Cole Anthony will aim to show off his offensive dynamism again, this time in front of an opposing fanbase. 

Meanwhile, big-man Fabijan Krslovic will look to make his impact felt against a Phoenix team who’ve shown a tendency towards smaller lineups to start the year. 

On the other side of the court, Phoenix’s three point shooters will look to take down United’s defense, notably Angus Glover and Tanner Krebs, who have both had five three-pointer hauls in a game already this season.

DETAILS 

Who: Melbourne United vs South East Melbourne Phoenix 

Tip-off: 7:30pm AEST, Thursday 24 September, 2026

Where: John Cain Arena, Melbourne

Watch: ESPN via Disney+ and Kayo