NBL27 Preview - Round 4 Game 2 vs South East Melbourne Phoenix

Melbourne United are 24 hours away from Throwdown 34 presented by AXS and are looking to extend their dominant record in the matchup to 24-10.

In their second away game inside John Cain Arena in a little over two weeks, Melbourne are keen to silence the Phoenix crowd and hold their seat on the throne as the best team in town after their blowout win in Throwdown 33. 

Both teams are coming off the back of statement wins in which they led for over 35 minutes of each game; United against the 36ers and the Phoenix against the Hawks.

WHAT’S THE WORD?

Ahead of Saturday’s matchup, it’s clear that both sides think that with their teams in better form than the last time they met, the crowd will be a major factor in the outcome of the game.

United Head Coach Jacob Chance spoke on the role that Melbourne fans play in energising his side, as well as his players’ mindset going into the game. 

“Anytime we can have [the fans] there, whether we're in Adelaide or we're back in Melbourne against Southeast, they mean so much to us,” Chance explained. 

“The way you get them into the game is that they resonate with how you play. I thought we were doing that for most of the part against [the Taipans], [but] disappointingly, we lost that momentum, we lost that energy in the building that we get from our fans.

“Hopefully we can tackle that as best we can. If it's section 62 on Saturday night against Southeast, that's the objective. [We’ve] got to play the right way. And hopefully we get six or seven people in the crowd that can help us out.”

Following their blowout win at home against Illawarra, Phoenix Head Coach Josh King spoke on the importance of his own sides’ fan presence ahead of the Throwdown. 

“We're excited to play some home games [and] we need our fans,” King said.

“We’ve got great chemistry… Saturday night will be a big one against Melbourne United. We need to have a good week of practice, but we’re excited to play in front of our home fans for sure.”

WHO’S HOT? WHO’S NOT?

Wednesday’s win against the 36ers in Adelaide was the best display of United’s versatility on both sides of the ball thus far this season. 

For the second time this year, three United players finished the game with over 15 points. The last time that happened was against the Phoenix in Throwdown 33; Melbourne’s first win of the year, showing that they’re at their best when the scoring is coming from all angles. 

On the defensive side of the ball, Melbourne has set the standard in the NBL. Through their first five games, United have held their opponents to a league low 40.3% from the field and given up the fewest number of points in the paint and fast break points in the competition. 

If the boys in blue hope to go back-to-back in spoiling Phoenix home Throwdowns, their offensive versatility shown in Adelaide, and defensive cohesion shown all season, will have to be brought to the table come Saturday. 

For the Phoenix, all roads lead to Nathan Sobey and Dash Daniels. 

Sobey, following a slow start to the year coming off an injury, was excellent against the Hawks. The All-NBL guard did huge damage both as a scorer and a playmaker in the matchup, scoring 24 points and dishing 6 assists in the blowout win. 

For Daniels, last Sunday’s 16 points 8 rebounds and 6 assists was another of many well rounded games that the NBL Next Star has put together in NBL27. So far this season, when the former United guard scores over 15 points, the Phoenix come away with a win.

If South East are going to defend home court on Saturday, these two will be the x-factors that dictate how the game plays out. 

DETAILS 

Who: Melbourne United vs South East Melbourne Phoenix

Tip-off: 7:30pm AEST, Saturday October 10, 2026

Where: John Cain Arena, Melbourne

Watch: Channel 9 or ESPN via Disney+ and Kayo