NBL27 Preview - Round 9, Game 1 v Adelaide 36ers

Melbourne United will look to extend its four-game winning streak on Thursday evening when the team heads on the road to face off against the Adelaide 36ers.

This will be the third meeting between the two clubs, with each having previously taken home a victory on the other’s home floor.

A win could go a long way towards United vaulting themselves into a top two spot on the ladder, depending on other results throughout the round, while the 36ers will be aiming to lift the organisations record above .500 for the first time since Round 2.

WHAT’S THE WORD?

While slowing down the league’s leading scorer, Bryce Cotton, is a high priority for United Head Coach Jacob Chance, he told the media he is ensuring his players are equally prepared to put the clamps on the 36ers collection of supporting stars.

“We talked a lot today about how his gravity really challenges your schemes and how you maintain your defensive integrity,” Chance explained.

“The real challenge becomes you put too much attention there and now Rakocevic, Cheatham, if Flynn plays, Jenkins, they have a lot of good players around him. So not only is that guys making shots, that's rebounding, that's transition going the other way, so, it's a really good challenge.”

On the other side, 36ers Head Coach Trevor Gleeson said continuing to build on performances, such as the team’s 28-point win of Illawarra last round, is something he has preached.

“Hopefully we get some bodies back and keep on climbing,” Gleeson said.

“We’re kind of scratching the surface of how good we want to be, and it’s just getting that consistency now of playing (at) that high intensity, no more who is on the court.”

WHO’S HOT, WHO'S NOT

Across the past three rounds, the duo of Cole Anthony and Josh Oduro has been nearly impossible to stop.

In those five games, the American pairing have combined for nearly 60 points per game while connecting on over 60% of their attempts from the field.

It will be on the 36ers collection of talent, such as Zylan Cheatham fresh off his first NBL triple double, and Nick Rakocevic, to mitigate the effectiveness of Melbourne’s dynamic one-two punch.

This may be an issue, as no player on Adelaide’s roster ranks in the top 25 for blocked shots in the competition.

DETAILS

Who: Melbourne United vs Adelaide 36ers

Tip-off: 7:30pm AEDT, Thursday 12 November, 2026

Where: Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide

Watch: ESPN via Disney+