Melbourne United will be out to improve their record and form when they host the struggling Sydney Kings to close Round 9 of the NBL season. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 7:30pm (AEDT).
United have been the great underperformers, while the Kings have gone from one low to the next as we hit the halfway point of the season.
Melbourne, with the best roster on paper by the length of the straight are sitting just outside the top four with a record of six and six.
For a team who have spent big and compiled the most talented roster we have seen on an NBL floor for decades, that’s simply unacceptable. Coach Dean Vickerman has his work cut out ensuring they can turn things around and claim a finals spot come the end of the season.
Sydney sit with a record of three and eleven though, dead last on the table. Andrew Gaze looks like a coach out of his depth and his team has misfired all season long.
They must now win at least 12 of their last 14 games to make the finals – sure, it’s not impossible, but it’s in the same basket as that.
The Kings would need to go on a run similar to that of the Adelaide 36ers last season, but given their struggles rebounding and winning the battle in the paint, it’s hard to see that happening.
It’s hard enough to know where the next win is coming from, let alone 12. Even with new signings in last season’s MVP Jerome Randle and big man Jeremy Tyler, they haven’t competed all that well.
A rare win against Cairns last week was positive, but they have had two straight losses since then against Cairns and Brisbane – the Brisbane one, in particular, was a stinger, with a second-half comeback being dominated by terrible rebounding from Sydney.
United have their own problems, mainly stemming from offensive cohesion. They seem to have too many parts on the court to play strongly as a unit, which was always the concern coming into the season.
There have been moments where they have gelled for the full 40 minutes, like in last week’s 18-point win over Illawarra. Yet, too many times they have struggled to do so, as illustrated by their last start loss to a gritty Cairns team.
Prediction
Despite what should be a desperate Sydney team, their chances of making the top four are disappearing at a rapid rate, and Melbourne must start winning consistently – especially on their home floor.
Melbourne by 11.
Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of the final Round 9 NBL game from 7:30pm (AEDT) and don’t forget to add a comment in the section below.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Thanks for joining me this evening on The Roar for our live coverage of the 2017-18 NBL season as Melbourne United put the Sydney Kings to the sword. Hopefully you enjoyed the call. We will be back with more NBL coverage in the run to the finals as the top four starts to work itself out. In the meantime, the Ashes continue from Thursday at 1:30pm (AEDT). Join me for live coverage of Day 1, right here on The Roar. Bye for now.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Josh Boone is man of the match. Not a surprise with 17 points and 17 rebounds. Chris Goulding also finally rediscovered his touch with 23 points including 7 of 11 from beyond the arc. For the Kings, Brad Newley led the way with 18.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Thoughts Roarers?
Scott Pryde
Expert
FULLTIME Well, the demolition job is complete. Melbourne have run Sydney out of the building, winning by 26 points in the end at Hisense Arena. Melbourne still have plenty to work on, but they need to build on that performance and get on the level of the Perth Wildcats and New Zealand Breakers. The Kings... Where do we start? Andrew Gaze looks lost, the players look dispirited, Jeremy Tyler has a major attitude problem and they were just blown out again to slump to a record of 3 and 12 for the season. Melbourne United - 95 Sydney Kings - 69
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 0' Thoseby draws contact and makes the shot this time. Adds the extra as well to complete the and one. United - 93 Kings - 69
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 0' Majok misses the extra. United - 93 Kings - 66
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 0' Now it's Majok's turn to monster the Kings in the paint. Goes straight past Singh, draws the foul and gets the shot to fall. United - 93 Kings - 66
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 1' Cadee misses a wide open three, then it's an offensive rebound and pass into Singh who makes the bucket from under the hoop. United - 91 Kings - 66
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 1' The time will just run down here. Hooley to Majok and he scores. Been a quiet night for the big man. United - 91 Kings - 64
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 2' Missed at both ends. United - 89 Kings - 64
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 3' Timeout called by Sydney. The only question left in this one is whether Jeremy Tyler gets checked back in. United - 89 Kings - 64
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 3' Newley into the paint and he turns it over - no whistle, but there probably should have been. Prather then gets out in front of the defence and slams it home. United - 89 Kings - 64
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 3 Good defence from Newley. Shot clock violation this time. United - 87 Kings - 64
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 3' Chris Goulding sinks a dagger from the corner, then turns around and gives Tyler (who is now on the bench) an absolute serve. The Kings with a quick bucket. United - 87 Kings - 64
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 4' Looks like Tyler had some regulation contact and then Andersen threw an arm out. Good work from Newley and Goulding to get in there and separate all that really. Fouls against Andersen and Tyler. Might be a suspension to come during the week. United to retain possession. United - 84 Kings - 62
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 4' This has been threatening to erupt all night long! Jeremy Tyler has just been going and going and going and now after a missed three, David Andersen and Chris Goulding have gone into him. Looks like Andersen threw an arm out and Goulding then got involved with some heated words exchanged. Gaze and Vickerman now trying to calm there players down. United - 84 Kings - 62
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 4' United going through Prather and he launches another three over a stationary Brad Newley. That's on the money. United - 84 Kings - 62
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 4' Newley makes both. United - 81 Kings - 62
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 5' Wesley with a lovely feed across the lane to Boone and he draws a foul before he can get the shot away. From the inbound it's Ware working around Randle before he goes to Wesley who must have surely committed a charge. No whistle though and he misses. Newley back up the floor and he draws a foul. United - 81 Kings - 60
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 5' Brad Newley now sinks a wide open three from the right wing. United - 81 Kings - 60