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Melbourne United vs Illawarra Hawks |
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|---|---|---|
2016/17 NBL Season, 6 February 2017 |
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| Hisense Arena, Melbourne, VIC | ||
| Melbourne United | Illawarra Hawks | |
| 78 | SCORE | 72 |
| 20 | Q1 | 15 |
| 17 | Q2 | 22 |
| 21 | Q3 | 15 |
| 20 | Q4 | 20 |
The roof will be open if the weather stays good for a high-stakes game as Melbourne United try to keep their late charge at the finals alive against the exciting Illawarra Hawks. Join The Roar for live scores of the match from 7:30pm (AEDT).
United have already played a season-defining game this weekend, with a commanding victory over the Sydney Kings in front of 11,000 people on Saturday night.
Coming into the round in seventh position, it was win or be eliminated for United. Getting it done in Sydney by 13 has given their season a new lease on life and despite still being under pressure, it was a much better team effort from Melbourne.
While defensive issues quite clearly still exist, their offence seemed to have a much better structure to it, five scorers reaching double figures and Josh Boone providing plenty off the bench with 14 rebounds.
Rebounding has been one of the key issues where Melbourne have lacked during the season, so between he and Majok Majok, they could monster the Hawks inside who have only had AJ Ogilvy to run the paint.
Winning the rebound count, especially on the offensive glass, will go a long way towards winning this. Extra shot opportunities for Chris Goulding and Casper Ware will inevitably fall.
The Hawks have a little more breathing room than their opponents, but in this crazy competition where there are seven games to go and still six teams in contention for the remaining three spots in the finals, they can’t afford to rest easy.
Illawarra have been heavily reliant on their offence throughout the season, but it’s defence that has stood out in the last fortnight as they shut Cairns down and held the best offensive team in the competition, the Adelaide 36ers, to just 92.
If that continues, then United’s one-dimensional offensive issues could spring up again. That would lead to turnovers and poor shot selection, allowing Rotnei Clarke to come off the bench and lead his side straight into the playoffs.
With the Hawks being just a single win from the playoffs, they will be keen to get it as fast as possible.
If United are to win here then it’s not completely out of the question that the season series could decide a finals spot. Coming into the encounter, it’s the Hawks up 2-1 with a 19-point advantage.
That means United need to be aggressive, even if they are leading by plenty down the stretch. Anything less than a 20-point win has the potential to cost them a finals spot.
Prediction
With so much on the line, it’s difficult to say which way this one will go. Despite Illawarra starting to get the defensive side of things in order, home court and desperation might get United over the line.
Don’t be surprised if we end up with a bit of overtime here.
United by 3.
Be sure to join The Roar for live scores of this huge Round 18 match from 7:30pm (AEDT) and don’t forget to add a comment in the section below.
Follow Scott on Twitter @sk_pryde