Watch every second of the 2020-21 NBL finals series - starting June 10 - LIVE, FREE and in HD on SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand.
The South East Melbourne Phoenix secured a playoff berth in just their second year in the league after a wild season of ups and downs, taking fourth spot despite losing their last two games to Cairns and Brisbane.
The ever reliable Mitch Creek, dynamic import Keifer Sykes and big man Yanni Wetzel form a key core that have proved to be as good as any other in the league, providing a consistency that has produced wins and great basketball throughout the season.
Add to that lights out shooter Ryan Broekhoff acquired through free agency and it's no wonder the Phoenix are in the playoff spotlight tonight.
But it wouldn't be the playoffs without a stiff test, and Melbourne United are as tough as they come with Chris Goulding, Jock Landale and Scotty Hopson sure to cause a headache for their crosstown rivals.
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Sitting clear atop the summit of the regular season ladder, Dean Vickerman's men have stormed home in the regular season, with a 5-1 record since the last Throwdown meeting with the Phoenix in Round 18.
Speaking of the last meeting between these two, it could hold the key to a win for the Phoenix, as they avenged a loss in the previous matchup with a 94-83 victory.
Sykes came up huge down the stretch with 26 points as he led the team on an efficient 33-19 run through the third quarter, while on the other side of the ball the rebounding battle was won all night by the Phoenix to seal the upset.
While Mitchell understands the enormity of the challenge, he spoke to the belief and motivation within his players and how defending Goulding and Landale will be vital to their chances of taking game one.
“We have a belief in this group,” he said.
“Obviously, Melbourne are an excellent team and have great depth, but there is only one ball, and it can only be in one player’s hand at a time, so we’ve got to make sure every individual does their job.
“We have to know where Chris (Goulding) is at all times and stop him in the half-court and catching and shooting.
“We also have do, a little bit of a better job than last time on Jock (Landale).
“We switched a bit too much with him and he got a hold of it.
“But the most important thing about Melbourne is keeping them out of transition and keeping them off the offensive boards and then forcing them into that half-court execution.”
Catch game one of the NBL semi-final series between the South East Melbourne Phoenix and Melbourne United LIVE, FREE and in HD on SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand from 7:30pm (AEST) on Friday, June 11.
