So far no one gives a shit on here

1 minute in and DJ showing why Adelaide are so tough, especially at home, with the way the NBL is reffed these days

^yeah, didn't see much in that.

Let's go Sixers. Take control and lock in 4th.

Both teams playing unselfishly, moving the ball and hitting shots from outside, this has the makings of a good game

Loving what Kennedy's doing lately

It's just too bad his improvement has coincided with a quiet period from Casper

Interesting LV, Adelaide really haven't been that tough at home all season, their record away from home is actually far superior.

Going to be an epic finals series

Why is Bruce still in the team if Moore's back

Have they downgraded Doyle/ someone to DP?

Yeah Uncle Phil, I recently calculated that if you exclude Perth games, home teams have only won 50% of home games this season (as of 2 or 3 weeks ago)

But we know that's a statistical anomaly.

Adelaide is an athletic team who pushes the pace and attacks the hoop hard, and it's difficult to stay out of foul trouble against them.

Moller is a small forward. With McCarron and Kennedy United is stacked there.

Lv https://tse2.mm.bing.net/th?id=OGC.29a94eab2fa5e5b4e1090e3fa7be90a3&pid=Api&rurl=https%3a%2f%2fmedia.giphy.com%2fmedia%2fxT39CU8vEn8bcmiI12%2fgiphy.gif&ehk=owwkCJ2w%2fDpjfMHHUyjBCA

Adelaide's inability to finish both quarters has cost them a double figure lead going into half time.

Some really frustrating turnovers at the end of the first and second quarters.

It’s never comfortable watching us play United, Ware and Goulding’s ability to fill it up from three and our shaky perimeter D always has me worried.

Adelaide always look shaky defending teams that play the inside-out game with quick ball movement and have confidence in their outside shooters. Too many 3s put up against defenders out of position.

Why does money makin Mitch putt around in an old car? Surely he should be given a new MG to drive.

Sobey having an absolute stinker so far.

Goulding never fouled anyone in his life.

A crisp $20 note for anyone at Titanium who can go down and punch Dwayne Russel in the back of the head. Guy is useless! Just yells shit to cover his complete lack of knowledge.

^^classic I'll double it!

Make it an even $60.

I really should use my season ticket again at some point.

Will pay $1000 to take a chair to Barlow's face.

Goulding now reduced to arguing about fouls on teammates. End result- looks like a goose because it was unsportsmanlike.

Adelaide playing the victim card again. Gets them the reward

I don't know what is playing at the ball and what isn't any more

Welcome to the NBL, Bruce.

LET'S GOOOO SIXERS!

Unsportsmanlike was (I think) more for stopping the break without playing at the ball. Teys made the contact look more than it was. He just bodied him out of bounds, clear foul but not an unsportsmanlike if it wasn't a break.

So why is Bruce still in the team? He was an injury replacement for Moore.....

Surprised Sobey wasn't ejected for it.

There's precedence.

Manu

The Barlow unsportsmanlike wouldn't have been called if it was just legs moving laterally, ie trying to establish legal guarding position.

Reaching out with the arm probably made the difference to the ref.

LV has a point

Conger stopped a United break in the second quarter after he was beaten and the ball handler past him. Reached a hand toward the ball to check the playing at the ball box, but got him with the body. It's the same thing. Barlow tried to get his hand in the passing lane. You could argue Conger's was worse.

Anyway pls United, for the lads

LV, Bruce is in for Doyle who is out injured atm.

Re:Bruce

Adelaide playing the same tactics with a bit player that others have with imports in the past.

Shampoo to the line because... ?

Shampoo to the line because... ?

Solid work from Big Harry.

I can't hear "shake n bake" from commentators without thinking of Ricky Bobby.

SOBES with the heart!

UseToHoop = same.Every time.

This is a fantastic game

I had no idea they could house 7,000 here?

So this will mean Bruce can play playoffs?

Ref influence down the stretch becoming clear right now. You can identify the moment when the crowd starts having an influence

3 fouls on United in quick succession for... what exactly?

Ware lives for the big moment doesn't he?

Capacity is 8k.

Sobes on a mission.

Geesus what a flop

Playoff type atmosphere in this game. Very enjoyable.

Home cooking call there lol, flop

And now Sobey flop draws a charge

Play before Casper and Boone avoided Sobey on the drive

Barlow fouls out

This right here is home reffing

Big call. Brave call. Charge call.

Replay looked Ike Barlow charge, but hard to call at game speed.

Never want to hear an Adelaide fan complain about a flop ever again

That 'strip Teys' comment by Dwayne earlier might be the best of his career

Adelaide 3 point lead and its entirely due to reffing

This is why home court is crucial for playoffs

Cosmic justice for Goulding's entire career.

Even if Sobey flopped, stupid play by Barlow he went for the second bump and extended the arm. Every nbl player flops on that play and probably gets the call the way the league is reffed.

That's dumb DJ

What's Boone going to do 55 metres from the hoop

DJ shakes head...crowd boos
.

Replay shows singlet grab

Love the theatre

Jersey grab = unsportsmanlike

I maintain my assertion that DJ has the lowest IQ of any NBL player.

'Pulls up for three!'

Dwayne please!

Holy shit it's clearly off Sobey

Barlow got screwed today from his first foul to his last

Give Melb the ball already.

CG43.

Do mot boo that man. Ha.

Coming off the bench has done him wonders

Trash contest by Conger on that Goulding jumper

That man bun and highly cultivated facial hair represents everything I hate about Melbourne.

Isn't Adelaide virtually guaranteed a spot regardless of this result?

Great showing by the captain. Amazing effort on the ball in the final minute.
God what a wanker. Even if defence isn't your go, at least give it a crack for your team

Agreed Pete

Casper Wear the GOAT

Is there anyone better at blowing big games than us?

We're at least top 3.

United has been so clutch this season

Can we like give the ball to someone other than Sobey?

Even if we make the finals, we're going nowhere this year.

Ugh. Useless.

Composure.

Comparing today's game vs yesterday’s Cairns vs Brisbane I think shows the playoffs will be a much more competitive affair if the 36ers make the playoffs rather than Brisbane.

South Aussies are shitting their pants right now. OH YES.

Manu pls

Now all Adelaide need to do is win in Perth. Easy.

Love it when Nathan Kobe just isos every possession for the last 4 mins and loses us the game

Great game

The funny thing is United could've helped Brisbane into the playoffs- the only team who's owned them this season!

We might not even need to win the game in Perth if Brisbane loses to NZ.

Manu gonna Manu.

@ Zodiac; true, forgot Brisbane have a game left. Good chance Long tears them apart inside, too.

Feels good

After the first third of the season Cotton would've been a long way ahead in the MVP race, but Casper and Bogut have made it interesting. Long and Sobey could even be smokies too.

"The funny thing is United could've helped Brisbane into the playoffs- the only team who's owned them this season!"

The bullet train runs on irony now?

Cotton carried a team with injuries all season long.+ missed two games himself!

United needs to win both and they will finish on top

That simple. Other results won't matter if United wins both.

The only exception is if Sydney makes up the percentage which would mean Sydney wins their last 2 games by a combined total of about 40 points, plus whatever margin United wins by. Extremely unlikely.

Yep it was a great game Melb deserved to win executed much better down the stretch when it matters.

I'm really hoping Adelaide beats Perth

Adelaide getting 4th will give us a more entertaining playoffs- series

We don't deserve 4th.

We can't win clutch games.

We're hot and cold.

Coaching is a dice role.

At least Brisbane could make the playoffs interesting.

Agreed Brisbane could at least beat Melbourne in a playoff series, we couldn't.

As it stands I can't see us getting in anyway we likely lose to Perth and then Bullets just need to beat NZ at home to get in.

Adelaide has better characters and more flair, and play a more entertaining style

Plus they have good rivalries with Perth and United, and a winning record vs Sydney

I think United vs Sydney will be the grand finalists regardless, but I'd rather watch Adelaide in the semis

Actually if Perth beats Sydney today then Perth will finish ahead of Sydney on percentage (if they beat Adelaide).

So it all depends.

It's been so close I'm defaultimg to home teams. Likely 1st and 2nd get in GF

36ers just more entertaining than Bris, and their crowd gets involved more. I appreciate the atmosphere in Adelaide. Brisbane is a library

United should take the minor premiership. An extremely rough game awaits for Perth against Adelaide on Friday night, then a big ol trip to Melbourne on a short turnaround. Besides, I'm not sold on Perth just yet. They should towel up a tired Kings but I'm not sure they will

Buzzas gonna spoil the party.

Our train runs on only coal seam gas and departs only from platform nine and seven-eighths

We just have no ability to close games out.

Just come home from the game and I have to say that the referees have discovered a new low. They flicked the switch at the beginning of the third quarter and incredibly managed to switch into overdrive for the fourth. I have never heard so much dissent courtside and although crowd emotion in the fourth won the sixers a couple of token calls, it was clear from the beginning of the second half Melbourne was helped to win, only barring a miracle.

For those couple of obtuse posters who actually suggested that Adelaide was getting "home cooking" from these pricks, there's little that's polite to say!

Disgraceful and so disappointing!

Agreed Adelaide basketball is entertaining.. but I feel like we only have two gears; run and gun or lose.

I'll defer to the more knowledgeable punters in here, but I feel like out half court game is still just individual basketball; call for a screen and run a hero play.

We have enough weapons... we just don't seem to have the ability to change up our approach as required.

Love it when Nathan Kobe just isos every possession for the last 4 mins and loses us the game

Late joining the discussion (not unusual), and with notions more related to Manu's sphere of influence:
*what a great game;
*as a relatively recent Melbourne fan, still plenty to worry about;
*as an historic Cairns 'supporter’, how good to have been remotely competat8ve with either of these teams at any moment in the season;
*and, thanks for leading such good commentary here all season.

AyJay - exactly what calls did you think were wrong in favour of Melbourne?
because as a Melb Utd supporter there were plenty of calls against Melb that I did not agree with - and either did Carfino

Eg. Flop by Sobey, Floppy DJ......

No butthurt here- I was just pointing out the moment where the crowd took their involvement to another level and the refs responded by giving them a few key calls down the stretch

Often happens

In the end, overall the reffing was reasonable. Except where Barlow was involved- I'm not sure which of his "fouls" were actually fouls, other than the usf

By far the worst call of the night was the non-USF on DJ. Probably followed by rewarding Sobey's flop on Barlow.

LV, I think Barlow gets away with more fouls than anyone in the comp, so perhaps it was karma. That charge was ridiculous though. Personally, I thought Melbourne upped their physicality late and got away with a bit, Goulding stepped into Sobey on his lay-up late and should have been called, but again maybe it was karma for Sobey's earlier flop!

Either way, the reffing didn't decide the game, it was very well called for the most part, and the game itself was unbelievable. Decent chance this could be a SF match-up too.

Most of the charges yesterday were super soft.
Bloke beats his man, drives past him, he gets wrong footed and takes a dive, they call a charge.
Happened like 4 or 5 times.