SEM have been less consistent while United have been building through the 2nd half of the season and unlikely to play 2 bad games in a row

United by single digits

Don't call 56 fouls this time. 68 free throws was excruciating to watch.

Its the NBL though, so you'd think it'll be the complete opposite and a really physical game.

There was definitely an adjustment made for last nights game, lots of contact let go. I'd expect the same tonight. It should be Aylen reffing.

Ref don't call foul away from the ball or else I will not watch the second half like what u did in game 2... 4 fouls u call while they are in 3pts line while the ball in the back court…disgusting to watch!

Stats that stand out from the NBL preview:

- In their nine losses, Melbourne are 2-7 and -70 on points in the paint. In three defeats to the Phoenix they are 0-3 and -42 on points inside the keyway

- SE Melbourne held United to just 9 points in the final quarter on Sunday, and 11 points in the fourth period of Game 1. The Phoenix are 6-1 and +46 in the final 10 minutes of games against Melbourne this season

For the 174847839th time, the no charge arc only applies if the offensive player is airborne.

Its a good thing that call was correct then, cos Landale's first 3 fouls weren't

There's no rule that says the offensive player has to be out of control for it to be an offensive foul.

I am hoping for a SEM win but I can't see the last game being any more than a statistical blip.

Landale won't play 13 mins only again.
4K McCarron probably won't have a donut game again.
Barlow who has been shooting well won't either.
CG43 has been inefficient all series 30%FG and 29% 3FG, we can likely expect his shooting to move towards the mean of 42% and 39%.

Even if they do, Hopson is playing at an MVP level at the moment. 21ppg @ 17/22 FG.

Carn United, bring on a 2020 SF choke again.

4K McCarron

Would be epic but unlikely

It won't be a choke if United lose

(unless they cough up a big lead with poor shot selection and struggles late in the game, ala Game 1 2020)

This is the real Grand Final- the 2 best remaining teams going at it.

Enjoy this game, cos the GF might be quite boring in comparison to this series. Unlikely the GF gets to a final deciding game 5.

Might be some more passion shown, and might encourage us United fans to actually start disliking SEM!

I'm not trolling at all. I'm 110% serious

Tonight is United's biggest remaining test. SEM is easily a better team than Perth sans Cotton.

Win tonight and I'll be feeling supremely confident of a championship, unless injuries hit us.

But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't feeling increasingly nervous as the clock ticks towards 7:30pm.

What are you even talking about? I have no idea

United will either win or lose tonight.

I'm saying I'm probably 60% or 65% confident of a United win tonight.

If they win tonight, I'll be about 85% confident of United beating Perth. That remaining 15% comes down to a combination of injuries (eg if Landale, or certain combinations of players getting injured would really hurt United, especially with the first 2 games in Perth) and a tiny chance that the Perth semi final team could beat a healthy United 3 times in 5 games.

Hence, tonight is their greatest remaining challenge.

Or to put that another way, if tonight's game is played 100 times I think United wins 60 or 65.

If the ensuing GF is played 100 times, United wins 85 or 90.

Hence I'm more nervous about tonight than what will follow.

It's a one off game against a very talented team who's beaten us 3 times in 7 games already. A GF vs Perth would be a 5 game series against a team missing easily their best player, who United thrashed a couple of weeks ago, and had beaten 4 of the previous 6 meetings even with that player.

It's not rocket science, I've been saying for weeks if not months that SEM was United's biggest title threat

And finally the Hoops.com.au crowd has seen SEM beat United and it looks like the penny might have dropped that SEM is pretty good!

And I will add, I've seen nothing in the semi final series- or this season- that makes me think Perth minus Cotton could challenged healthy United over 5 games

But I've seen plenty of evidence from Game 2 - and the entire season- to convince me that SEM is a real chance of an upset tonight

" it looks like the penny might have dropped that SEM is pretty good!"

We knew this at preseason. Liam was big on the SEM bandwagon.

I had Melbourne NZ Perth SEM, one of those failed hard, obviously.

I'd agree that SEM is the greatest threat to United at this point - they requiring only one win, and the relative streakiness of both teams, but I'd take the Wildcats as they are today, with their coach, over SEM in a 5 game match up, just as I'd take the Hawks, with Gorj as their coach in a similar series over SEM too.

SEM are just too inconsistent, and their big talent can inexplicably go missing from time to time. They are less than the sum of their parts, as is United, while the other teams are more than.

If SEM take United tonight, put a lock on the trophy going to Perth.

SEM are streaky it's what makes them dangerous but no consistency, to beat United last game they needed three guys to go off for 20 points or more. That's not going to happen again.

They definitely need Wetzell to be ultra-aggressive down low again to try and get Landale into foul trouble again.

As much as we all love a good underdog, its for the better that Hawks missed the GF

United or SEM, either would've obliterated Illawarra just like they did during the season. SEM in particular owned the Hawks.

That's true and with Perth their is the chance however slight that Cotton may return at some point in the series. The Hawks were never legitimate contenders.

LV doing his best to make people actually want Perth to win again.

That's true and with Perth their is the chance however slight that Cotton may return at some point in the series. The Hawks were never legitimate contenders.

Didn't Cotton rule himself out of the rest of the post season?

When Sykes has been rolling, SEM have been hard to stop.

That's been the case all season when SEM has played Perth and United

Meaning Sykes is key to tonight and the rest of the season.

Wetzell just got lucky with the refs last game. Several times he got away with an offensive foul or a hook on a spin and ended up at the free throw line.

Creek will get his 15 or 20.

Broekhoff and Gliddon have been quiet. One of them is due I suppose. So is CG 43.

But I'm tipping if United keeps Sykes contained they'll get the win.

Great blocking out by SEM.

How the hell did Homicide get the commentary gig tonight, a huge night of empty comments

That's his speciality

How's that O board by Landale

100% a foul in the previous game

This works in United's favour, I think we'll do a better job of turning the screws defensively as this game goes on

JLA hooked but that was a flop on Creek.

How physical is this

So much better to watch

Hook on Wetzell goes uncalled again

Just like his hook in the previous game on Peatling

These refs love Wetzell

and that's game Utd.

money don't buy u championships

They called an offensive foul on ili

Joke

Nbl loves offensive fouls.... except when Wetzell has the ball.

LOL United.

"3 officials got together on the Gliddon contact..."

Then how did they get it wrong!

Sykes all business

United D not good enough but at the same time, he's hot

This is awesome. MUs comeback will be spectacular!

United are so disappointing. Now they are going to panic and start bricking 3 after 3, as they usually do when losing badly.

SEM doing God's work.

I've got money on sem for the title

At least a few dollars will help me feel better

Only 8 fouls nearly first half

Love seeing a hungry Creek in action.

Flop


Flop


Flop

Disappointing half time margin considering how wide it was earlier.

Unfortunate fade by SEM in Q2.

United might be losing but how much better to watch than the foul fest Game 2

United comin back off physical D, run and ball movement and being more aggressive overall. Like I said earlier this reffing style more advantageous to United

I'm tipping this continues and United to win by 5 or 6 but the game will go down to the last minute

Barlow more time in Q3 hopefully, better than Peatling on Creek

How good have Landale, Sykes and Creek all been. We wanna see the stars playing, not reffed off the court with nonsense calls like Game 2!

We wanna see the stars playing United lose

Fixed for u

Felt like most of the United players sleepwalked through the first half, and they're still only down 5.
I think they're feeling pretty good now and will put the foot down from here.

Broekhoff and Magnay have been underwhelming this season.

Maybe with a full season without injuries but I expected more.

Barlow.

The ultimate role player.

Who are the people in the crowd? Family and friends?

Landale doing a great job of proving something to everybody who had him outside their top 3!

90% FGA, 21pts, 3-3 from beyond the arc

Beast

"Goulding has to be the most protected species in league history"

Not in the Philippines

Magic by Le'afa there.

flop


flop


flop

Hopefully Goulding throws more of that utter garbage up in the fourth quarter.

Referring to United vs Phoenix matches as a 'throwdown' is super lame and tired.

Is that any worse than a showdown or derby

It's worse than your Tassie jokes and that's saying something.

Lol at criticism of Throwdown

No viewers are confused, only forum hacks

Do sem have one final run in them? Maybe

This game is hilarious

They were literally hanging off Jlas arm

Last game a fingernail scrape was a foul

Helps United more though, sem has fallen apart a bit. One more run...we will see

SEM bricking it hard.

CG 43 needs to find his form for the GF

" No viewers are confused, only forum hacks"

Agreed, ridiculous pissantry criticism.

We are used to these terms in AFL and people don't sook.

Rodney O on the mic at a Melbourne derby. Surreal.

Broekhoff is total garbage

and SEM are trash.

" It's worse than your Tassie jokes and that's saying something."

You're so incessantly anti-Melbourne, you’re annoyed at a marketing term used for two Melbourne teams.

Hilarious pissantry!

I love Melbourne as a city, the marketing is just lame.

Capital City Clash is worse to be fair.

SEM playing one of the dumbest halves of basketball I've ever seen.

Did the entire text of the forum turn italics?

Once KET posted a sentence in italics everything else since is in it too.

I THINK SO

Good result. Well done Utd. Want to see the 2 best in the Grand Final. Melbourne to good and SEM to stupid when it counted.

This performance by Landale has been one of the all time great NBL games

Quality game, United turned the screws defensively which they weren't allowed to last game, and SEM couldn't handle it and stay with them

But it was Landale who stood up and hit some shots when it was starting to look like season over. He's owned this series. Now let's see him take on Mooney!

Landale will get absolutely hammered by the Perth crowd.

"Capital City Clash is worse to be fair."

Who is that between?

United just threw down SEM (after mid 2nd quarter!) And now will do the same in Perth

Predictable 2nd half.

Would be interesting to see that SEM roster in the hands of a good coach.

Give me one good reason why Mitchell hates on Kendall Stephens so much? I hope he finds a better situation next season and sticks in the NBL.

Mitch Creek big tough guy lol

When you just got owned and your team scored 40 points in 2.5 quarters, is time to pipe down.

You have to give credit to Landale. Talked it up all year, but when the serious pressure came, he stood up.

LV trashing Creek for being a fake tough guy as goulding hurls abuse whilst hiding behind 4 team mates.

Run off and do your timestamps mate. Or is there nothing to cry about tonight?

LV talking trash about a team that lost the best player in the league on the eve of the finals. What a hero!

So many games Creek plays strong, and then just seems to lose his energy, stops driving, stops being aggressive.. and the team usually follows his lead, and just start throwing up prayers way earlier than they need to.

As mentioned, bad coaching. It's been the same all season, and Mitchell does nothing to pick up the team and Creek in game when things are rolling against them.

Contrast to Gleeson last night and the extra effort the team put in after he put it to them.

I want to like SEM, I hate United, but Landale gets all the respect tonight.

Agree Hopscotch Landale put the team on his back. Great game.

Anyone that thought that this SEM team could beat Perth in a five game series is delusional.

Goulding started that by flexing at the SEM bench. What a knob.

Rodney O commentating. Dumbest comment ever.

[He changed from "ohh my interest isn't that high atm I'm more into AFL right now" to suddenly posting about 80 times a day after Cotton got hurt.]

Had a bit going on over the last few months. Life has settled down

I do the same thing pretty much every NBL season- watch plenty of games over the first month or 2, get to know the teams, then watch more sporadically through the mid section, then when finals roll around try to watch every single game, or most.

Problem was the mid section coincided with loads of personal business going on, plus the afl season. So my regular mid season dip was more pronounced than normal. But now its NBL playoffs and mid-season AFL- wouldn't miss these games.

I'd much prefer Cottom was there too- would've got a very tightly fought GF. I doubt we'll see that now.

I think "Game 3 of the semi-finals" is a more marketable description of this game than Throwdown.

Landale across 3 games:

23/32 fg
7/10 3p

58 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks in 68 minutes

The only thing that stopped him in the entire series was the game 2 refs mistaking Wetzell throwing an elbow for a Landale foul, on multiple occasions

What a series.

Meanwhile "MVP candidate" Harvey was completely shut down.

But he was playing Perth! Ok ok. Now Landale gets a chance against them.

"Couple reasons Stevens doesn't play
He's been out for long time and only just returned
He can’t defend a bar stool
Very streaky shooter."

He would do no worse than Broekhoff and Gliddon. Who give them nothing

Just saying was worth throwing him out there for a few minutes at least. He can heat up was an outstanding marksman in college.

Broekhoff would benefit from systemic teams, which lends itself to European sides opposed to NBL.

Phoenix are pretty crap in that aspect, they're a "wing it" style offence.

Broekhoff would do well in a disciplined system like Perth’s.

Not just because they are good at fitting players in properly and maximising players, but they have very strong disciplined systems and structures in place which you just don’t see on other NBL sides.

Perth is obviously not a hood fit for someone like Magnay who has also been equally as ineffective as Broekhoff

Chill out dude

SEM's offense suited some of the players they have- like Sykes, Creek and Adnam, 3 of their top scorers

Perhaps not Gliddon or Broekhoff as much although Gliddon did have a good season.

Actually I think it suits Gliddon fine

Broekhoff on those occasions they did run plays for him, didn't exactly exhibit an elite ability to come off screens and nail threes. Serviceable. Solid. But not great. And with the ball in his own hands he's pretty ineffective. So offensively I dunno, I'm not sure he's a guy who would average 15ppg in the NBL, even on a team where he had say a Blanchfield role.

But I'd love to see him get signed to a different lineup and see him try, I've seen him do enough in Boomers colours that I want to see it.

" Just because you don't understand it, doesn’t mean it’s not a 'real’ offence ffs"

Quick on the draw, but you failed to read.

Nobody said “wing it style” isn’t “real offence”, nobody even intimated it.

The only thing you can gauge is that SEM aren’t systemic and Broekhoff benefits from systemic and structured offences.

As LV said, there are players on the team that benefit from a less systems based offence flow.

Now go back, have a deep breath, read properly, and calm your farm.

I actually thought the sets SEM were running and defence intensity was great early on. Seemed to all fall down when Creek got tired and stopped taking it to the rack. Felt Mitchell should have interchanged Creek and Sykes for more time in the second half, only have one on the floor as the primary target in the pick and roll. Adnam was under-utilised.

Kendall Stephens is an interesting one. Obviously out of favour but has the length, athleticism and shooting prowess to be a player in this league. Surely he can improve his defence (if that is the main criticism).

For United, great comeback. Landale was very impressive. Such a competitor. There's real weakness for United at the 4 position and think Perth will look to target this in the GF. Barlow probably needs to start.

Grand Final:

- Start Barlow.

- Run plenty of sets for CG43 early on.

- Pick and Pop for Landale.

- Run, run, run and play at pace. "Be quick, but don't hurry". Fast ball movement, get the ball through hands, push the ball up the floor at every opportunity. Perth can only beat us by playing scrappy basketball and controlling the tempo at a slow bump n grind.

- Practice press breaker- Perth will apply full court pressure at times.

- Box out. All 5 guys have to be committed to rebounding. Magnay, Mooney, Travers will be hitting the glass hard for 2nd chance points. Wagstaff will be trying all his tricks and aiming for the Game 2 Wetzell red carpet treatment and the red army will be right behind him.

- Scout Blanchfield hard, and create a plan A, B and C for him. Steindl might get hot at times but I don't think he's got 5 games in him. Mooney has been dimished by Cotton's absence, he doesn't create his own shot. Mooney might get his 18 and 10 every night but I don't think he'll be the difference cos I think Landale will match him. But if Perth can pull off the upset, it'll be behind Blanchfield stepping up and hitting 25 on 2 or 3 occasions.