Adelaide to get absolutely wrecked on full display of a sold out crowd.

It'll some up the 36ers year

Sum even

If they can liberate themselves from whatever they're trying to do that never works and just play with instinct, then they get up, but if it's the same old story then Melbourne will cruise.

Melbourne and Perth are coming i think.

I would make Cleveland the PG and see what happens.

Major factor here is Rookie Coach (struggling) v veteran coach ( on a roll). Team identify matching coaches experience, Melbourne to close it out comfortably

I'd also tell the Sixers imports to just run the f**king ball every time they get it, and attack the rim, because so far they’ve only shown their athleticism in short bursts, looking intimidated by pretty ordinary defences, so that they settle for the iffy 3s instead.

This is for Adelaide. Lose this it's season over and Bruton will probably by axed at season’s end. Win and they are back in the hunt.

Win and they are back in the hunt.

Can't tip Sixers, united should win this, who stops Lee for Sixers, nobody. It’s been an up down season for a lot clubs, both of these but united should get this, maybe even comfortably.

Most likely way to make top 6 for Adelaide is win their final 4 so they finish above Melbourne, then need the Phoenix to lose 2 of 3. Got to beat Melbourne first though, which is going to be tough.

Adelaide can and maybe will cause "upsets" in the final run home. They can either play "loosey goosey" be relaxed and jack up shots. Talent wise they could get hot. But conversely they could give up just as easily. Having a dead duck coach, they can easily ignore him and just play pickup, which for a talented team couldn't be necessarily be a bad thing.
If, and it's a big if, CJ might let the leash off and let them run and just try and outshoot the opposition. They're not going to suddenly become a coherent defensive team now, so throw caution to the wind and go 7 seconds or less offence (which isn't that fast compared to current offences funnily enough). Do what everyones favourite person, Jacket (whatever happened to that moron?), said and whoever makes the most 3s wins.
Only thing I really feel worried about is that the above works, management are fooled and decide to go with CJ again next season. Even if by miracle and everything falls into place and playoffs are achieved, do we really want to believe fool's gold and let him back. Short of winning the title, the coaching staff should be gone no matter what.
United should be experienced enough to do what they need to do, but this season has been crazy enough and had enough upsets that nothing is impossible.

"If, and it's a big if, CJ might let the leash off and let them run and just try and outshoot the opposition."

That's exactly what CJ is asking them to do, play with high energy defensively so they can be an open-court team. The execution of it has been too inconsistent, and too reliant on Cleveland to be the spark.

No point being a high energy defensive team if you can't even remotely play defence.

That's his third and he possible got away with another

AC has to be smarter than this.

We need him out there.

Exactly Master Chief, you have to want to play defence. Can take hustle all you want, but if the guards are taking risks on the perimeter and your bigs simply have no level of commitment to help them out, then the whole thing is stuffed. Young guys like a Harris may bring a level of youthful enthusiasm, but Frank's and DJ bring that element of distrust.
Imagine if Cleveland, Dech etc had a bruiser behind them. Asking them to play defence is a good example of what makes CJ so bad, he's just too nice. It shouldn't be a case of asking, he should be demanding. It seems DJ has finally been benched lately, but the rot has set in. Sotto has the shot blocking ability, but still makes young guy mistakes but will improve with time. He really needed/needs an unselfish vet to help him out, like a Pardon type.

Sixers by one at the half. Cleveland is a dumb player, Dech takes his minutes and game changes.

Franks not far behind Cleveland

Good game. Illi out with concussion again, very bad news for him, wish him god fortune.

I'm enjoying the greater pace and energy from the Sixers, and they’re looking a lot better on offense.

Defense ... yeah, well, nuff said

Johnson is horrible.

Melbourne under manned and still come away with the win

Who slides out of the 6 now Adelaide are gone?


SEM, MU, Tas even NZ??

Only Sydney have clinched a playoff spot.

Cairns have now following 6ers loss

SEM gone imo. To unreliable and injury prone.

Excellent win by United, I still feel CJ got something to offer but taking off Soto in the last after he just scored was ridiculous. Lee the scored on Johnson and sent him to the stripe.

If CJ finished they got start a proper search for a coach, there is enough talent there to do better than achieved.

"Johnson is horrible."

He actually played really well on both ends. The only time he played poor defense is near the end when he was the wrong side of Lee and then didn't hack him.

"who stops Lee for Sixers, nobody" Wow look out Lee the dominate force tonight!

Not sure why CJ benched Sotto when he was giving United problems. DJ gets too tired at his age to play at the end. Once again the Sixers fail for 5 seasons in a row.

I was at the game but sad Shea got another concussion. Barlow is also out with concussion, the league needs to address the concussion problem in our league.

I was at the game

That's one of the greatest victories in United's 9 years

Another year at the bottom for Adelaide.

Imagine if someone was stupid enough to say something like "championship or bust"

...oh wait.

Melbourne V Jack jumpers or Phoenix will be a good matchup

It feels like no one really cares anymore and I think United probably put Adelaide out of their misery.

McCarron just looks lost and lacking in confidence.

Honestly, there is no system at all and nothing has been addressed all season.

I can't think of a win this season that wasn't a complete struggle besides maybe the Perth away win.

Adelaide were even lucky to beat Hawks and Bullets at home.

For me, there's not enough promise or vision to confidently say CJ deserves another year. I do feel for him though.

6ers only got themselves to blame for last nights result, some very confusing ball screen coverage. Considering the shooting ability and performance on the night of Goulding, XRM and Tucker. Surely at 3/4 time you would change from drops to trapping and make Peatling/Lee/Okwera beat you?

Instead we watched the Melb shooters continue to walk into wide open warm up 3s and that was the game.

Only Hobart, Adelaide games. I try to go to two interstate games a season. I'll probably skip the play-in since they will be most likely on a Wednesday which makes it too hard.

I think United will just miss out on percent. Breakers should beat United if Barry Brown is back and Shea Ili is most likely out for the season.

Really sad for Ili. Over these last two seasons he's been playing the best basketball of his career. But long term health must come first.

Shame for United too, they're 11-3 with Ili playing. This United 2.0 with Ili, Lee and Peatling, and Tucker a different player, looked a real chance of sneaking into the semi finals and from there, who knows.

But if Ili's done, it all becomes very very tough.

If SEM beat Cairns on Wednesday, United must win in NZ to keep their season alive.

[If SEM beat Cairns on Wednesday, United must win in NZ to keep their season alive.]

Well, it's more complicated than that. Perth isn't guaranteed yet and has Cairns and Sydney in the final round.

Quite possible Perth finishes on 15-13 and a 3 way tie with 2 of United, SEM and Perth making it and 1 missing out.

The tie breaker is %, is that the same in a 3 way tie? Overall points %? SEM has the jump but Perth and United are almost identical