I believe Hogg is out, was just showing a bit of form, big loss. It should be a statement game for kings, I'm not certain they are up to it. United coming off a loss won’t play two bad games in a row.
Hopefully get a cracker, just think united will be to strong by eleven.

Boo indeed. I was enjoying having a game every day.
Bummer about Hogg, but hopefully we will still get a good one.

Tips 6:30pm NSW/VIC btw.

Tip is 7:30pm AEDT

Travers probably not playing, on bench though, rolled ankle

Starting Noi and Bruce isn't going to win you many games.

Amazing, you put your good players on and remove the bench players starting and you go on a massive run.

Kings by five at quarter after trailing by eight. Refs letting them play, good start to game by all.

Now refs calling everything

Kings were the hunters in Q1.

Complete reversal of roles in the second period.

Good game,
Adams shooting has been poor this season hurting kings. Bruce making shots has helped, Noi been average on defence.
Bowen been good for United, delly as well, both fives have had JLA measure, Illi just does it.
Wish Hooley would talk less.

Adams-12, Noi -11, Galloway-9. Hurting kings.

Illi -8, surprising , Krebs -9, Jla -5,

Hope all games are reffed like this - let em bang

To say Adams is a shadow of himself would be a compliment.

Agree, Scout, good game happening hear.

Look no coach will ever be as bad as Jackomas but Mahmoud ain't far behind.

Galloway and Adams both -23, Noi -14, you have to play D, these guys are three of your starters, not over but Vickerman getting ready to sing, he ripped into Goulding for D as well.

Love how Hukaporti plays

Kings players are low iq this season, Adams well out form.

CG again!!

Sydney look so disorganised on both ends.

Why does Bolden not use his size in the post offensively??

Bruce is a sniper. Wrong call, Bruce moved into his way.

Not surprised United is going to win. Doing so quite comfortably is rather unexpected.

Bruce likes giving it, but not being on the other end. Love it.

Bruce initiated that contact.

And yeah Dunkman, surprised that call was overturned.

Bolden likes the three, never liked the rough stuff inside, opposite to his father.

True, Bruce was a banger.
Jonah's game is very one dimensional

Vickerman got bench on with over one minute to play.

Love how Melbourne said to Jaylen Adams let's see if you're prepared to defend. He wasn't, and Delly and Ili had a field day.

Boomers Delly on fire, united are very good team, all good, not much else to say. Excellently coached, even ripping into Goulding when required.

On the other side of the coin, three starters Adams -29, Galloway-20 and Noi -16. Galloway has a big future but young, Adams well out form and Noi is an eighth man no matter what commentators say. Hunter should play 30 minutes, Bolden not a physical player, better in 3/4 spot. Bruce is a competitor but not a starter, Toohey is young with potential, Valentine is hot and cold in the same game, Glover very reasonable. Not much else, no where near last few seasons sides.

Still not over, JJs, Perth on their day could surprise, NZ if they make a charge, don't see Cairns getting there to hurt United. United’s to lose.

Mahmoud has the tools but doesn't know how to use them. Can’t see the Kings sticking with him next season.
As for JA the Kings should not have gone after him after what Walton showed last year, better defender & gets his team mates involved

Credit to Melbourne, they brought their A game. Whole team levelled up on defence. Sydney, cannot seem to get a 5 on the floor that is working for them. You never want to discount champions, but Adams, Hunter, Noi, Glover and Bruce are aging fast for the NBL level. Not sure what they see in Galloway or Valentine, both haven't been able to dominate a game all season long despite getting good minutes. I know they have hoops, but so two do a million other athletes in the US. Going to be an interesting off season for Sydney.

^^^
I think you are being a bit hard on Hunter and Glover, yes they certainly missing Cooks work around the ring at both ends. Yes will be interesting off season, will the coach go or half the team?

Sydney has a questionable strategy- hiring young aspirational coaches. Worked with Buford but isn't working this season.

United has Vickerman signed til 2028- benchmark basketball program in Australia, that's why guys like Travers and JLA signed.

Over a 5 game series, a relatively healthy United should take the trophy. They've got the depth and weapons.

The bigger risk is the semi-finals. The less games, the more likely an upset. Anything can happen over 3 games. In both 2020 and 2022 United was the better team (better +/- over 3 games) but found ways to lose. Even in 2021 they relied on Landale's brilliance to come back from 17 down.

The box score indicates where the game was won and lost (statistically). You won't win basketball games getting only 5 offensive rebounds, and having a 7 turnover deficit. Unless you shoot the lights out, or foul the other team out and keep getting to the line.

While I support good basketball ahead of any team and have favourite players on different teams, it would be nice for Brad Newley to out winner with United even though he just warming the bench.

The Kings need to find defensive line-ups that work, including on the boards. I like the move of Bruce into the starting line-up, he's a genuine defender and was very good last night.

Bolden as a stretch 5 is obviously a big weapon of theirs, what line-ups can they best use him with? Is Hunter better off with the second unit like last year?

As 101 annon said, the tools are there, just got to find the best way to use them.

In NBL22, he Kings only spent two of the first 14 weeks inside the top 4 then finished strong, it's still wide open if they can find some line-ups that rebound and defend well together.

In NBL22 they added Clark and barely lost another game.

Valentine is talented but has brain fades at both ends. Hogg and Adams haven't been as good as their previous NBL stints. One change could potentially make them again. Always possible in NBL.

Do not understand how that call on Bruce went his way..... How can you line someone up like that and call it on the defence? Really rubbish. You can't move on an on-ball screen to line up the defence, why can you do it in Bruce's situation?

It's a game of space and positioning.

Bruce got to the space first.

Could've gone either way, but I can understand that call.

What was more frustrating was letting the bigs bang away early, letting it become a super physical game, then later turning the whistles on and calling relatively soft fouls when defenders were vertical or making incidental contact. Krebs, Bowen, CG (overturned thankfully) and possibly others I'm forgetting. Although foul count 19-12 so I shouldn't complain