Preview: Illawarra vs Melbourne – NBL24 Playoffs, Game 2

Saturday, March 9, 2024

Melbourne stormed home to take out Game 1 in overtime, but can they end Illawarra's season?

Sunday, March 10 at 3pm AEDT | WIN Entertainment Centre

Watch: Live and free on ESPN via Kayo Freebies | 10 Peach and 10 Play | International viewership details
Box scores: Download the free NBL App

Melbourne enters the WIN Entertainment Centre with a 1-0 series lead over the Hawks, after their incredible comeback overtime win on Thursday night.

The Hawks led by as many as 16 points in the final term, but Luke Travers and Matthew Dellavedova took the reins and led Melbourne to victory.

Dellavedova became the first player in the 40-minute era to register 30 points and 10 assists in a post-season game in the win.

Sam Froling
When Sam Froling was asked how he stopped Jo Lual-Acuil Jr in the early stages of Thursday’s game due to the Melbourne center’s status as one of the best bigs in the NBL, Froling replied “so am I”, and that’s the kind of self-belief the Hawks need if they’re going to extend their season past Sunday.

Froling was the cornerstone of Illawarra’s dominance through the opening three quarters in the first game of the series, and his 26 points on the night was his season-high. Add to that the fact he went 1-1 from behind the three-point line, and he was humming.

For as good as Froling was in the early stages of the game, he couldn’t inspire his team to hold onto victory and was obviously frustrated in the post-match press conference. Melbourne’s switch into a full-court press prevented the Hawks from getting into their offensive sets, and Froling’s touches around the rim struggled as a result.

There seems to be a rhetoric sweeping through this Hawks team that nobody cares about their own scoring as long as the team wins. Tyler Harvey has said it, Gary Clark has said it, and now Froling has said it. That selfless attitude from the team’s stars is a great top-down approach, but if the star center can kick off again like he did on Thursday, give him the ball and let him go to work.

“Part of it is if we’re a bit stagnant am I going to get an offensive rebound and stick it back in, running in transition I think I got a couple out early but there were a few more times I could have rim-run a bit harder, but I’m not worried about where my shots are coming from – whatever happens to win the game is what needs to happen.” – Sam Froling following the loss to Melbourne.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Now that's a friendly bounce ?<br><br>Sam Froling has scored a game-high 21 points early in the third quarter ?<br><br>Watch the Playoff action live and free on ESPN via Kayo Freebies | 10 Play ? <a href="https://t.co/YMvbFN1rty">pic.twitter.com/YMvbFN1rty</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1765673506505724412?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Matthew Dellavedova
Matthew Dellavedova played like a man who has experienced success at the highest level before, and is hellbent on doing so again.

This season Dellavedova has almost fitted himself into the role Melbourne United has needed him to play. Early in the season it was as a scorer, then it became as a distributor, but on Thursday it was to be a match-winner.

The Australian basketball legend became the first player in the history of the NBL’s 40-minute era to end a post-season game with 30 points and 10 assists, and in addition to his historic double-double he grabbed four steals – including off a Kyle Adnam inbound pass to help level the scores late – and committed only two turnovers.

Derek Rucker and Dean Vickerman have both gone on record as saying this was Dellavedova’s best game in a Melbourne United jersey. If it wasn’t for his leading of the team in what was a difficult first half, the result would almost certainly have been different.

Illawarra looked happy to let Dellavedova shoot the ball from deep instead of the likes of Chris Goulding and Ian Clark, and although United’s deep guard rotation makes the defensive team have an element of picking their poison, he punished them.

He might be closed out just a little bit harder on the three-point line on Sunday, but the odds of Dellavedova having little impact on this upcoming fixture are slim to nil.

“He’s (Dellavedova) been at the highest level and done these things at that type of level. He’s seen NBA Finals so I think it is kind of expected, and it’s only the start for him, I think. CG touched on it in the game, he was playing at another level on the defensive end and I think it got us going at the end of the game. If he can do that for us every game we’re going to be in a good spot.” – Luke Travers following the win over Illawarra.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Playoff Delly ?<br><br>Matthew Dellavedova delivered a historic performance when <a href="https://twitter.com/MelbUnited?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MelbUnited</a> needed it most ?? <a href="https://t.co/7U8CwQACXr">pic.twitter.com/7U8CwQACXr</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1765909135613383160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Gary Clark vs Luke Travers
After looking hobbled by an ankle injury in the Play-In win over New Zealand, Gary Clark looked fully fit and back to 100 per cent against Melbourne. On the flipside, Luke Travers played one of the best all-around games in his NBL career.

Clark ended the game with 22 points and 12 rebounds – four offensive – but his influence went far beyond his strong box score numbers. He was explosive, he was aggressive, and he was playing with a level of intent and freedom he hadn’t been over the Hawks’ past couple of games.

Travers came out and blanketed the star forward in the second half, and managed to improve his own performance on the offensive end to help will United into proceedings – especially down the stretch.

He pulled off an important contested dunk to level the scores with 1:45 to go in the final quarter, and then he made the overtime period his own with seven of Melbourne’s 15 points in the extra period.

And when he pulled off a chase down block with 2:42 remaining in overtime, it felt like the final nail in the coffin for the Hawks’ hopes.

Where Clark stood tall to pull the Hawks out to a strong lead in the first three quarters of the game, Travers stood taller still to ride the game to victory for Melbourne.

Both star forwards were brilliant in Game 1, so which one can repeat the dose in Game 2?

Gary Clark and Luke Travers.