Preview: Sydney v South East Melbourne (Round 17)

When: 4pm (AEDT), Sunday 29 January, 2023
Where: Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney
Broadcast: 10 Peach; 10 Play; ESPN; Foxtel; Kayo; Sky NZ
LIVE SCORES & STATS

Who won the last time?

Sydney 118 (Vasiljevic 42, Cooks 16, Soares 15) d South East Melbourne 102 (Creek 32, Adnam 20, Madut 13) – Round 14 at Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney

The Phoenix travelled to Sydney minus their starting backcourt, engaged in a shoot-out and lost. In the scheme of NBL23’s most predictable results that is right up there. Simon Mitchell’s undermanned men gave a good account of themselves on the offensive end, reaching the century with Mitch Creek dominating, but they had no answers for the red-hot shooting of DJ Vasiljevic as the Kings peeled off 94 points after quarter-time.

What happened last game?

South East Melbourne’s shoot-out days appear done, conceding just 82.5ppg in their past four outings and holding the free-wheeling Taipans to 80 at 41 per cent in a drama-filled game that could have come straight from the twilight zone. After quarter-time on Friday the Kings were straight from the highlight zone, playing near-perfect transition basketball to run the JackJumpers out of their own gym and move within one W of locking up top spot.

What’s working?

Full team defence – The Phoenix playing at intensity are a quality defensive unit, conceding 82.7ppg across 15 wins at 43 per cent from the floor and 8.8 triples at 33 per cent. But in 12 defeats, they’ve averaged just 3.2 players from their first-choice starting five and opposition tallies have skyrocketed to 95.2ppg at 50 per cent and 10.8 treys at 44 per cent. With only Ryan Broekhoff missing on Sunday, they need to produce their defensive best.

Rim raids – The Kings are shooting a blistering 56 per cent from two-point range this season, averaging 46.6 points in the paint and going +13 per game in that category. However, when South East triumphed in Gippsland, they kept the Kings to 40 points in the paint in 50 minutes and just 47 per cent on two-pointers, while they allowed just 45 per inside in Round 14. South East Melbourne are the only team to outscore Sydney in the paint this season.

What needs stopping?

Kings guards – First, Derrick Walton burns the Phoenix for 45 points and 10 assists. Then DJ Vasiljevic steps up with 42 points on 10/14 from range to go with five dimes. Given Sydney’s strength inside, and the inability of Alan Williams to consistently get to the line of the screen, SE Melbourne need to give up something, but their lack of urgency forcing the Kings’ guards into tough catches and passes out of aggressive double-teams can’t be repeated.

Mitch Creek – Sydney may have thought Xavier Cook’s absence for most of the Round 11 clash was the reason for Creek’s 46-point haul, but it turns out the problem is bigger than that. The Phoenix skipper backed that up with 32 at 69 per cent inside and 4/8 outside in the rematch, adding nine boards and five assists for good measure. If the Phoenix D is back to its best this round, Sydney will have some problems and Mitch will be one.

Who’s matching up?

Derrick Walton v Gary Browne – South East’s floor general has played just eight minutes in this season series, so his impact is unknown. While Sydney don’t hand-check to the level of some clubs, their ability to trace the basketball with length is impressive, and something that could trouble the pint-sized Browne. Will Justin Simon get this job? And will we see all of GB, Trey Kell, Junior Madut and Owen Foxwell dogging Walton at some point?

Tim Soares v Alan Williams – Big Sauce has been a massive focus for Sydney, taking away his roll and limiting him to 18 shots in 52 minutes and just one dime in two games. That strategy hasn’t stopped SEM piling on the points, however, averaging 98ppg in regulation, so will we see a Creek-centric change this time? At the other end Soares was super-efficient last time, scoring 15 points at 85 per cent, going 2/3 from deep and 3/3 at the cup.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">???????? ?????? ?<br><br>? <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNAusNZ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ESPNAusNZ</a> ?? <a href="https://twitter.com/kayosports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kayosports</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/Foxtel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Foxtel</a> <a href="https://t.co/1UbFJGMKsM">pic.twitter.com/1UbFJGMKsM</a></p>&mdash; South East Melbourne Phoenix (@SEMelbPhoenix) <a href="https://twitter.com/SEMelbPhoenix/status/1618191682289405952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Who’s saying what?

It’s fair to say Simon Mitchell liked what he saw in his team’s hard-nosed win over Cairns.

“I saw a lot of heart, I saw us overcome a lot of obstacles, obviously losing Rowdy in the last game we need guys to step in and cover for him,” Mitchell said.

“Unfortunately GB had to go to the bench early, Trey Kell was in foul trouble too.”

It was Kell who was the difference maker, finishing with 17 points on 3/5 from deep, six rebounds and three dimes, and leading the defensive effort that kept Snakes guards Tahj McCall, Shannon Scott and Bul Kuol to a combined 7/31 from the field.

“I think it’s just resilience, it’s what this team embodies, he’s a big part of what we want to do,” Alan Williams said of his fellow import.

“Stepping up and playing the way he did today after a couple of fouls in the first half, he showed why he’s a pro, he just went out there in the second half and controlled the game for us.

“Made the right reads, was hunting his shot but it never felt forced, he was always wanting to communicate and talk and try to look for other guys.

“Big props to Trey Kell for hanging in there, he’s a dog on defence, I know everybody here sees it, he’s one of the best defenders in the NBL, and he’s going to continue to show that, and I'm looking forward to seeing him have another big one.”

Coach Mitchell is putting it on his swingman to carry the load and help carry the team to the playoffs in Broekhoff’s absence.

“I thought Trey was huge, it was really important for him to hunt his offence a little bit more. That’s what Rowdy’s been doing wonderfully well the last five games,” Mitchell said.

“I had a chat to Trey before the game saying that’s what we’re going to miss the most. You can cover for the defence, you can help with the boards but we need you to be like Rowdy was and hunt the ball and I thought he was tremendous in doing that.

“He made some really key shots down the stretch when we needed him and was involved in that 35 second of madness heavily as well. He was great.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Did someone say MVP contender? CREEKY!!! ??<br><br>? <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNAusNZ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ESPNAusNZ</a> ?? <a href="https://twitter.com/kayosports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kayosports</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/Foxtel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Foxtel</a> <a href="https://t.co/UsEdPi9HAG">pic.twitter.com/UsEdPi9HAG</a></p>&mdash; South East Melbourne Phoenix (@SEMelbPhoenix) <a href="https://twitter.com/SEMelbPhoenix/status/1618196558755004416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

That 35-second stretch actually last a minute, but it typified South East’s hunger in a game played with fierce physicality.

It started with a big Reuben Te Rangi offensive board that set up a Kell triple. Gary Browne then picked Scott’s pocket and Mitch Creek converted at the other end.

Creek then came up with a steal and Te Rangi chased down another o-board and got to the foul line, before the do-it-all Kiwi pinched the outlet pass and set up Creek for a back-breaking trifecta.

“He’s been really strong for us during this winning streak,” Mitchell said of Te Rangi.

“Even when it’s been limited minutes I think he’s been highly productive, filled numerous roles for us in the last game, we had him at the five-spot at times.

“He’s shooting the ball with confidence, he’s getting offensive boards, getting us extra shots and making good decisions, and he can defend anyone on the floor when he’s really locked in.”

Sydney will need to be locked in to match the Phoenix intensity and physicality.

In South East’s Round 11 win they grabbed 82 per cent of their d-boards to starve Sydney of opportunities, and they’ve pulled in 31 per cent of o-boards across the season series.

The Kings responded in Round 14 with one of their best offensive rebounding performance of the season, hauling in 15 at 39 per cent to win second chance points 21-15, but they were down in the effort areas early on in Tassie before running them off their feet.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">??? ????? ???? ?<br><br>Catch it LIVE on ESPN via Kayo Sports + Foxtel<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeTheKings?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeTheKings</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL23?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL23</a> <a href="https://t.co/e4GJvHSjtf">pic.twitter.com/e4GJvHSjtf</a></p>&mdash; Sydney Kings (@SydneyKings) <a href="https://twitter.com/SydneyKings/status/1618900592377602052?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“It was not a good start for us on a number of levels, but turning the ball over and second chance opportunities from offensive rebounds really gave them life,” coach Chase Buford said.

“A team like Tassie that’s what they do, beat you on extra possessions and getting more shots than you. They shot 18 more shots tonight than us and one more free throw, which is not a very easy ratio to overturn.”

They overturned it by forcing the JackJumpers into jacking unwise jumpers, but South East Melbourne are an interior team to be reckoned with, and their charismatic leaders Creek and Williams will take that to a new level on Sunday.

“They're in pretty much must-win territory,” Buford said.

“They're going to be fighting, obviously Broekhoff’s a big out but they’ve got good players over there and we know were going to have to be ready for the challenge on a quick turnaround.”

For Mitchell, the season is now on the line, but he feels his team has grown since they last met Sydney and were run out of town and bombed into submission by DJ Vasiljevic.

“We've got to go up to Sydney and whip them, that’s what we’ve got to do, that’s our job and that’s what we control,” he said.

“They do have styles that are similar. Sydney are a little bit more heat on the rim, whereas Cairns like to pull the trigger from deep.

“I thought our ‘trans-jams’ up the floor to slow them down were really good and we defended the three-point line pretty well tonight, which has been an issue for us at times.”