R5 Preview: SE Melbourne Phoenix v Perth Wildcats

When: 7.30pm (AEDT), Thursday 11 February

Where: State Basketball Centre, Melbourne

Broadcast: ESPN; Sky Sports NZ; SBS On Demand; Twitch

The last time

SE Melbourne 90 (Creek 24, Sykes 19, Wetzell 14, Adnam 14) d Perth 89 (Cotton 32, Mooney 19, Blanchfield 11), Round 3, 2021, RAC Arena

What a dramatic evening at RAC Arena this turned out to be. The Bryce Cotton-Keifer Sykes battle was brilliant to watch and while the Wildcats superstar still had 32 points, it was a critical play late where he was isolated up top with Sykes and his Phoenix opponent stole the ball and went up for a layup that he won't soon forget. Sykes was massive at both ends while the Wildcats had no answer for Mitch Creek until he rolled an ankle. But the game will be remembered for the perfectly executed last play from the 'Cats where captain Jesse Wagstaff inexplicably missed the wide open game winning layup. It just happened to be the Phoenix's first ever win over the Wildcats in the process.

The now

The second of those two meetings in Perth between the teams was less than two weeks ago so will be fresh in both their minds as they now prepare for the rematch with the Phoenix having carried on their good form since while the Wildcats also had their chances against Melbourne United in their only appearance since.

Coming off that morale boosting last gasp win in Perth, the Phoenix returned to Victoria for the first time in a month and put in a good performance against Melbourne United in Bendigo even if it did end up in a six-point defeat. But this past Sunday, South East Melbourne delivered their most complete performance of the season to beat the Illawarra Hawks 98-82 at the State Basketball Centre.

They handed the Hawks their first loss in the process and it was on the back of so many players standing tall. Cam Gliddon, Kyle Adnam, Ben Moore, Keifer Sykes and Mitch Creek also scored 15 points apiece while it was an outstanding defence performance led by Moore and Sykes to limit the Hawks to 82 points and 43 per cent field goal shooting.

After losing in heartbreaking fashion at home to the Phoenix back on January 29, the Wildcats were originally meant to host the New Zealand Breakers twice before hitting the road. COVID-19 meant neither game went ahead and they spent last week escaping WA's lockdown by first coming to Sydney and then Melbourne before taking on United in Bendigo on Sunday.

They had their chances against Melbourne too but ultimately a couple of costly Bryce Cotton turnovers and then Jack White's offensive rebound cost the 'Cats the chance to try and tie the scores or to go ahead with what would have been the last possession.

Having played just three games over the opening four rounds and with plenty of quarantining and lockdowns thrown in means the Wildcats will at least be glad to have settled in Melbourne now ahead of taking on the Phoenix at the State Basketball Centre for the third time already in their opening four games.

The stats

- The Wildcats at 1-2 currently have their worst record to start a season since the 2010/11 campaign. A loss on Thursday will mean they are 1-3 for the first time since the 2005/06 season.

- Little has separated the Phoenix and Wildcats during their two meetings in Perth. In fact with just over three minutes to go in both encounters, it was a one-point ball game.

- The Wildcats are currently the worst three-point shooting team in the NBL, going at 27.8 per cent as a group. Todd Blanchfield at his new club is going at 25 per cent with 4/16 and usual sharpshooter Clint Steindl has hit 3/14 at just 21.4 per cent.

- Taking better care of the ball has been a factor in the Phoenix playing better over the past three games. Over their opening three matches of #NBL21 they averaged 14.3 turnovers but in the three since that is down to just 8.3.

The key men

Mitch Creek – The Wildcats quite simply had no good match up and no answers for him when he put his mind on taking over the game last time in Perth. He rolled his ankle late and that meant he couldn’t complete his domination to the final buzzer, but the signs were all there that he could take over and the 'Cats could do little about it. Teenager Luke Travers didn’t have the savvy or strength to deal with him, Jesse Wagstaff did what he could and nobody else jumps out as a good match up. If Creek has the mindset to take over this game and put his team on his back, Perth might not be able to do anything about it.

Bryce Cotton – It seems far too obvious to say Bryce is the key for the Wildcats, but the fact remains until someone else steps up to take on the added responsibility, there's ever so much that rests on his shoulders. That intense focus from the opposition has been evident late in each of the last two games for the 'Cats too with him coughing up uncharacteristic turnovers despite still almost being a match-winner at the same time with 56 points and 12 assists across those matches. It's simple, the Wildcats need others to step up. Someone has to fill the void of Damian Martin defensively, and those to replace the production of Nick Kay, Terrico White and even Miles Plumlee. Until those people emerge, so much rests on what magic Bryce can deliver.

The quotes

South East Melbourne coach Simon Mitchell has enjoyed seeing the way his group has come together early in the season. 

They now have some momentum having won a tight one in Perth, pushed Melbourne all the way and then delivering their most comprehensive performance on Sunday to beat Illawarra.

"We’ve been a bit of a slow burn. With the smaller preparation not getting as many practice games in, I feel like we’re going to improve on the run," Mitchell said.

"We’ve shown that we can score pretty freely even though we haven’t been at an A-plus level at the offensive end, but I also feel like we’ve started to show we can defend as well.

"If you’re reactionary, you get sliced to bits against Perth. We have to make sure we’re on top of our game and on top of our adjustments and we don’t break down."

Mitchell is also looking forward to welcoming back the league's most experienced player, Adam Gibson, after he has missed the last three games with a calf complaint.

"Adam trained the session. We'll see how he pulls up but the expectation is he'll take his place in the team," Mitchell said. 

"His IQ is through the roof, his shot-making ability is still at a really high level...he's one of the league's better shooters and he probably doesn't get recognised for that."

The Phoenix not only enjoyed the way they played on Sunday to hand the Hawks their first defeat, but to do so in front of their home fans in Melbourne for the first time this season.

Kyle Adnam couldn’t get enough of the fans all being behind the Phoenix and can't wait to get back out there now on Thursday against the Wildcats.

"They were super loud from the tip. We spoke pre-game about how much the people of Melbourne and particularly the South-East had been through with COVID lockdowns so we wanted to put on a show and they put on a show as well in terms of how loud they were," Adnam said.

"It was amazing and everyone’s itching to get back here Thursday night. The crowd is a huge part of the game and can influence momentum in certain ways but at the same time we’re playing a championship-level team. 

"Every night they come in and you know they’re going to put up a really good fight. We’re ready to roll and our home fans are too, I think it’s going to be a great game."

While his sole focus will be getting a win for his Wildcats and avoiding a rare three-game losing streak, Thursday marks a special occasion for coach Trevor Gleeson.

Already is he the most successful Perth coach of all-time after winning the championships in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2020 but on Thursday he will become the longest-serving coach of the 'Cats as well.

These achievements looked a long way off when Gleeson arrived in Perth ahead of the 2013/14 with big shoes to fill following the departure of the hugely popular Rob Beveridge who had taken the Wildcats to a championship, two Grand Finals and another semi-final in four years.

But Gleeson now reaches another significant milestone and while his only Coach of the Year award came in Townsville, it's quite the legacy he's built in Perth.

"I learned a long time ago in coaching, the day you start worrying about your job, is the day you’re not doing your job, and when I first walked in this door, I thought OK I’m here either for one year or 10," Gleeson said. 

"This is how we’re going to do it. I’ve been very fortunate to have the backing of Jack Bendat and the board on a number of crucial points throughout my time here. 

"While you’re in the midst of it, I get enjoyment out of bringing a team together and finding the strength in a team and we’ve been very fortunate to have some great personnel.

"There’s no way of being successful without the players buying into the culture, buying in to a team first mentality and playing unselfish. That’s what I focus on, the milestones will be good when I sit down and talk to my kids one day and say, here’s a challenge for you, beat this!"

The Wildcats do come into Thursday's game needing to find some improvements, though, after losses to the Phoenix at home and then United in Bendigo.

They are the only team to play just three games in the first four rounds so Gleeson knows the group is still finding their groove, but he's hoping to see an improvement in a number of areas on Thursday including capitalising on opportunities they are creating.

"We created a lot of turnovers in that game against Melbourne, but we didn’t turn those turnovers into points. When you get a really good defensive team that’s what you’ve got to do. You’ve got to get the ball and hurt other teams with it," Gleeson said.

"I thought we let Melbourne United off the hook with those things. It’s just being regular that's key for us now. We can put a program in place and get a ball in our hands, and have a chance to do some extra work with a couple of guys.

"The biggest thing in basketball is, if you don’t touch a basketball for five days, it’s noticeable. It’s like a professional musician, a pianist or opera singer. If they don’t practice they sound out of tune."