What better way to open NBL Round 2 then the Melbourne Derby! On the i9bet hand you have a South East Melbourne team with serious title aspirations for this season up against the runner-ups from last season and a team that has also won 11 of their last 16 regular season games. Combined with the fact that six of the last eight times the ‘green side’ of Melbourne has hosted has been decided by nine points or less, this fiery and flairy matchup is a simply can’t miss.
In spite of their NBL Round 2 eight-point defeat to the Perth Wildcats last round away from home, their was plenty to like from Mike Kelly’s troops in their opening match. They won two quarters against Bryce Cotton & Co, including the fourth 33-26. Whilst they had six players register double-digit points including all five of their starters. Jordan Hunter was a revelation with 19PTS, closely followed by Matt Hurt with 16PTS, Derrick Walton Jr. 13PTS & Nathan Sobey 13PTS, Joe Wisekamp – 12PTS and Owen Foxwell had 10PTS off the bench on an impressive 4/4 shooting from the floor + 2REB + 1BLK in just 6:21 minutes of playing time. Hunter was also very strong as he shot 8/11 and also got 7REB and 1AST. Whilst Hurt converted 53.8% of his attempts and pulled in 12REB, alongside 2AST and 1STL.
For Melbourne they were incredibly dominant in their nine-point win over Tasmania at the RAC Arena. They prevailed in the opening quarter and also pretty much won the game in Q3, a period in which they won 27-16. Matthew Dellavedova showed he’s got a lot of life left in him with 21PTS, 3REB and 6AST, as he hit a pair of three-pointers. Whilst both Jack White and Shea Ili also flexed their muscle. White showed he could still very much have a future in the NBA with 14PTS, 7REB and 2AST, as he shot 60% from the floor. And Ili was his usual reliable self, as he did a bit of everything with 14PTS, 3REB, 5AST, 1STL and 1BLK.
When these two arch-rivals last took to the court against one another it was one hell of a game! After two overtimes played it was Melbourne who eventually came out on top courtesy of a truly exhilarating 121-120 victory. Angus Glover had 24PTS off the bench for the Phoenix, as well as having gone 7/8 from the FT line. Whilst for United Shea Ili had 26PTS, including 11 made FTs, alongside his 2STL.
There are plenty of players NBL Round 2 from both franchises that will give everything they have and then some in the Derby, however these two just have no quit. These two Guards on their day are extremely capable of shooting lights out, however they are just as likely to dislocate a shoulder diving for a loose ball as they are to hit a shot from deep. Watch out as the passion might ‘spill over’ between these two, as one of them emerges victorious at the end of it all.