Every Game In Focus (Round 3, NBL25)

Every week of the Hungry Jack's NBL25 Season, we'll be previewing the big games, the big names and all the key talking points.

Check out the Round 3 Preview below.

Don't forget, every game of the NBL25 season is live on ESPN via Kayo. 

Adelaide v South East Melbourne

When: Thursday, October 3 - 7.30pm AEST
Where: Adelaide Entertainment Centre
Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo | NZ: ESPN | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: One of these teams will get their first win of the season, while the other is left wondering what’s next. It’s arguably game of the round for that reason as the pressure continues to build for both clubs. Another key thing to watch is if either team will make a change to their starting line-up heading into this game.

Players to watch: Nathan Sobey bounced back from his slow first two games to top score for the Phoenix in their narrow loss to New Zealand. There’s been a lot of heat on the superstar guard early in NBL25 and he will be hoping to put that behind him with a strong performance against one of his former teams.

For Adelaide, Isaac Humphries needs to find the form that he ended last season with, which had him as one of the most dominant big men in the competition. Humphries currently has the worst +/- in the league and has struggled to make an impact in the first two games of the season. Is this his breakout game?

The stat: Nathan Sobey has a career average of 20.8 points per game against Adelaide - most against any opponent.

Missing in action: N/A

Cairns vs Tasmania

When: Friday, October 4 - 7.30pm AEST
Where: Cairns Convention Centre
Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo | NZ: ESPN | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: Both teams got their seasons underway with a win in Round 2 and will be looking to build on that Friday night. It’s a tale of two different styles of play in this game with Tasmania happy to slow things down and grind it out, whereas the Taipans like to push the pace with aggression. The JackJumpers have won the last five games against the Snakes and will be relying on their defensive identity to limit the Cairns’ import guard, Rob Edwards.

Players to watch: Edwards flashed his brilliance last week for cairns, putting up 31 points at 70 per cent from the floor and leading his team to a win. This was the breakout performance many expected from Edwards as he was virtually unstoppable against the 36ers.

Tasmania big man Will Magnay, proved why he is one of, if not the most dominant big man in the league against Melbourne United on Saturday night. It was Magnay’s five blocks that stood out in this one, as he completely nullified any attack on the rim that United had. When he is playing at this level, it’s a different looking Tasmania team.

The stat: Tasmania has won each of its last eight games when scoring 90+ points.

Missing in action: Taran Armstrong is reportedly set to make a comeback from a calf injury he sustained in the pre-season, while Jackson Makoi is also returning from suspension. Dillon Stith is a game-time decision after missing last week with a knee injury.

Sean Macdonald is expected to return in Round 13 for the JackJumpers.

Perth vs Melbourne

When: Friday, October 4 - 9.30pm AEST
Where: RAC Arena
Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo | NZ: ESPN | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: If history tells us anything – this game is going to be both fun to watch and come down to the wire. Last season this matchup gave us some of the most exciting finishes we have ever seen and expect nothing different here. Anytime you get two of the best shooters going head-to-head and two teams who have battled it out for championships in the last decade, it usually leads to highlights aplenty.

There’s just something about this rivalry that brings the best out of both teams and as a fan, that’s all you can ask for.

Players to watch: Chris Goulding has come off the bench in Melbourne’s first two games, reportedly as he continues to recover from illness. Considering his performances against the Wildcats in his career and the way the Red Army ride him, these are the matchups he lives for. With 13,000 screaming fans hoping to nullify his performance, it usually has the opposite effect when it comes to Chris Goulding.

For the Wildcats, all eyes will be on Keanu Pinder who struggled in their loss to Sydney in round two. The star big man had just one point in 10 minutes of action, to go with four turnovers, on a night he would like to forget.

The stat: Melbourne has won 15 of its last 16 games following a loss.

Missing in action: Ben Henshall is reportedly set to return to the lineup after missing last game due to injury.

Illawarra vs Adelaide

When: Saturday, October 5 - 5.30pm AEST
Where: WIN Entertainment Centre
Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo | NZ: ESPN | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: The Illawarra Hawks are flying and sit top of the ladder with three wins from three games. Perhaps the most fascinating part of this start is the fact they’re not only embracing the moment as one of the hottest teams around, they’re asking for it. Coach Justin Tatum has openly said that his team is no underdog, and they want to be seen as a leading contender for this season.

As Adelaide look to upset the Hawks, all eyes will be on the battle of the big men as Montrezl Harrell, Isaac Humphires, Darius Days and Sam Froling go to battle.

Players to watch: New import guard, Kendric Davis, spent the week firing back at critics for their comments about the opening two weeks of the season. Davis has put the media on notice, saying he will be revisiting the claims that he’s underperforming at season's end.

This will be the first matchup of the season for Trey Kell III against his former team and it couldn’t come at a better time. Kell III has been leading from the front in Illawarra’s unbeaten start and has put his name firmly into the MVP mix after two rounds. Adelaide chose not to bring him back this season, so does this game against have a little extra meaning for him?

The stat: Kell posted +27 in the Hawks two wins in Round 2, which included putting up 50 points as well.

Missing in action: Adelaide will continue be without Jarell Martin, who will be on the sidelines for at least another month.

Brisbane vs Sydney

When: Saturday, October 5 - 8pm AEST
Where: Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo | NZ: ESPN | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: Both teams will be going into this game desperate for a win but for different reasons. On one hand, the Bullets will be hoping to get their first win of the season after struggling to perform consistently in their opening two games. The Sydney Kings however, suffered a loss to their cross-town rivals Illawarra, and will be looking to bounce back and send a statement to the rest of the competition. 

Brisbane has had some rough defensive showings across the first two rounds and will need to fix that as soon as possible, with Sydney boasting one of the most potent offensive teams around.

Players to watch: A lot of eyes will be on James Batemon, who hasn’t performed well in the opening two rounds of his NBL career. After a stellar season last year in Israel, where he was selected to the All-Second team, Batemon has scored just eight points in both games and his team need a big showing from him in this one.

On the other side, it was a quieter showing from Jaylen Adams in the Kings' loss to the Hawks. Adams was well held by Wani Swaka-Lo-Buluk and it’s no surprise that the Kings struggled when he couldn’t get going. Adams gets a chance to exploit the Bullets poor defence, and could really fill it up.

The stat: The Bullets are giving up the most points per game of any team in the league at 102.

Missing in action: Kouat Noi has reportedly returned to full fitness after battling an illness.

For Brisbane, Josh Bannan is expected to return to the lineup. While Mitch Norton escaped an serious injury after slipping in their game against Illawarra. 

Melbourne vs Cairns

When: Sunday, October 6 - 2.30pm AEDT
Where: John Cain Arena
Watch: Live & free ESPN via Kayo | 10 & 10 Play | NZ: ESPN | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: Forget everything you know about these two clubs when it comes to this game. Because in recent history, Cairns have had some major success over United having won five of their last six games. So much so that Dean Vickerman made sure his team went into the pre-season Blitz match-up with that recent dominance in their minds. Last season Cairns swept Melbourne, with three of those wins coming by double figures.

Melbourne is looking to build John Cain Arena up as a fortress for them and a place where teams know they’ll be lucky to leave with a win. They get a big test here against one of their ‘bogey’ teams.

Players to watch: This game has exciting battles everywhere you look. Whether it’s Shea Ili against Taran Armstrong, Matthew Dellavedova on Rob Edwards or Jack White and Sam Waardenburg. There’s plenty to get excited about when these two teams hit the floor on Sunday.

The Waardenburg and White matchup will be fascinating as both players are coming off massive weekends, which sees them enter this game with their confidence sky high.

The stat: Cairns has won five of the last six games against Melbourne, with three of those by 12 points or more.

Tasmania vs Perth

When: Sunday, October 6 - 4.30pm AEDT
Where: MyState Bank Arena
Watch: Live & free ESPN via Kayo | 10 Bold & 10 Play | NZ: ESPN | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: Perth gets its first chance to avenge their loss to Tasmania from their semi-final exit last season, which saw them miss out on adding to their championship history. Those kinds of memories, especially when it comes on your home floor, are usually motivation enough to add more spice to a game early in the season.

Tasmania will also be looking to protect their home floor, which they did in Round 2 with the win over Melbourne as they unveiled their championship banner. The Ant Army is loud and their team knows how important it is to take care of business at MyState Bank Arena.

Players to watch: Cast your mind back to the series last season between these two teams and it seemed that whoever won the big man battle, won the game. It was Keanu Pinder who shone in game one and delivered one of his best performances in a big game and it helped the Wildcats take an early series lead. After that, it was Will Magnay who stepped up when Marcus Lee got hurt and put his stamp on the series with some monster performances.

They are two big men who play two very different styles of basketball, which makes the head-to-head battle even more intriguing.

The stat: Tasmania currently leads the league with 5.5 blocks per game. Largely thanks to Magnay who had five blocks on his own against United