Preview: New Zealand vs South East Melbourne - Round 16, NBL24

Friday, January 19, 2024

Both New Zealand and South East Melbourne have to turn their form around if they're to lock down a top six spot.

Saturday, January 20 at 5:30pm AEDT | Spark Arena

Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo | International viewership details
Box scores: Download the free NBL App

New Zealand head coach Mody Maor is targeting six wins from New Zealand’s final eight games in order to see the Breakers return to the post-season. Illawarra is the only side currently in the top six to have played fewer games than New Zealand.

Maor says star forward Finn Delany is still three weeks away from returning from a calf injury.

Alan Williams has been ruled out for the remainder of the regular season to have a minor surgical procedure operated on his knee. The Phoenix have now suffered defeat in seven of their last eight games, to slip to eighth on the ladder.

Mike Kelly lamented his side’s lack of discipline and concentration in the defeat. The Phoenix’s last seven losses have now come by an average of more than 24 points.

Former NBL champion Peter Hooley has expressed worry at the quality of opposition the Phoenix will face on their run home, as they look to rebound back into the top six.

New Zealand
76-105 loss to Sydney
81-82 loss to Melbourne
102-108 loss to Perth

South East Melbourne
85-110 loss to Adelaide
79-100 loss to Perth
78-116 loss to Illawarra

New Zealand’s star players
The story of New Zealand’s season so far has almost been ‘close, but no cigar’. The Breakers have had to deal with poorly timed injuries and absences across the entire campaign, and by the time the full roster is fit and ready to go, it’s almost too late.

Should they achieve Maor's wish of six wins from the last eight games their record will stand at 14-14 on the season, which would have only been enough for an eighth-place finish last season.

The Breakers need at least one of their star players to start turning the screws to lead them to the promised land of post-season hoops, the question is, simply, who?

Zylan Cheatham and Will McDowell-White look the most obvious candidates given they still have room to grow upon their returns from injury, while Anthony Lamb possesses the resume and game-winning ability to put the team on his back.

We’ve seen Mantas Rubstavicius raise his game in recent Breakers wins, and Parker Jackson-Cartwright has consistently been a shining light for New Zealand this season, but does even he have more to give?

The Breakers are about to embark on a long period of ‘do or die’ basketball to reach the Play-In. Perth managed to complete the same task last season, but can New Zealand push through all the adversity its encountered this season and kickstart a winning run with a win over South East Melbourne?

“They’ve got a few guys I think can go to another level, and believe it or not I feel that way about Anthony Lamb, certainly Will McDowell-White, Zylan Cheatham has another gear they can get to. The question is do those guys realise it’s the playoffs for their squad right now, don’t wait for March and see if you can get in the playoffs, you’re playing, essentially, playoff games right now.” – Liam Santamaria on NBL Now

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Will McDowell White in his bag ?<br><br>? Sky Sport 2 and Sky Open<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UNBREAKABLE?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UNBREAKABLE</a> <a href="https://t.co/J3kxF1rfIk">pic.twitter.com/J3kxF1rfIk</a></p>— BNZ Breakers (@NZBreakers) <a href="https://twitter.com/NZBreakers/status/1739942680258548045?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Abdel Nader
After spending over a year out of the game of basketball through injury, it was always going to take time for Abdel Nader to get back up to the rigours of the professional game – especially in as physical a league as the NBL.

Nader has shown flashes that made him such an NBA mainstay for over half a decade, however he’s one of a number of Phoenix players who need to raise their game if South East Melbourne is to take anything away from this season.

A hand injury hasn’t helped his cause, but Nader was effective in his side’s loss to Adelaide on Wednesday night with 18 points and a trio of rebounds. Can the ex-NBA star help lift the Phoenix out of the rut they’ve found themselves in?

“I think he showed flashes of who is he and he’s another one that needs some reps, needs some days. It was a positive he played basketball today, that was his fifth time playing basketball in the last two years with a whistle, so that’s a positive. He can take some good and bad out of this game personally, and we saw a little bit of what he can do.” – Mike Kelly on Abdel Nader following the loss to Adelaide.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Abdel Nader is ??????? ??? the bunnies in Brisbane ?<br><br>Catch the action live on ESPN via Kayo. <a href="https://t.co/weBrV1I33m">pic.twitter.com/weBrV1I33m</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1741029881788436725?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Mangok Mathiang vs Gorjok Gak
Neither Mangok Mathiang or Gorjok Gak are bona fide stars within their respective rosters, but both have the ability to clean up the boards, do the dirty work, contribute to winning – and even put some points on the board.

Mody Maor’s penchant for switching up his starting five hasn’t necessarily hit Mathiang, and although the former Charlotte Hornet isn’t necessarily playing starters minutes, out of the 13 starting fives Maor has run with this season, Mathiang has featured in 10 of them.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Mangok Mathiang getting right ? there through contact ?<br><br>Catch the action live on ESPN2 via Kayo | Sky Sport 2 in NZ ? <a href="https://t.co/j0zWFNtuNk">pic.twitter.com/j0zWFNtuNk</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1741703849520378366?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Gak ably stepped up to provide an interior presence in South East Melbourne’s starting unit in the loss against Adelaide, and played on of his best games in what has been an injury-hit debut season for the club - and he's going to have to continue to do so with Alan Williams ruled out for the remainder of the regular season.

Mathiang and Gak aren’t glamorous players that are going to steal many headlines, but they both have the ability to pop up with 20 or more rebounds in a game, if given the right situation. They’re both big, strong, traditional centers who make the players around them better.

He who controls the boards, controls the game, and both Gak and Mathiang could be a big part of that cliché come Saturday.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">GORJOK GAK??<br><br>Mitch Creek throws the lob and Gak does the rest! <br><br>Watch the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL</a> live on ESPN! ? <a href="https://t.co/uIWVqKjbGp">pic.twitter.com/uIWVqKjbGp</a></p>— ESPN Australia & NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNAusNZ/status/1747546241976910243?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

New Zealand has lost five of its last six games at Spark Arena, while South East Melbourne has lost each of its last four games. Who can turn their form around?