Preview: South East Melbourne vs Sydney - Round 17, NBL24

Tuesday, January 23, 2024

Can the Phoenix begin their campaign for Finals basketball in the Heartland, or will the reigning champions prove too strong?

Thursday, January 25 at 7:30pm AEDT – State Basketball Centre

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Phoenix head coach Mike Kelly said he was struggling to find positives out of South East Melbourne’s latest defeat in Round 16. Eight losses in nine games has seen the side slump to the bottom of the ladder.

South East Melbourne’s average losing margin over its current stretch sits above 25 points, and Mitch Creek has likened it to getting a flat tyre while bike riding.

Sydney assistant coach Fleur McIntyre has signed an agreement to become assistant general manager at WNBA side Phoenix Mercury at the end of NBL24.

McIntyre is currently in her third season as an assistant with the Kings and spent time as a guest assistant coach with San Antonio at the 2023 NBA Summer League.

South East Melbourne
75-106 loss to New Zealand
85-110 loss to Adelaide
79-100 loss to Perth

Sydney
98-104 loss to Perth
76-105 loss to New Zealand
82-95 loss to Adelaide

Mitch Creek
South East Melbourne star Mitch Creek looks like he’s playing with the weight of an entire club and its fans on his shoulders right now – and for all the negativity surrounding the Phoenix at the time of writing, none can doubt his intent to turn things around.

Creek called on himself and his leadership to be better to help pull South East Melbourne out of its current slump, but – at least offensively – there wasn’t much more he could have done in the loss to the Breakers. He ended with 27 points and seven rebounds.

Only one other player – Gorjok Gak – ended the game in double-digit scoring.

More has to come from this Phoenix side – and fast – if they’re going to rebound and find themselves in the top six at season’s end. That doesn’t necessarily have to come from Creek though – he just needs to maintain his current standards, while his teammates build around him.

“We need to be better, I need to be better as a leader, I need to be better with my communication and doing my job, and not trying to do other people's jobs at times when you feel like you’re trying to do too much. Everyone’s got a part to play, we’re trying our best – although for some people it doesn’t really look like it – we really are trying” – Mitch Creek following the loss to Perth.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Phoenix have lost eight of their past nine games by an average of 25.2 points ?<br><br>With four rounds to play, can <a href="https://twitter.com/SEMelbPhoenix?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SEMelbPhoenix</a> turn their season around? ?<br><br>Read more: <a href="https://t.co/xPniuDPwaC">https://t.co/xPniuDPwaC</a> <a href="https://t.co/GGkYONr6Br">pic.twitter.com/GGkYONr6Br</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1749553158710497400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Makuach Maluach
Is there a player who has appeared off the end of the bench to explode in multiple games quite like Makuach Maluach for Sydney this season?

The former Melbourne Untied forward has found consistent playing time hard to come by in NBL24, but he almost played a starring role in a victory over the red-hot Perth Wildcats, however the Kings fell just short of victory.

Only Jaylen Adams scored more than Maluach’s 18 points in the defeat. The forward put up a stellar display of shooting in his 14 minutes to hit five of his six shot attempts, and all his free throws.

The Kings are currently searching for an extra spark to help pull them back out of the top six logjam and into title contention, could Maluach be that spark?

“I always have the confidence and whenever my number is called I'm going to go out there and try and rebound, but we have great playmakers like 'Zel' (Denzel Valentine) and Jaylen Adams so you're going to be wide open, so it's my job to take those shots and make sure I make them." - Makuach Maluach following the loss to Perth.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Check out Makauch’s Hard Yakka Nothing’s Tougher MVP Award highlights from last night’s fixture with Perth ?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetItReign?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetItReign</a> <a href="https://t.co/4R8hft9s4Z">pic.twitter.com/4R8hft9s4Z</a></p>— Sydney Kings (@SydneyKings) <a href="https://twitter.com/SydneyKings/status/1749316482876740016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Mike Kelly vs Mahmoud Abdelfattah
Both Mike Kelly and Mahmoud Abdelfattah have had their sides lauded as potential title contenders at various times in NBL24, but now both sides are under pressure to re-establish themselves as teams to beat in the competition.

The Kings, like the Phoenix, have endured a tough losing run in recent times and have won just two of their last eight games – but their average margin of defeat in that period has been just nine points, as opposed to South East Melbourne’s 25-point per games losses.

Their two wins in that span – 29 points over New Zealand and 19 points over Cairns – have also been dramatically convincing in terms of Sydney’s status as a very, very good side when it all comes together.

With percentage looming as such a crucial part of the top six race, a Play-In berth is not beyond the realms of possibility for the Phoenix, but they’re likely playing for pride at this point of the season, whereas if the Kings slip much more, they will themselves be fighting for a top six spot.

A victory for either side will represent a massive relieving of pressure, and the mastermind at the head of the snake will prove crucial in guiding their side to a win.

Sydney has won six of its last seven away games against South East Melbourne. The Phoenix’s only win in that period came in their one-point win in Round 11 this season.

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Ben Ayre.