Every Game In Focus (Round 17 - Part 1, 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 17, Part 1 Preview below.

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

New Zealand vs Tasmania

When: Thursday, January 16 - 5.30pm AEDT
Where: Spark Arena
Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo | NZ: ESPN, TVNZ+ | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: The JackJumpers are playing for survival as they look to cling onto a post-season spot and give themselves a chance of repeating. What makes it a tougher proposition is the fact that Tasmania is decimated by injuries to key players. New Zealand gave Melbourne United an almighty scare on Monday night and will be looking to spoil Tasmania’s hopes of playing finals basketball. 

This isn’t a question about what want’s it more, rather it’s about can the JackJumpers dig deep like they always have and hang onto sixth spot. They still have their star guards ready to fire, but it will be the bench unit that is tested without their key pieces.

Players to watch: Matt Mooney had been dominant in the period without Parker Jackson-Cartwright and now gets his star guard back to try and tick off some wins down the stretch. It looked as if Mooney’s heroics helped his team shock United, when he hit a tough contested three in the final moments in New Plymouth. However, it wasn’t meant to be as Chris Goulding stepped up to deliver the final blow.

With Milton Doyle and Jordon Crawford still in this line-up, the JackJumpers may be down on numbers, but they still have enough firepower to put up a competitive score. Their championship backcourt will be heavily relied upon in this game if they want to tick the scoreboard over.

The stat: Tasmania is the lowest scoring team in the league (84.5 points per game).

Missing in action: Mojave King is out (calf). Sean MacDonald is out (foot). Will Magnay is out (toe). Majok Deng is out (knee) 

Brisbane vs Cairns

When: Friday, January 17 - 7.30pm AEDT
Where: Brisbane Entertainment Centre 
Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: With the way that the Cairns Taipans have been scoring the ball lately, they will be feeling very confident that they can put up a big score in this Summer Shootout game against the Bullets. The Taipans finals hopes have been over for some time, which has seen the team play with a sense of freedom that allows them to put up a lot of points if they get hot. Led by two terrific guards, Cairns are out to spoil some other teams’ finals chances down the stretch.

The Bullets have been decimated by injuries lately and it will be an almighty task for Justin Schueller’s men to defend home court against a team that selected them in the Summer Shootout. It’s starting to look more and more like a season of ‘what could have been’ for this Bullets team, who have struggled to keep enough healthy bodies on the floor when they finally found their groove. They are still in the hunt for sixth spot, but it’s games like these that they simply can’t afford to lose.

Players to watch: Casey Prather just continues to put up massive numbers since Round 10 and it’s been a major reason why this Bullets team has managed to still be within striking distance of the top six. In the last two losses however, it was Josh Bannon who stood up and played bigger than his size to try and hold down the fort without their starting big men.

Outside of the elite guard play from Cairns, it’s been Sam Waardenburg who has been incredibly productive in his third season. The New Zealand local has been able to bounce back from a tough season last year and provide a big impact for Adam Forde.

The Stat: Brisbane is the tallest team in the competition and average the lowest defence rebounds per game (27.2).

Missing in action: Sam McDaniel is out for the season (shoulder). James Batemon is out for season (hamstring). Tyrell Harrison is out (concussion). Deng Adel is a game time decision (hip). Emmet Naar is a game time decision (oblique).

Perth vs Adelaide

When: Friday, January 17 - 9.30pm AEDT
Where: RAC Arena 
Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: After the 36ers mixed results in the previous round, their path to the finals has become simple – win. That loss to Tasmania could be the reason that this star-studded team misses out on the post-season, but they hold their destiny in their own hands and can help take some pressure off with a win here. Their best is more than capable of beating any team in the league, so they will be hoping they can tap into that on Friday night.

The Wildcats are the hottest team around, with six wins and one loss throughout their tough road stretch. This will be their first game in front of their home fans in almost two months, which may be enough to have them firing on all cylinders.

Players to watch: It’s a battle of the top two MVP candidates as Kendric Davis and Bryce Cotton face off in a matchup that is worth the price of admission alone. Both stars are putting up numbers that haven’t been seen in a very long time and have already had a historic battle earlier this se

Outside of the star guards, Adelaide boasts some of the best individual talent in the league in terms of Montrezl Harrell, DJ Vasiljevic and Isaac Humphries. It’s one of the major reasons why the 36ers have managed to sweep the ladder leading Hawks on the season. For Perth, it’s been Dylan Windler who has stood up as the secondary offensive weapon behind Cotton and he’s been doing it very efficiently on this road stretch also.

The stat: Bryce Cotton is first in the league in scoring (28). Kendric Davis is second (25) 

Missing in action: Tai Webster is out (hamstring).  

South East Melbourne vs New Zealand

When: Saturday, January 18 - 5.30pm AEDT
Where: State Basketball Centre 
Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: For the Phoenix, they look to have done enough to secure themselves a position in the finals, but now their task is to get home court advantage. The top two is unlikely, but this team can help their chances of finishing with a home game in the Play-In Tournament by finishing third. This makes their game against New Zealand even more important as the Breakers have a chance to hurt that opportunity.

The Breakers are looking to surprise some teams and have a big impact on how the final ladder finishes up when the season ends, and they have more than enough talent to do so. With their star point guard back in action, the Breakers are starting to put together a good stretch of play, albeit coming too late in the season.

Players to watch: Angus Glover and Owen Foxwell are the main two players who will be required to step up in the absence of Derrick Walton Jr. They have both shown on numerous occasions this season that they are more than capable of doing so, but with Walton Jr out for the rest of the year, it’s become more important that they can deliver. Glover has been put back into the starting line-up and is forming a strong relationship with Nathan Sobey on the floor.

The Breakers now have a full cohort of stars available, with Matt Mooney, Parker-Jackson Cartwright and Tacko Fall ready to go. While they haven’t been able to get rewarded for their efforts, in the majority of games they have lost, it’s been a close encounter. Make no mistake, this Breakers team has some wins left in them. 

The Stat: New Zealand is the worst FT (71.2 per cent) and 3-point (32 per cent) shooting team in the league. 

Missing in action: Derrick Walton Jr is out for the season (hamstring).

Illawarra vs Melbourne

When: Saturday, January 18 - 8.00pm AEDT
Where: WIN Entertainment Centre
Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: A top two clash that will have ramifications all over the standings one way or another. If Illawarra can claw out a win against Melbourne, it will put the Hawks in the box seat for a top placed finish at the end of the regular season. However, If United can go into Wollongong and get a win, the two teams will be separated only by percentage with a few games left.

The last time these two teams met in Illawarra, it was a game that produced fireworks for many different reasons. The crowd will be in full voice as they welcome in a United team that is fresh off two clutch wins in Round 16. It simply does not get much bigger than this.

Players to watch: While the guard play of the Hawks has been phenomenal all season, led by Trey Kell III, it’s Sam Froling that has a history of causing headaches for United. The star big man enters this game of the back of a career night in Adelaide, where he had 35 points and 13 rebounds and will be looking to stay aggressive in this game.

For United, they will be led by Chris Goulding who had a career best 10 threes in New Zealand on Monday, including the game winner. The sharpshooter is currently averaging the most points in his career since 2013, which is staggering for a man who turns 37 later this year. 

The Stat: Illawarra leads the league in points per game (100.7).

Missing in action: N/A