The highly anticipated NBL Playoffs begin on Thursday, February 27, as the Illawarra Hawks, Melbourne United, Perth Wildcats and South East Melbourne Phoenix continue their chase for the championship.
The best-of-three game series between United and the Wildcats tips-off on February 27, before the Hawks and Phoenix take centre stage on February 28.
Two of the biggest names in NBL history will battle in the Melbourne v Perth series, with 5x MVP Bryce Cotton leading the Wildcats and 3x championship winner Chris Goulding looking to guide United to the title.
While Cotton has enjoyed the best campaign of his illustrious career, his success hasn’t translated against Melbourne. Back in Round 3, Cotton was held to just five points on 2/10 shooting against United, while in Round 17 he shot just 5/17 from the field for 14 points.
Back-to-back Best Defensive Player Shea Ili is sure to get the match-up on Cotton yet again, as his performances will be a major key in the result of the series.
Goulding loves the big stage and always steps up when the stakes are highest. He exploded for 46 points against Perth in November, and it will surprise nobody if he delivers similar performances in the Playoffs.
The schedule for the United v Wildcats Playoff series is:
Game 1: Thursday 27 February
Melbourne United v Perth Wildcats, John Cain Arena, 7:30pm AEDT
Game 2: Saturday 1 March
Perth Wildcats v Melbourne United, RAC Arena, 8:00pm AEDT
Game 3 (if required): Tuesday 4 March
Melbourne United v Perth Wildcats, John Cain Arena, 7:30pm AEDT
Illawarra has already had a history-making campaign, finishing on top of the ladder for the first time in franchise history. The club’s success was highlighted with Justin Tatum winning Coach of the Year and a trio of Hawks earning All-NBL nods in Trey Kell III, Tyler Harvey (First Team) and Sam Froling (Second Team).
After setting the pace and being the benchmark all season, Illawarra enters the Playoffs as the favourites to secure its first championship since 2001. The challenge for Tatum’s men will be ensuring the regular season dominance is replicated on the biggest stage and they don’t get complacent.
South East Melbourne is riding a wave of momentum into the Playoffs after a stunning 21-point comeback against Adelaide in the Play-In Game. The Phoenix also defeated the Hawks in two of three meetings during the regular season, with Josh King’s men holding no fear against the ladder leaders.
Matt Hurt finished third in MVP voting and will be vital to South East Melbourne’s championship aspirations, currently averaging 20.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
The schedule for the Hawks v Phoenix Playoff series is:
Game 1: Friday 28 FebruaryIllawarra v South East Melbourne, WIN Entertainment Centre, 7:30pm AEDT
Game 2: Sunday 2 March
South East Melbourne v Illawarra, John Cain Arena, 2:30pm AEDT
Watch LIVE and free on 10 and 10 Play, coverage from 1430 with Tip-Off 1436 AEDT
Game 3 (if required): Wednesday 5 March
Illawarra v South East Melbourne, WIN Entertainment Centre, 7:30pm AEDT
Stay tuned for further announcements.
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