The following are previews with betting tips for Game Three of the Semi-Finals for the 2021 NBL season.
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Monday, June 14
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Perth Wildcats vs Illawarra HawksRAC Arena 9:30pm AEDT |
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Heading to play in front of roughly 5000 spectators at a packed-out WIN Entertainment Centre was no easy task for Perth against Illawarra. And facing a do-or-die situation in the absence of Bryce Cotton and then with Mitch Norton missing a large chunk of playing time due to injury made the task even more fearsome and difficult. However they dug in their heels and prevailed in what was a commanding 79-71 eight-point win which has now forced a vital G3 at the RAC Arena. The Wildcats now look to be in the stronger position to snatch this series away from the somewhat bewildered Hawks.
Q3 proved to be the winner for Trevor Gleeson’s men as it was vital to them in the context of the overall game result. Here they outscored Tyler Harvey’s side 32-22. And it was Clint Steindl who stole the show producing 12PTS off the bench, while Wagstaff also had 7. And of the starters Will Magnay also had 7PTS + 6REB. That while John Mooney put up 18PTS, Luke Travers 13 and Blanchfield 11. Steindl hit three shots from deep as he also had 2REB and 3AS. Mooney was somebody who was lethal from inside instead as he converted 63.6% of his two-point attempts. His other stats included 2REB and 8AS. Travers double-double also included 10REB and Blanchfield came up with 5REB, 5AS and 2ST.
Harvey as per usual led the way for the home side with 24PTS, 2REB, 2AS and 4ST! Justinian Jessup also capably backed him up with 11PTS of his own as he also had 2REB, 1ST and 1BL. And Justin Simon shot 4/7, good for 8PTS, while 2ST were also among his other stats for the evening. And rounding out the starting five for this clash was Andrew Ogilvy fouling out with 5 PFS on the match. As for their bench production, Tim Coenraad came up with 3ST. That while Deng Deng had 9PTS and Isaac White 8 on 66.7% shooting from the floor.
With all the G injury problems Perth have currently 19-year-old Travers is shaping up to be the x-factor and perhaps saviour of the franchise. Over his two games vs the Hawks this series he’s come up with 12 and 13PTS, whilst shooting 5/10 and 4/5 from inside the arc. He’s also registered 3AS in 3 of his last 4 games. He is somebody who can drive to the rim hard and make tough shots and/or draw the foul. While his Basketball IQ is also developed enough for him to be a semi-decent facilitator as well. If the Wildcats win this one then he’ll have had at least 9+ PTS as well as 3+ AS within it.
As for Illawarra it’s literally impossible not to ignore their three-point shooting woes. They’re bricking it up more then the likes of Ben Simmons and Dwight Howard! In their latest clash vs PER Harvey hit six threes. Yet outside of him they made just four in total and that was from a pitiful 17 attempts! If they play like that again then the Wildcats will eat them up! Coenraad and Deng in particular coming off the bench need to do a lot better for their side to have any chance of claiming this one.
Betting tips: Pick Perth to prevail at $1.64 (Sportsbet)
Also pick the Wildcats to reach 20 points first at $1.70 (Bet365)
Pick Q4 to produce over 34.50 points at $1.34 (UniBet)
And pick Tyler Harvey to produce 15+ points at $1.08 (Sportsbet)
Tuesday, June 15
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Melbourne United vs South East Melbourne PhoenixQudos Bank Arena 7:30pm AEDT |
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Playing their second game of the series against Melbourne United many expected SEM to be smashed like they were in the previous encounter and for United to cake walk the series. But Simon Mitchell’s side came up huge in their 90-79 11-point win at Qudos Bank Arena as his side lived to see another day. And it was a physically intense, brutal, trash-talking game at that, one that you absolutely love to see contested by rivals! The highlight of it being late on in the game with the Phoenix’s crazy victory all but secured after a bit of a push and shove with his opposition Mitch Creek said some provocative things and “we’ll see you in game three”. This series now officially belongs to anybody who wants it more!!!
In Q4 the Green side of Melbourne won 24-9! That right there is what won them the match and that right there is what has kept their campaign alive for at the very least another (roughly) two days. And everybody played an important role as well, with both Creek and Keifer Skyes producing 26PTS a piece. While Yannick Weztell scored 20PTS on a near-perfect 6/9 shooting from the court, not to mention he also had 8REB. And Reuben Te Rangi wasn’t afraid to get confrontational and physical either as he eventually fouled out with 5 PFS on the game. And off the bench Ben Moore chipped in with 5REB, while Izayah Mauriohooho-Le afa came up with 6PTS, 3REB, 3AS and 3ST. As for Creek his other stats included 4REB and 2AS. Whist for Skyes it was 2REB, 4AS and 4ST as he went 10/18 shooting from the floor.
For Melbourne Jock Landale was disappointing as he came up with as many fouls as he did points, 5. Mitch McCarron also shot 0/5, Chris Goulding 5/16, Yudai Baba 2/5 and David Barlow 0/3. Scotty Hopson though was electric in his 6th man role scoring 19PTS along with 4REB, 1ST and 2BL. Jo Lual-Acuil also produced 11PTS, 7REB, 4AS and 2BL as he shot 4/6 from the court. Mason Peatling wasn’t bad either in the starting five as he shot 2/3 for 11PTS. He also had 7REB, 3AS, 1ST and 1BL.
Against United former Melbourne man turned SEM player Kyle Adnam wasn’t his usual vibrant 6th man self as he struggled to impact the clash. On the whole he scored just 4PTS on 0/2 shooting to go along with only 3AS. And they need him to be a whole lot better in this one. And prior to this he was producing 9, 11 and even 20PTS on the 2nd of June vs BRI. He also had 4 dimes vs Melbourne in G1 and had 6 against Brisbane before that. He brings SEM a massively influential spark off the bench and it’s needed more then ever in this should be hotly contested encounter.
Goulding has been in a three-point rut lately. The former NBL All-Star Game MVP and Gold Coast Blaze player has gone 2/8, 3/9, 4/6, 0/7, 2/7 and 4/14 from beyond the arc over his last six games. It’s weird really, he’ll be covered by two defenders and find a way to hit it, but he could be open and have all the time in the world and still find a way to miss it. Inconsistency certainly does him no favours at all. But he needs to be vibrant and he needs to be hitting shots for United in this affair, there’s no other two ways about it. They need him to be hitting his shots and if he doesn’t, well then his side could be heading home back to Victoria a lot, lot earlier then anticipated.
Betting tips: Pick Melbourne United to claim the W at $1.44 (BlueBet, UniBet)
Also pick them to win Q1 at $1.66 (UniBet)
Choose them to reach 20 points first at $1.60 (Bet365)
And look for the total match points scored to be even at $1.91 (Sportsbet)