Perth Wildcats v NZ Breakers - Will the Wildcats prove the doubters wrong and take out the NBL Cup?
The Perth Wildcats are one of the world’s most successful teams. They have made the postseason finals for 34 straight years. But many experts tipped this would be the year that they would fail to make the top four.
When they lost three of their first five matches it seemed the predictions would come true, but the Wildcats have barely looked back since the start of the NBL Cup.
Led by Bryce Cotton, they’ve won five of six - their only loss coming at the hands of the other form team of the tournament Brisbane.
With two games remaining compared to Brisbane’s one, the Wildcats have destiny in their hands. Should they beat the Breakers on Friday afternoon they’ll be red hot favourites to take home the $300,000 prize money and the inaugural NBL Cup.
Cairns Taipans v South East Melbourne Phoenix - Can the Taipans build on Wednesday night’s heartbreak?
Cairns made the semi-finals last year. Their fans were dreaming of an NBL grand final last year.
This year has been a nightmare.
Wednesday night’s game against NZ Breakers looked like a continuation of that nightmare when the Taipans made their worst start of the season with just 11 points in the first quarter compared to New Zealand’s 24.
The Breakers were up by 16 points midway through the third quarter, but then - finally - the Taipans showed some fight.
Incredibly, the Taipans managed to make it 73-73 with just seconds remaining on the clock. Cam Oliver looked to have swatted away the Breakers’ last attack, only for the ball to fall to Tom Abercrombie who hit a buzzer-beating three to seal another loss for the Taipans.
Cairns need to start getting some wins on the board if they have any hope of keeping their diminishing finals hopes alive. How they respond to Wednesday night’s heartbreak against the Phoenix tonight will be a key indicator.
Brisbane Bullets v Sydney Kings - Can the Bullets keep the pressure on the Wildcats and secure the NBL Cup?
Brisbane did not start this season well. Three wins from their first eight games suggested they might struggle to make the top four this season.
But along with Perth, they have been the standout team of the NBL Cup.
Five wins from seven, they now face Sydney who they’ve beaten once before this season.
Nathan Sobey, Vic Law and Jason Cadee have all been impressive, with Sobey second in the league for points per game scored and Law third for rebounds per game.
They will go into the match with Sydney Kings as favourites. The Kings have lost three of their last four matches, including going down by 20 against Illawarra on Thursday night.
Should Perth win their clash with NZ Breakers on Friday, Brisbane will have to beat the Kings to put the pressure back on Perth for their final match against the Adelaide 36ers on Sunday.
Melbourne United v Illawarra Hawks - Can Melbourne stop the slide?
If anyone thought the NBL Cup being held in Melbourne was going to give United an unfair home advantage, then Dean Vickerman’s men have inexplicably disproven that theory.
Melbourne entered the Cup undefeated with a 5-0 record. There was even talk they could go the season undefeated. In the Cup, it’s been a different story.
United have lost three matches, including their last two, and with the Wildcats once again on the rise, Melbourne will have to be careful it’s not three losses in a row when they face the Hawks on Saturday night.
Melbourne fans will have cause for concern after they went down in over-time on Wednesday night to an injury-hit South East Melbourne Phoenix. It came after they lost by eight points to Brisbane.
Meanwhile, the Hawks will be high on confidence after smashing the Kings by 20 points on Thursday night.
Such is the NBL Cup points scoring system, there’s a tiny possibility that United could still top the table and take home the Cup, there’s a far greater chance - although still unlikely that they could miss out on any prize money if they fail to make the top three. The match against Illawarra will be decisive.
NZ Breakers v South East Melbourne Phoenix - will we see Ryan Broekhoff’s debut?
There’s been a lot of excitement around the homecoming of Boomers swingman Ryan Broekhoff.
While the 30-year-old could see minutes on Friday night, reports out of Melbourne indicate we’re much more likely to see him in action on Sunday when the Phoenix take on the Breakers.
Broekhoff spent the last two seasons in the NBA with the Dallas Maverkics where he made 59 appearances.
Whether it’s Friday or Sunday, this will be Broekhoff’s first appearance in the NBL, having played College Basketball in America before playing professionally in Europe for five years prior to heading to the NBA.
Broekhoff will want to find his form as quickly as possible, with Tokyo’s Olympics fast approaching.
Perth Wildcats v Adelaide 36ers - Will it all come down to this? Will the 36ers ruin the party?
Should Perth win their match on Friday, and Brisbane also win their match on Saturday then the 2021 NBL Cup will almost certainly be decided on Sunday when the Wildcats take on the 36ers.
The NBL’s most successful team in history, will go into this game red hot favourites against Adelaide who have won just two of their seven games so far in the hub.
It might even be decided by how many quarters Perth win, even if they don’t win the match.
Every single minute of this match will be worth watching.
Adelaide may have only won one of their past five, but in Josh Giddey, Issac Humphries and Daniel Johnson they are capable of causing problems for the Wildcats.
History will likely be written - one way or the other - make sure you’re watching.
