Perth Wildcats vs Melbourne United: Thursday Preview

Game Details
Perth Wildcats vs Melbourne United
4.30pm WST Thursday 10 March @ John Cain Arena
Watch LIVE on ESPN – available via Kayo or Foxtel

Context
The Perth Wildcats versus Melbourne United has arguably been the highest profile matchup in the NBL over the past five years. The Wildcats come into the game after winning their last two matches, while Melbourne have won their last five and 13 of their last 15 to sit on top of the NBL standings. Perth are third on the ladder and a win will help solidify their position in a jam-packed top-four. The game is the first of a triple-header Round 15 for the Wildcats, with road games against Brisbane and New Zealand to follow. It’s their final road trip of the regular season, with nine consecutive home games to follow this round.

What the coach had to say
Scott Morrison on Melbourne United 
“I definitely respect Melbourne for their teamwork and their execution and their being well-coached, playing hard, playing together… At the end of the day, they are a finely tuned machine, they play together, and those are the toughest team to beat. They have a lot of talent on paper but that’s not why they’re successful, it’s because of how they play.”

Scott Morrison on Melbourne’s defending of Bryce Cotton
“They’ll do what they do every time, which is make him work as hard as they can for his touches, beat him up a little bit physically, and I don’t mean that in an illegal way, just making him earn his space, earn his spots, earn his cuts, harass him, put Delly on him a bit, put Agada on him a bit, put Ili on him a bit and just try to keep fresh legs on him so he wears down. We’ll try do our best to keep him fresh as well, get him quick breaks, get him in and out of the game, and just try to get him in a position to get easier catches.”

Roster Availability 
The Wildcats travelled with the same 11 players it took to Adelaide last weekend. Kevin White, Matt Hodgson and Corey Shervill remain unavailable.

Opponents to watch out for
Jo Lual-Acuil is one of the stories of 2021/22. He’s dramatically improved his averages from 9.5 to 17.3 points per game, and from 5.5 to 9.3 rebounds per game,
Chris Goulding and Bryce Cotton are the only players to have hit more than 50 three-pointers this season. The Melbourne captain has hit 52 at 36.9%, while the Wildcats MVP has made 56 at 39.7%. Remarkably, both players have attempted 141 from long range.

Last time they met
It was last month at John Cain Arena. Melbourne United were able to pull back a double-digit Wildcats lead to pick up the six-point win on their home court. Bryce Cotton still managed a game-high 31, while Mitch Norton had a season-high 21 points.

Fun Facts and Stats
These are the top scoring teams in NBL22 with Perth ranked one at 89.0ppg and United second at 87.9ppg.
Melbourne hold their opponents to a league low 78.1 points per game while Perth rank third best at 82.3 per match. 
Neither team has lost a game while leading at three-quarter time this season.
Former Wildcat Jermaine Beal holds the record for most points scored against United (42 in 2015).
Bryce Cotton’s top-score against Melbourne is 31, which he has done twice (in their last game and in 2018).

History
All-time, Melbourne hold a 19-18 edge over the Wildcats, and have beaten Perth in their last six meetings. The Wildcats have won eight of their 19 matchups at John Cain Arena.