Every Game In Focus (Round 11, 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 11 Preview below.

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

New Zealand vs Melbourne

When: Thursday, December 5 - 5.30pm AEDT
Where: Wolfbrook Arena, Christchurch
Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo | NZ: ESPN & TVNZ | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: The New Zealand Breakers are looking to end their losing ways when they host the ladder leaders, Melbourne United, on Thursday night. Unfortunately for the home team, their tough task just became even harder as they are down significant bodies in their front court. With Jonah Bolden out, backup centers Tacko Fall and Dane Pineau could also miss this game due to knee injuries. That leaves just Sam Mennenga as the solo big man to battle it out against United.

United will also be looking for some big adjustments, with their captain Chris Goulding sidelined for two weeks. One thing in their favour, is they have a bunch of young and hungry guards on the bench who are desperate for the extra opportunity and will be chomping at the bit to get out there.

Players to watch: If history tells us anything, these are the moments that United guard Flynn Cameron lives for. The New Zealand local, returns to his home country and will look to put on a show for his friends and family. When Cameron was inserted into the starting line-up in place of Matthew Dellavedova in Round 6, he responded with back-to-back career-high games.

New Zealand will be hoping it can get more production from Matt Mooney, after his recent struggles. The import guard has had 20 turnovers in his last five games, after just have 12 total in the first seven. While Parker Jackson-Cartwright continues to produce at an MVP level, it’s up to the supporting cast of the Breakers to come along for the ride and help him out.

The stat: New Zealand has lost each of its last 27 games after trailing at three quarter-time.

Missing in action: Goulding is out with a calf injury and is due to return Round 13. Bolden is due to return in the same timeframe.

Tasmania vs Cairns

When: Thursday, December 5 - 7.30pm AEDT
Where: MyState Bank Arena
Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo | NZ: ESPN | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: Cairns will be hoping to snap its nine-game losing streak when it heads down to Tasmania and takes on the reigning champions. The Taipans put up a big fight against the Sydney Kings last round, and arguably lost a game they should have won. A poor shooting night and costly turnovers late, was what separated them from getting back on track after the FIBA break.

Tasmania on the other hand, is quietly going about its business and building towards yet another post-season berth. With three wins in a row, the JackJumpers are relying on their impressive defence to keep them competitive in each game, while they continue to figure it out offensively. It’s been no surprise that the team looks better organised with Sean Macdonald running the show at the point-guard position.

Players to watch: Cairns’ young superstar, Taran Armstrong, had a career night in the loss to Sydney and is continuing to improve each game. His 28 points were a standout in the game as he looks more composed and efficient than ever. The most important thing for Armstrong is that he stays healthy, as this Taipans team simply can’t afford to have their playmaker miss more time due to injury.

Tasmania continues to show the league what a true team effort is capable of. With Milton Doyle continuing to have an inconsistent season, his teammates are picking up the slack and keeping this JackJumpers side afloat in NBL25. It was Anthony Drmic in his milestone game, who was able to ignite the team on the offensive end, while Will Magnay held it down defensively in their win over Adelaide.

The stat: Tasmania has won 10 of its last 11 games at MyState Bank Arena.

Missing in action: Akoldah Gak is out due to a knee injury. Jordon Crawford is a game-time decision after missing last round with concussion.

Brisbane vs Adelaide

When: Friday, December 6 - 7.30pm AEDT
Where: Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo | NZ: ESPN | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: The Adelaide 36ers are gearing up for a unique opportunity on Friday night, as they enter the game without their three leading scorers available to play. With Kendric Davis and Montrezl Harrell still out serving suspensions, it’s DJ Vasiljevic, according to Mick Randall, who unfortunately looks set to join them on the sidelines with a hamstring injury. The positive for Adelaide is that the young players who were given an extended opportunity in Round 10, are set to be given even more of a chance to showcase their talents against the Bullets.

Conversely, Brisbane is looking to bounce back from a disappointing result in Perth. After that game, the Bullets sunk to bottom in the league in terms of points allowed, which is a significant concern for a team that is trying to build towards a top six spot.

Players to watch: With Adelaide missing their three most important players, two of which are league MVP candidates, their offence is set to run almost entirely through Isaac Humphries. Humphries has enjoyed success as the focal piece of the offence and will no doubt relish the opportunity to go at the big front court of Brisbane in this game. Keep an eye out for Lat Mayen and Nick Marshall as well, who will both be called upon for more offensive output in this game.

Brisbane will be hoping to get some players back from injury this weekend, after its depth was severely tested in the loss to Perth. In that game, it was Casey Prather who stood up and did all he could for his undermanned team, dropping 31 points. The team’s leading scorer, Keandre Cook, had a rare off night,with 12 points at 33 per cent from the floor.

The stat: Adelaide is ninth in the league in rebounding, at 39.8 a game.

Missing in action: Sam McDaniel (shoulder) is out for the season with a shoulder injury. Josh Bannan (ankle), Jarred Bairstow (ankle) and Tohi Smith-Milner (concussion) are all game-time decisions for Brisbane.

Perth vs Illawarra

When: Friday, December 6 - 9.30pm AEDT
Where: RAC Arena
Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo | NZ: ESPN | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: It’s game of the round when the red hot Perth Wildcats welcome the second-placed Illawarra Hawks to the Jungle. Fresh off Cotton’s scoring rampage, the Wildcats will be hoping to seek revenge on an Illawarra team that has had their number last season. Having already met once in Round 7, it was Perth who shot out the gates and managed to get a big win without Bryce Cotton available. In that game it was all about Ben Henshall, who was simply unstoppable for the Hawks.

Illawarra has lost its last three games on the road, including that loss to the Wildcats and more recently, the three-point loss to the Phoenix. The Hawks are flying on the offensive end, leading the league in scoring at an absurd 97 points per game. That will no doubt raise some concerns for John Rillie, whose team is allowing the second most points in the competition and has been on the receiving end of two big individual performances in NBL25.

Players to watch: It’s all about Bryce Cotton in this game, who is looking to pick up where he left off after his 59-point historic outing against Brisbane. Cotton sits sixth all-time in points scored in NBL history and is etching ever closer to the third position on Perth’s all-time scoring list. Alongside Cotton is Henshall, who is quietly going about a very improved season and has become an integral part of the Perth puzzle.

For the Hawks, this will be their third game with a new look starting lineup, after Justin Tatum inserted Mason Peatling after the FIBA break. With this change, it allowed star import Darius Days to find a new role off the bench for his team and impact the game in a more aggressive mindset. The most important piece to Illawarra’s hopes in this game is how well Wani Swaka-Lo-Buluk can limit Cotton’s impact.

The stat: Illawarra is the best offensively rated team in the league, at 120.3.

Missing in action: The Wildcats will be sweating on the availability of Tai Webster (hamstring), who last played on November 17.

New Zealand vs Sydney

When: Saturday, December 7 - 5.30pm AEDT
Where: TSB Arena, Wellington
Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo | NZ: ESPN & TVNZ | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: The round doesn’t get any easier for the Breakers, who will welcome the Kings to town after their earlier match against Melbourne united two days prior. New Zealand has won the last two games against Sydney, in which Parker Jackson-Cartwright just dominated from start to finish. This game will be a regional home game for the Breakers, who will try and maintain their position in the top four of the ladder.

For the Sydney Kings, the questions continue to build around their rollercoaster season. Their best basketball has been worthy of their championship favourite tag from the pre-season, however the flip side of that is a style of play that has been a struggle for Brian Goorjian’s men. After they escaped Cairns with a win, they fell short to United after some poor late game execution that left Goorjian and fans scratching their hands. Sydney has a favourable schedule coming up and will look to capitalise on that.

Players to watch: When the Kings have been at their best, they have been led by their former MVPs in Xavier Cooks and Jaylen Adams, who are both coming off a round they’d like to improve from. Cooks averaged just 10 points and 7 rebounds in the split round, while Adams will be looking forward to the bouncing back from his late game mistakes in Melbourne.

Sam Mennenga has been a revelation for coach Koponen this season, as the New Zealand local continues to thrive in his new environment. The starting big man is averaging 13 points per game and is a leading contender for the Next Generation Award and the Most Improved Player. The Breakers' best performances however, have come when Mojave King and Karim Lopez have stood up as impactful players on both ends of the floor.

The stat: New Zealand is last in the league for rebounds at 39.1, whereas Sydney is first at 42.9.

Missing in action: Jonah Bolden is out until round 13.

South East Melbourne vs Cairns

When: Saturday, December 7 - 8pm AEDT
Where: John Cain Arena
Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo | NZ: ESPN | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: Don’t look now, but the Phoenix are building nicely towards the back half of the season. Under Josh King, South East Melbourne has been one of the best defensively rated teams since he took over. In what was arguably their most impressive win under King, the Phoenix held on over Illawarra in Round 10. In that game, it was Owen Foxwell who had a career night in nearly every statistical category and King was full of praise post-game for his young guard.

Cairns will be hoping to re-find its form at John Cain Arena, which has served the Taipans very well over the last two seasons. Even though that success has been against United, it’s a familiarity that Adam Forde will be looking for his team to tap into when they try and slow down the South East Melbourne Phoenix. With Pedro Bradshaw back healthy, this will be just the second time all season that they are able to have every available starter ready to contribute.

Players to watch: With Foxwell having a career night in the Phoenix’s most recent win, there will be a lot of attention on the star backcourt of this team over the next few weeks. Both Nathan Sobey and Derrick Walton Jr have struggled to find consistent form this season and King has been open about that fact that he will play whoever is playing well, regardless of where they sit in terms of experience. It’s not just Foxwell who is earning more playing time, as Angus Glover has continued to show that he’s worthy of playing significant minutes to help this team win.

With Bradshaw back, Cairns has more depth at the wing and more defensive-minded players to allow Taran Armstrong and Rob Edwards to thrive on the other end. When this team managed to win back-to-back games in Round 3, it was on the back of exactly that when Bradshaw turned the game on the defensive end and the other two filled it up on the scoreboard.

The stat: South East Melbourne is ninth in the league for threes at 33.1 per cent.

Missing in action: Akoldah Gak is out with a knee injury.  

Melbourne United vs Brisbane

When: Sunday, December 8 - 2.30pm AEDT
Where: John Cain Arena
Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo | NZ: ESPN | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: While Brisbane’s form has been fluctuating, Melbourne United continues to build up the wins and put some distance between themselves and the other nine teams on the ladder. While United will be missing their most important piece in Chris Goulding, Brisbane will have to overcome history if they hope to cause an upset in this game. Melbourne has won the last 12 games against Brisbane, with nine of those coming by double-figures or more.

What could help Brisbane is that history also tells us that teams who are returning from New Zealand in the same round to play a second game, sometimes struggle to play to their full potential. Justin Schueller gets another chance to get his first win against Dean Vickerman, who he was assistant for with many successful years at Melbourne.

Players to watch: The last time these two teams met, it was an offensive clinic on both ends, and it was a career night from Rob Loe which helped Melbourne put up 120 points. The big man was simply unstoppable from beyond the arc and United were able to score any time they wanted against a poor Brisbane defence.

For Brisbane, its success in this game came from feeding Tyrell Harrison, who had his way on the interior against United’s big men. If Keandre Cook and James Batemon can fire from beyond the arc, the Bullets have enough firepower to put up a winning score in this game.

The stat: Brisbane is first in the league for offensive rebounds, whereas Melbourne is first in the league for defensive rebounds.

Missing in action: Goulding will miss this game due to a calf injury. Sam McDaniel is out for the season.

Adelaide vs Perth

When: Sunday, December 8 - 4.30pm AEDT
Where: Adelaide Entertainment Centre
Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo | NZ: ESPN | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: The return of Kendric Davis will much needed for an Adelaide team that has struggled to stay afloat without their stars. Davis missed the last two games through suspension and was an MVP candidate prior, due to his fantastic performances and leading the league in scoring. With their leading playmaker back, there will still be a heavy emphasis on Isaac Humphries and Lat Mayen to score the ball and put up a competitive score.

Perth is a team that enjoys travelling across to Adelaide and taking on the 36ers, having won four of the last five games at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre. With Davis back for the 36ers, it will be up to the Wildcats guard cohort to come together and find a way to limit the league’s leading scorer. It’s a task that has been tough for Perth in recent weeks, having watched Chris Goulding go for 46 and then James Batemon 51 within a three-game stretch.

Players to watch: When it comes to point-of-attack defenders, Perth will be looking for more out of Dylan Windler and Tai Webster as two of the primary options in containing Davis. Windler has been beginning to find his role within this Wildcat team and is becoming an instrumental piece to their success, both now and what they could be by seasons’ end.

Sunday Dech will get the job on Cotton and it’s a battle that he has had some success with recently. While the Perth superstar may still get his regular numbers, it’s Dech’s ability to make him work for every shot that has stood out when they match up on the court. Nick Marshall will also no doubt see some time on Cotton and try to limit his production as best as they possibly can.

The stat: These teams are eighth and ninth in points against.

Missing in action: Montrezl Harrell is out with suspension. DJ Vasiljevic is likely to be out with a hamstring injury, according to News Corp's Michael Randall.