Every Game In Focus (Round 7, 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 7 Preview below.

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

Melbourne vs Sydney

When: Thursday, October 31 - 7.30pm AEDT
Where: John Cain Arena
Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo | NZ: ESPN | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: The pressure is mounting on a stacked Sydney roster to deliver up to their pre-season expectations. The Kings dropped both games last round and have been thrust into the headlines with all eyes on how they respond. They head to United to take on the best defensive team in the league, who would love nothing more than to add to the pain.

Sydney’s best is arguably the best in the league, but their worst is far from pretty, which is where their issues are after six rounds. Melbourne on the other hand continues to tick along strongly and rely on its incredible defensive numbers to stifle the opposition.

Players to watch: United were without Shea Ili for both their wins last weekend and it mattered very little thanks to the emergence of Flynn Cameron. The young star was given more opportunity and delivered in a big way, with back-to-back career-high performances. Jack White continues to put together an incredible statistical season that will have him in an MVP conversation sooner or later.  

While a lot of Sydney players have been up and down on form, their former MVP Xavier Cooks has been quietly going about an outstanding individual season. Cooks has been a standout on both ends for Sydney and continues to prove he’s one of the top players in the league.

The stat: Melbourne has recorded 10+ threes in each of its last six games.

Missing in action: The Kings will be hoping Jaylen Adams returns from a back injury, but his availability is yet to be confirmed. Shea Ili has been cleared to play after recovering from a calf injury, but is a game-time injury as he awaits the birth of his child. 

Xavier Cooks.

Tasmania vs South East Melbourne

When: Friday, November 1 - 7.30pm AEDT
Where: Silverdome
Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo | NZ: ESPN | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: This is the first opportunity for the Phoenix new head coach, Josh King, to step into his new role. From all reports, King has been preaching pace and energy on both ends of the floor in practice leading up to this game. Expect to see a re-energised and focused Phoenix team, who will try and disrupt the JackJumpers every chance they get.

Conversely, Tasmania comes into this game with some confidence, after they put up their best offensive performance of the year last round. Scott Roth’s men have had an almighty struggle scoring the ball in NBL25, but continue to lock in defensively to give them a chance to win every game. With both teams coming in confident, this is sure to be an exciting match up in Launceston.

Players to watch: As much as Tasmania collectively continue to try put it all together, they are relying on their stars Milton Doyle and Jordon Crawford to lead the way. Both scored in double figures against Brisbane, but it was Majok Deng who popped up as their potential next scoring option to build around.

As the Phoenix start to build wins, it’s going to help their star forward Matt Hurt and his case for an All-NBL First Team call-up. Hurt has been nothing short of phenomenal to begin the season and it’s highlighted even more by the fact that he’s been so consistent through the struggles of his team. 

The stat: Tasmania is last in the league in scoring at 78.6 points per game.

Missing in action: Sean Macdonald is expected to return in Round 13 from an ankle injury. Derrick Walton Jr is expected to return in Round 8 from his hamstring issue.

Matt Hurt.

Perth vs Illawarra

When: Friday, November 1 - 9.30pm AEDT
Where: RAC Arena
Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo | NZ: ESPN | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: In Perth’s first game without Bryce Cotton, they stood up as a group and clawed out a big win over the Sydney Kings. Now their task is to try and do it again, against who many believe are the favourites to win it all this year in the Illawarra Hawks. In Cotton’s absence, Keanu Pinder was the star of the show and had his best game of the season, as he ripped apart the Kings every chance he could. 

The Hawks split the round last weekend against both Melbourne teams and will be hoping to continue to build on their strong start to the season. The Hawks are the highest paced team in the competition and leading the league in scoring at 97.8 points per game. Everything they do well on the offensive end, they balance out defensively, as they sit top of the NBL ladder prior to round seven.

Players to watch: After announcing a multi-year extension last week, Will Hickey has been a revelation for the Hawks. His production of the bench is a major reason why the Hawks could be bound for a championship series berth if they continue to play this way. Illawarra also had Darius Days return to form against the Phoenix, after he was limited in his production for the few games prior. 

Besides Pinder, Perth is going to continue to lean on their exciting youth to help lead them until Cotton returns. Both Elijah Pepper and Ben Henshall looked more than ready to embrace the challenge of leading from the front and they are two players who will continue to get better each and every game. 

The stat: Perth ranks first in the league for offensive rebounds per game this season (15.9). 

Missing in action: Cotton is unlikely to play with a rib injury, while the Wildcats will be sweating on the fitness of Webster, who missed last week with an adductor issue. Trey Kell is in doubt due to a back injury.

Will Hickey.

New Zealand vs Adelaide

When: Saturday, November 2 - 5.30pm AEDT
Where: Spark Arena
Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo | NZ: ESPN & TVNZ | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: New Zealand went into Qudos Bank Arena on Sunday and took down the Kings in emphatic fashion. The best part of this win for the Breakers was that it wasn’t just Parker Jackson-Cartwright who stole the show. With some key players missing, 17-year-old Next Star Karim Lopez was outstanding as he became the youngest player in NBL history to record a double-double.

The task for the Breakers doesn’t get any easier now, as Montrezl Harrell comes to down fresh off one of the best individual performances in recent history. Adelaide is by no means a one man show, with Kendric Davis and DJ Vasiljevic forming a formidable scoring trio for the 36ers.

Players to watch: This is a matchup that has arguably the top three MVP candidates at this point in the season, with Jackson-Cartwright, Harrell and Davis all putting together a strong case for the highest honour in the league. What makes their job easier is the fact that the supporting casts of each team have stood up along the way as well. For New Zealand, it’s been Matt Mooney, who has proved to be the perfect Robin to Jackson-Cartwright’s Batman and it’s helping New Zealand get some big wins.

The stat: Adelaide currently has three of the top five scorers in the league (Davis, Harrell, Vasiljevic).

Missing in action: Mojave King is expected to face a game day fitness test due to a calf injury. Mitch McCarron won't be back until Round due to a knee injury. The Breakers are still to provide a timeline on Max Darling, out with a groin injury. The 36ers will be sweating on the fitness of Isaac Humphries, after he missed last week due to calf tightness.

Parker Jackson-Cartwright.

Cairns Taipans vs Brisbane Bullets

When: Saturday, November 2 - 8pm AEDT
Where: Cairns Convention Centre
Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo | NZ: ESPN | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: This is a game with two teams who are desperate to get back on the winners' list. Cairns has lost its last five games and is trying to find a way to keep afloat while three of its starters sit out with injury, whereas Brisbane is looking to bounce back after a home loss to Tasmania. 

When two desperate teams meet, it usually sets up for a high energy affair, because of what is at stake. Add to that the inner-state rivalry and there should be plenty of fireworks in this one. Cairns will be hoping its young leader, Taran Armstrong, returns from injury as the team is undefeated when he plays and looks every bit of a finals hopeful with him on the floor.

Players to watch: The Taipans started last week's game against Adelaide on fire, as they hit 11 first half threes and put themselves in with a chance to win on the road.

They were led by their star guard, Rob Edwards, who finished with 27 points in their overtime loss.

Edwards hasn’t been himself since Armstrong has missed games and will be hoping he returns to help take the pressure off him on the offensive end.

For Brisbane, they continue to try and get Josh Bannan firing on a consistent basis. Justin Schueller said in the post-game press conference how important Bannan is to the team's success, and how the Bullets need him if they are any hope to push for a Play-In berth.

With James Batemon now comfortable in his new role, the Bullets are trying to find a level of consistency that has them competitive every night. 

The stat: Brisbane allows the most rebounds against in the league at 38.7.

Missing in action: Sam McDaniel is out for the season with a shoulder injury. Deng Adel is expected to return from a groin issue next week. Tanner Groves should return from a calf injury, while Taran Armstrong (ankle) and Pedro Bradshaw (ankle) should also be in the mix.

Josh Bannan.

South East Melbourne vs Perth

When: Sunday, November 3 - 2.30pm AEDT
Where: John Cain Arena
Watch: Live & free on ESPN via Kayo | 10 & 10 Play | NZ: ESPN | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: This is the second game of the round for both these teams and it will also be Josh King’s first opportunity to coach in front of a home crowd. After starting 0-5, the Phoenix won two of three under Sam Mackinnon and look to have found a bit of the spark that many thought they would have all season. Coming into this game they should be quietly confident in what they can achieve, because they currently have one of the worst percentages in opponent threes, yet Perth has the lowest three point percentage in the entire competition.

An area where Perth will feel confident is their energy on the offensive glass, as they rank first in the league for that statistic. It was highlighted last Friday night, where they ripped down a staggering 27 offensive rebounds against Sydney and it went a long way into helping them get a big win. 

Players to watch: When Sam Mackinnon took over, he seemed to unlock the Nathan Sobey that fans were used to seeing throughout his career. His aggression on the offensive end came with poise and an effectiveness that helped lead to two wins a row. With no Derrick Walton Jr, it has been Ben Ayre who was given an added opportunity to play and he took every single second of that and showed why he deserves to be in the rotation.

Conversely, Perth will be hoping Tai Webster can pick up where he left off from his great performance in New Zealand two weeks ago. When Webster first arrived in the NBL, he was seen as an offensive threat and since transitioned into more of a floor leader than scorer. Without Bryce Cotton, Webster has the chance to tap back into that mindset as his team desperately needs the points. 

The stat: Perth has the lowest field-goal percentage (40.2) and three-point percentage (28.4) in the league. 

Missing in action: Walton Jr is out until Round 8 with a hamstring injury. Cotton is out with a rib injury, with no date on his return.

Nathan Sobey.

Sydney vs Tasmania

When: Sunday, November 3 - 4.30pm AEDT
Where: Qudos Bank Arena
Watch: Live & free on ESPN via Kayo | 10 Bold & 10 Play | NZ: ESPN | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: It’s an NBL22 Championship Series rematch between two teams who have two drastically different styles of play. One side you have the Sydney Kings, who are looking to push the pace offensively at every chance and who currently average the second most field goal attempts per game. For Tasmania it’s the exact opposite, where the JackJumpers look to slow down the pace of play and grind things out in the half court.

These two recently played each other in Launceston two weeks ago and it was the JackJumpers who dominated 75 per cent of the game and suffocated the Kings with their defence. In the fourth quarter it was all Sydney and it was led by Kouat Noi who hit three threes in the period, as the Kings pulled away from the JackJumpers late.

Players to watch: In their recent matchup, Kings defensive weapon Bul Kuol went to Milton Doyle from the opening tip and did a fantastic job in limiting his effectiveness. What that meant was that Jordon Crawford was free to get going and he did just that, having 18 first half points and helping Tasmania get out to an early lead.

The decision for Brian Goorjian in this game will be who he starts his best defender on, as both Crawford and Doyle can get hot quickly. 

The stat: Sydney lead the league in assists per game at 20.2.

Missing in action: Adams' back injury could see him miss again, while Sean Macdonald is out until Round 13 due to an ankle injury.

Milton Doyle.

Melbourne v New Zealand

When: Monday, November 4 - 7.30pm AEDT
Where: John Cain Arena
Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo | NZ: ESPN & TVNZ | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: A Cup Eve game to end the round sees Melbourne hosting a New Zealand team that is quietly going about its business since returning from their NBA trip. United are currently the best rebounding team in the league and a lot of that is on the back of the efforts from Jack White. New Zealand on the other hand is the lowest rebounding team in the competition, which is no doubt an area they’ll focus on in this match up.

Another key area to watch in this game is that the Breakers allow a league worst 38 per cent from three for their opposition which is never a good sign when you come up against Chris Goulding and Ian Clark.

Players to watch: New Zealand will be relying heavily on Jonah Bolden and Freddie Gillespie to limit United’s second chance opportunities in this game. It’s one area that the Breakers have struggled early in this season and if they don’t lock in, they could be torn apart by a hungry Melbourne team.

United will be looking to have Shea Ili return from injury and slot back into the lineup which gives them one of the best defensive backcourts in recent history. With Ili, Matthew Dellavedova and Flynn Cameron, they all have the chance to rotate around Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Matt Mooney.

The stat: Melbourne has the best defensive rating in the league at 101.5

Missing in action: Shea Ili has been cleared to play, but is awaiting the birth of his child, so will be a game day decision. Max Darling (groin) and Mitch McCarron (knee) will both miss.

Ian Clark.