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South East Melbourne Phoenix vs Adelaide 36ers NBL25 Tips - Sobey fires as the Phoenix progress
In a dynamic face-off, the South East Melbourne Phoenix emerged victorious against the Adelaide 36ers, ensuring their progress to the NBL playoffs where they will face the Illawarra Hawks. Despite a few recent defeats, the Phoenix showcased strong home defense, conceding just 90.8 points on average in their last ten home games. Nathan Sobey stood out, scoring 26 points, instrumental in leading the Phoenix to this triumph. Adelaide struggled with their defense, conceding more points when away. The game highlighted Phoenix's home advantage and readiness for the playoffs.
- South East Melbourne Phoenix vs Adelaide 36ers expert predictions for Sunday’s Play-In Game NBL matchup
- Tip-off is at 2:30 PM AEDT at John Cain Arena
- South East Melbourne Phoenix advance to take on the Hawks in the semifinals.
- Phoenix strong defence at home will be the difference
Jez's preview of the S.E.M v Adelaide Play-In Game.
South East Melbourne Phoenix vs Adelaide 36ers NBL25 Tips
South East Melbourne will progress to the NBL Playoffs and face the Illawarra Hawks after downing Adelaide comfortably at John Cain Arena on Sunday afternoon.
- South East Melbourne Phoenix vs Adelaide 36ers NBL25 Tips
- Head to Head
- South East Melbourne Phoenix Form & Team News
- Adelaide 36ers Form & Team News
- South East Melbourne Phoenix vs Adelaide 36ers Frequently Asked Questions
The Phoenix didn’t have what it took to keep up with the high-scoring Wildcats in Perth in their Seeding Qualifier, however there were plenty of positives to take out of that game fighting back from a 16-point deficit to lead at the half.
A fast start is going to be necessary for the Phoenix, who will not want to chase their tails against a physical frontcourt of Adelaide. The 36ers muscled their way past Sydney in the Play-In Qualifier relying heavily on their three-point shooting to get them past the Kings.
Despite the Phoenix suffering a few big defeats recently, they are a much better team at home, especially on the defensive end, allowing an average of just 90.8 opposition points in their past 10 games at home.
On the other side, Adelaide concedes over 11 more points per game on opposition court than they do at home, averaging 101.76 opposition points as the away team.
Expect Nathan Sobey to exploit Adelaide from the perimeter like he did with his 26 points against the 36ers last time they played, leading the Phoenix to the semifinals.
- South East Melbourne have won 10 of their past 11 games as the home team.
- Adelaide had a 4-10 record as the away team in NBL25
- Adelaide are the 8th ranked defensive team in the NBL averaging 96.4 opposition points and a 46.7FG%
- Nathan Sobey averages 19.8 points per game against Adelaide in his career.
Head to Head
2024/25 Match Results
02/02/25: South East Melbourne 105-99 Adelaide
21/12/24: South East Melbourne 106-86 Adelaide
03/10/24: Adelaide 93-83 South East Melbourne
2023/24 Season Series
Adelaide 36ers won 2-1
Offensive & Defensive Rankings
| SEM Off | Rank | Stat | Rank | ADE Def |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 96.1 | 3 | PPG | 8 | 96.4 |
| 41.6 | 5 | RPG | 7 | 42.4 |
| 46.6% | 4 | FG% | 8 | 46.7% |
| 33.9% | 9 | 3P% | 10 | 37.4% |
| 10.6 | 3 | TOV | 8 | 11 |
| SEM Def | Rank | Stat | Rank | ADE Off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 91.6 | 6 | PPG | 5 | 94.3 |
| 41.2 | 6 | RPG | 10 | 38.4 |
| 45.9% | 5 | FG% | 2 | 47.7% |
| 35.5% | 5 | 3P% | 3 | 36.6% |
| 12.3 | 3 | TOV | 2 | 10 |
South East Melbourne Phoenix Form & Team News
The Phoenix found themselves in early trouble against Perth in the Seeding Qualifier, staring at a 20-4 scoreline after the first 5 minutes. A three-point masterclass from Angus Glover turned things around with S.E.M leading by 5 at halftime, however, all of their hard work was undone in the second half with the Wildcats blowing out the Phoenix 122-105.
In postseason basketball you cannot take your foot off the gas and the Phoenix didn’t play for the full 40 mins against Perth. With Adelaide’s short bench they will want to rectify that in the Play-In Game, and take advantage of the 46 bench points they had against the Wildcats.
Angus Glover stepped up for the Phoenix with a team-high 25 points with Nathan Sobey 22 points and Matt Hurt scoring 24 points, however, it was a quiet game for Jordan Hunter who got into early foul trouble again and played just 12 minutes.
Hunter is vital to this contest and will need to stay in the game against the rampaging Montrezl Harrell, fighting for boards and winning second chance opportunities.
Adelaide 36ers Form & Team News
The 36ers beat Sydney for the fourth consecutive time in their Play-In Qualifier on Thursday at Qudos Arena, going on a 40-19 run either side of the halftime break with captain Dejan Vasiljevic changing the momentum of the game with his 3-point shooting.
Adelaide shot 39.4% from the three point line with Vasiljevic going 7-11 from deep and scoring a team-high 25 points in the match. Montrezl Harrell (18Pts+8Reb+7Ass) and Kendric Davis (24Pts+5Reb+4Ass) were obviously the other contributors as expected.
The 36ers shot at 50% from the field, playing to their strengths against Sydney. Adelaide were the second-most efficient team with a 47.7 FG% while also ranking third with a 36.6 3P% in NBL25. Ranked 7th in rebounds and 10th in opposition rebounds this season, the 36ers focus is on finding their guys in the right shooting areas trusting that Davis, Vasiljevic and Harrell will get the buckets.
Despite having a shorter bench with only three players rotating in against Sydney, Jarell Martin, Sunday Dench and Jason Cadee all had over 16 minutes on the court, much higher minutes than they were in the regular season.
South East Melbourne Phoenix vs Adelaide 36ers Frequently Asked Questions
What time does South East Melbourne Phoenix vs Adelaide 36ers start?
Tip-off between South East Melbourne Phoenix vs Adelaide 36ers is at 2:30 PM AEDT, Sunday, February 16
What channel is South East Melbourne Phoenix vs Adelaide 36ers on?
You can watch South East Melbourne Phoenix vs Adelaide 36ers on ESPN via Kayo and Foxtel.
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