ROUND 11 of the National Basketball League (NBL) begins tonight with four teams in action in a pair of intriguing clashes.

With the action kicking off late in the afternoon, the standings will be likely changed once again with the two clashes representing sides from different areas of the ladder.

The first game of the day will see the New Zealand Breakers host the form team of the competition in Melbourne United on Thursday afternoon. A battle between two of the top three sides in the NBL, it is a blockbuster way to start the round.

United currently sit atop the standings with a record of 11 wins and three losses, and have thwarted just about every side that looks likely to challenge for that spot. However, their biggest loss of the season and in recent memory came at the hands of the Breakers, when New Zealand handed Melbourne a whopping 34-point loss, its biggest ever defeat at John Cain Arena.

In a positive for United, head coach Dean Vickerman is as good as they come tactically speaking, and he will undoubtedly have had his team running through the tape from that clash and will be making the necessary adjustments.

One massive factor in the clash will be the loss of Chris Goulding, who has been ruled out through injury. Goulding has been one of the best players in the NBL over the past four weeks, highlighted by a 46-point performance on the eve of the international break. He carried that form to the Boomers squad where he dropped 19 triples in two games. He will leave a huge hole in the team’s rotation, and someone else will need to pick up the offensive slack.

On the Breakers side of things, it is unconfirmed at time of publication whether big man Tacko Fall will suit up after being injured in the loss to the Perth Wildcats last week. Since the former NBA talent has joined the team, New Zealand has struggled to maintain its defensive consistency, so whether he suits up or misses, expect some changes from how the Breakers set up.

The second clash of the day will see the Tasmania JackJumpers face off against the Cairns Taipans across the Bass Strait. The JackJumpers have been disappointing in their title defence this season, but appear to have found some life over the past four weeks.

Tasmania’s biggest struggle this season has been on the scoring front, averaging a competition-low 78 points per game, largely due to the fact that Jack McVeigh, and while those woes have not vanished completely, Tassie has found a way to win of late. The return of Sean Macdonald has been a huge influence on this, as he gives the JackJumpers another option on the ball-handling side of things.

The Taipans currently sit on the bottom of the ladder with three wins and 10 losses, and have looked a step behind the remainder of the competition. However, Cairns has been competitive in a lot of losses, and has missed some key players on its roster that are now returning.

One big factor in any match the Taipans play is Rob Edwards, and the import guard will be massive in his side’s chances tonight. Edwards is one of the best scorers in the NBL, and can turn a game with his own hand when getting in his groove on the offensive end, so if the JackJumpers struggle to contain him, it could turn the match in Cairns’ favour.