HOW the tables have turned from a couple of months ago. The SEM Phoenix were one of the championship favourites at the midway point of the 2021/22 National Basketball League (NBL) season. Flash forward to the beginning of Round 19, and they are fighting to keep their finals chances alive, with the combination of a form slump and the emergence of other sides proving to be quite detrimental to their standings. They will come up against Melbourne United, who still sit atop the standings and have proven to be the side to beat on their quest for back to back titles. It should be another exhilarating chapter in the Throwdown series, with the two sides always producing cracking contests, in what is a ripping way to kick off the round.

In a must-win clash, the South East Melbourne Phoenix will lock horns with Melbourne United in a cross-town battle at John Cain Arena on Thursday night. It is the 16th installment of the Throwdown series, with plenty of entertainment guaranteed.

The Phoenix have been out of form over the last couple of weeks, losing two games to sides that will not qualify for the finals. Their dynamic offence isn’t the same as it used to be, and they are now struggling to produce a winning score. We know what South East Melbourne is capable of, it is just a matter of whether they can rediscover their best. Mitch Creek and Xavier Munford have been battling through to try and get the Phoenix some much-needed offence, but they will need more help if they are to get over the line against one of the most potent two-way sides in the competition.

United managed to maintain their spot at the head of the table with a win over the Wildcats in the Jungle in Round 18. They are probably the favourites to take out the title in NBL22, but building momentum heading into the finals series is cruical, so don’t expect them to hold back. It would be extremely satisfying for Melbourne to put the Phoenix’s season to bed, given the rivalry between the two sides. Matthew Dellavedova has been in ripping form of late, and will likely play a role at both ends of the court in the contest on Thursday.

Next up on the agenda is a clash between the Perth Wildcats and the New Zealand Breakers at RAC Arena on Thursday night, with the Wildcats looking to secure a spot inside the top four on the eve of finals.

Perth has been pretty strong for the majority of the 2021/22 season, but there are a few other sides in the same boat, fighting for a finals appearance. The Wildcats currently sit in fourth spot on the ladder, but the JackJumpers have surged in the second half of the season, so their standing here is far from safe. However, the Wildcats have an extremely talented list with the likes of Bryce Cotton and Victor Law likely to fire on any given night. They will come into their matchup against the Breakers as the favourites, and it will be crucial to their fortunes for the remainder of the season.

The Breakers have been focusing on player development for a fair bit of the season, and it has resulted in some of their young guns delivering some impressive results. While they have not been able to convert many games to wins, there has been some level of promise, and we know that their best is pretty darn good. They face a tough task heading west to take on the Wildcats, but stranger things have happened, and if Yannick Wetzell can fire, then the Breakers are a much better side.

Heading over to Friday night for our next clash, the Cairns Taipans will travel down to MyState Bank Arena to take on the Tasmania JackJumpers, in what should be an enthralling affair.

The JackJumpers have managed to keep themselves in the hunt for a spot in the upcoming finals series, despite being in their debut season. They have been outstanding given their lack of league experience, and have taken down some of the best sides the competition has to offer. Tasmania will enter Friday’s matchup as the favourites, and if Josh Adams can continue to fire with ball in hand, then the JackJumpers may just close the gap between them and the fourth-placed Wildcats.

The Taipans will come into the clash fresh off one of their best wins of the 2021/22 season, after taking down the South East Melbourne Phoenix in Round 18. Despite being unable to qualify for the NBL22 finals, Cairns appears intent on finishing its campaign in style, and Friday night’s game against the JackJumpers provides the opportunity to keep that rolling. Keep an eye on Keanu Pinder, who has recorded a double-double in the Taipans’ last two outings, so he should play another key role here.

Kicking off the action for Saturday, the Brisbane Bullets will play host to the Illawarra Hawks at Nissan Arena when the two sides lock horns late in the afternoon.

The Bullets will come into the match off a tense one-point win over the 36ers to close out Round 18, which will give them a bit of momentum. They will still be the underdogs, given Illawarra’s strong form of late, but it would be remiss to rule them out. Jason Cadee has been in ripping form of late, and if he can continue his strong offensive output, then why can’t the Bullets produce an upset win in front of their home crowd?

The Hawks have recovered from a midseason slump to prove one of the most dangerous sides in the home stretch of the home and away season. After dropping down to fifth a couple of months ago, Illawarra has essentially cemented itself in third spot with finals just around the corner. Coach Brian Goorjian has got his side rocking and rolling on both ends of the court, and they will enter Saturday afternoon’s clash as the favoured side. Young gun Justinian Jessup was in great nick in Round 18, so he will likely be well amongst the action again here.

The second match in Saturday’s double-header will see the Sydney Kings travel South West to take on the Adelaide 36ers at Adelaide Entertainment Centre later in the evening.

The 36ers will certainly have their work cut out for them in Saturday night’s matchup, given Sydney’s blistering form of late, but there are no certainties in sport. Throughout the season, Adelaide has shown glimpses of promise with some wins over some of the competition’s contenders despite being unable to string many of these triumphs together. If they can deliver their fast-paced best on Saturday night, and star big man Daniel Johnson can maintain his form, then an upset may be brewing.

The Kings have been as good as any side in the last month of play in the NBL, storming up the ladder on the back of their stars to cement a spot in the upcoming finals series. Their offence has been electric without sacrificing anything on the other end of the court, making them so hard to stop. It is hard to see them dropping Saturday night’s game against Adelaide, but no result is guaranteed. Star guard Jaylen Adams has proven to be must-see TV for Sydney in season 2021/22, and Saturday will prove no different.

Basketball fans in regional Victoria will be treated to Sunday afternoon’s clash between the New Zealand Breakers and the South East Melbourne Phoenix at Bendigo Basketball Stadium. It will be the second outing of the round for both sides.

Sunday’s basketball action resumes a couple of hours later, when Melbourne United head up to Cairns Convention Centre to take on the Cairns Taipans. It marks the second match of Round 19 for the two teams.

The penultimate match of Round 19 will see the Adelaide 36ers play host to the Brisbane Bullets at Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Monday night, in the second outing of the round for both teams.

The final match of the round sees the New Zealand Breakers remain at Bendigo Basketball Stadium when they host the Sydney Kings on Tuesday night to close out the schedule. It marks the second game of the round for the Kings, and the third for the Breakers.