Every NBL Game in Focus - Round 6

Every week of the NBL25 Season, we'll be previewing the big games, the big names and all the key talking points.

Check out the Round 6 Preview below.

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

New Zealand vs South East Melbourne

When: Thursday, October 24 - 5.30pm AEDT
Where: Wolfbrook Arena
Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo | NZ: ESPN and TVNZ | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: The South East Melbourne Phoenix got the monkey off their back last round and came up big in the Throwdown to secure their first win of the season. While American Josh King has been named as the new head coach, it’s Sam Mackinnon who will continue on for the next two games at the helm.

With a 0-5 season record and having lost the last six games against United, the Phoenix came out swinging on Sunday as they took the first step in turning their season around. They head back to New Zealand for the second time in four weeks to take on a Breakers outfit that is sitting second on the NBL ladder.

Players to watch: Parker Jackson-Cartwright has picked up right where he left off last season and is putting together another MVP case early on. The Breakers playmaker currently leads the league in assists and steals, while also putting up just under 20 points per game. His backcourt partner, Matt Mooney, comes into this game after hitting seven threes in their win against Perth.

For the Phoenix, all eyes once again turn to Nathan Sobey, who will be required to step up once again in the absence of Derrick Walton Jr. Sobey played his best game for his new club on Sunday and will now look to build on that momentum going forward. Matt Hurt is currently the league’s leading scorer and is making a strong statement for an All-NBL team selection.

The stat: New Zealand has won seven straight games at home.

Missing in action: Walton Jr is out until November 10 with a hamstring. Karim Lopez is a game day fitness test. Mitch McCarron and Mojave King are out.

Illawarra vs Melbourne

When: Thursday, October 24 - 7.30pm AEDT
Where: WIN Entertainment Centre
Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo | NZ: ESPN | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: This could be a potential Championship Series preview, with two of the best teams in the competition going head-to-head. The Illawarra Hawks are currently the best offensively rated team in the league, while United is the best defensive team, which means something has to give.

Last year it was the Hawks who fell short to Melbourne in game three of the Playoffs series and they’ve been open about the pain of that moment. They now look to get revenge on the team that ruined their title run last season, in front of their home fans. United are coming off a shock loss to their crosstown rival and will be hoping to slow down the Illawarra juggernaut.

Players to watch: Trey Kell III continues to be a revelation for this Hawks team and is quietly putting together an MVP-calibre season. He said in the off-season that it was Justin Tatum who wanted to get him across from Adelaide as soon as possible, and it’s easy to see why. A lot of the Hawks' early success can be traced back to the impact of Wani Swaka-Lo-Buluk, who has been arguably the best defender in the competition through five rounds.

United will be hoping that Jack White bounces back from a poor Throwdown and can help take some of the offensive pressure off Chris Goulding and Ian Clark. White will have a direct matchup with Darius Days, which should be worth the price of admission alone.

The stat: Melbourne has lost the last six games where they have lost the rebounding count.

Missing in action: Shea Ili will aim to return in round 7 with a calf injury.

Adelaide vs Cairns

When: Friday, October 25 - 7.30pm AEDT
Where: Adelaide Entertainment Centre
Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo | NZ: ESPN | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: The Taipans are desperately trying to stop their losing streak, after dropping their last three games, with two of those coming by double figures. Since Taran Armstrong was ruled out due to injury, Cairns has struggled to find any consistency. Adam Forde has set the challenge to his young team that they must be better, and they get a chance to go into Adelaide and steal a win from a team they already beat once back in round two.

For Adelaide, everything is starting to come together for this star-studded roster, with Jarell Martin returning last weekend. The 36ers look to be building something special this season and seemingly have every piece needed to make a long run at a championship.

Players to watch: Two weeks ago, Rod Edwards looked to be an MVP candidate with how well he performed through the first four games. Since then, his efficiency and production has dropped off and that’s largely due to the absence of Armstrong in the backcourt with him. Fellow import, Pedro Bradshaw, had his most productive game of the season last round and will be looking to replicate that in this game.

For Adelaide, take your pick of any of their five superstars to watch in this one. All eyes will once again be on Montrezl Harrell, who has a very favourable matchup in this game against the young and inexperienced Cairns front court.

The stat: Adelaide has won its last eight games at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

Missing in action: Tanner Groves is out with a calf injury, while Taran Armstrong remains sidelined with an ankle issue.

Perth vs Sydney

When: Friday, October 25 - 9.30pm AEDT
Where: RAC Arena
Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo | NZ: ESPN | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: The preview for this game drastically changed last weekend when Bryce Cotton was rushed to hospital during Perth’s game in New Zealand. The Wildcats are now looking to find some other contributors going forward, with their four-time MVP sidelined indefinitely. Their first test doesn’t get any easier, with the talented Kings returning to RAC Arena looking to make a statement.

The Kings are slowly piecing together their championship contending puzzle as the season progresses. With 12 players on the team who have all shown they’re capable of being major contributors, it’s a conundrum for Brian Goorjian to continue to figure out going forward.

Players to watch: With no Cotton, Perth will be looking to make Keanu Pinder a focal point of their offense. The star big man has been up and down to begin this season and now gets an opportunity to step into the spotlight and carry this team forward. Adding to that, Ben Henshall and Elijah Pepper look ready to enjoy increased opportunity and responsibility.

The stat: Perth has lost 8 of its last 10 games without Bryce Cotton.

Missing in action: Cotton is out indefinitely with a rib injury.

South East Melbourne vs Illawarra

When: Saturday, October 26 - 5.30pm AEDT Where: John Cain Arena Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo | NZ: ESPN | International Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: Both these teams will be playing their second game of the round as they meet at John Cain Arena for the first time this season. The Phoenix will be hoping their defensive stands tall, currently rated third worst in the league at 115, as they take on the red hot Hawks who are putting up points for fun.

This will be the last game for Sam Mackinnon as interim head coach, before Josh King takes over, and no doubt the team will want to send him off the right way. From a Hawks standpoint, they continue to look to run up the score in every game they play and show the league that they are the real deal.

Players to watch: It’s a battle of two of Australia’s best local big men when Sam Froling and Jordan Hunter meet. They have had some big battles in recent history when Hunter was on the Sydney Kings, and it will no doubt pick up where it left off in this game.

The highlight matchups don’t just end there, as Tyler Harvey and Nathan Sobey will both be looking to ignite their team on the offensive end.

The stat: The Hawks are averaging a league-best 101.2 points per game.

Missing in action: Walton Jr is out until November 10 with a hamstring.

Brisbane vs Tasmania

When: Saturday, October 26 - 7.30pm AEDT
Where: Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo | NZ: ESPN | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: This game features two teams who are feeling drastically different about themselves. On one side there is the Brisbane Bullets, who have won their last two games after standing the season 0-3. Then there is the Tasmania JackJumpers who have lost three games in a row for the first time since the beginning of NBL23.

The Bullets seem to be firing right now, ever since the move to bring James Batemon off the bench. The import guard has scored 20 points in both their wins and looks to have settled nicely into his new team. Conversely, Tasmania is hoping to find some more offensive weapons outside of their import stars Milton Doyle and Jordon Crawford.

Players to watch: While Batemon has been a standout for Brisbane in the past two weeks, it’s been Josh Bannan who has been a strong contributor since he returned from injury. He struggled shooting last round, but Bannan’s presence has set a tone for Brisbane since their slow start to the season.

Outside of the guard battles, it will be Tyrell Harrison and Will Magnay who will be looking to control the interior. Two old teammates who came through the Brisbane pathway together all those years ago, meet again years later in their prime.

The stat: Tasmania are averaging a league low 77.4 points per game.

Missing in action: Sam McDaniel is out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery.

Sydney vs New Zealand

When: Sunday, October 27 - 2.30pm AEDT
Where: Qudos Bank Arena
Watch: Live & free on ESPN via Kayo | 10 & 10 Play | NZ: ESPN & TVNZ | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: This is the first matchup of these two teams after they played each other three times in the pre season. Two of those early games were big victories for Sydney, yet everyone knows that the regular season is a different predicament altogether.

The Breakers are missing some key rotational pieces as they head into Qudos Bank Arena and look to upset one of the championship favourites. All eyes will be on one of the leading Defensive Player of the Year candidates in Bul Kuol, going straight to Parker Jackson-Cartwright in this game.

Players to watch: The Sydney Kings have excitement written all over their roster, but they’ll be hoping Jaylen Adams can re-find his form from the opening rounds of the season. Brian Goorjian was open about how Adams is the barometer for their team, and while he is still finding his groove upon return from a back complaint, he holds the keys to this high powered offensive unit.

Outside of Jackson-Cartwright, the Breakers' offensive options take a hit in this game with no Mojave King off the bench. Perhaps this is a chance for the exciting Next Star, Karim Lopez to show what he did against the Utah Jazz three weeks ago.

The stat: Sydney lead the league in assists per game at 21.

Missing in action: Mitch McCarron and Mojave King could both be missing again, after being confirmed outs for Thursday night.

Melbourne vs Cairns

When: Sunday, October 27 - 4.30pm AEDT
Where: John Cain Arena
Watch: Live & free on ESPN via Kayo | 10 Bold & 10 Play | NZ: ESPN | International
Scores: Download the free NBL App

Watch for: Forget everything you know about both these teams in terms of the way they’re playing currently – this matchup is different. Cairns has won six of the last seven games against United and holds some sort of mental edge over one of the powerhouses of the league.

Both teams play their second game of the round and will be hoping to find some fresh legs and finish their double header on the right note. Last time these two met, it was Rob Edwards who put on a clinic against the best defensive backcourt in the league and he had some strong words in the process.

Players to watch: With Shea Ili still out, it will mean Matthew Dellavedova who gets the task of keeping Cairns’ highlight machine quiet. In their previous matchup, Kyrin Galloway also stood up and delivered a big performance for Adam Forde’s men to help them get the win.

Cairns has had some issues in defending the ball through the first five rounds and that is something that Chris Goulding usually feasts off.

The stat: Cairns has won six of the last seven against United.

Missing in action: Shea Ili, Taran Armstrong and Tanner Groves are all out of this game.