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NBL Round 13
West Sydney v Cairns
The season series decider between these two teams takes place in Sydney. The home teams have won the first two games (Razorbacks in Sydney by 2 points in round 7 and the Taipans in Cairns by 7 points last Saturday). A win for the Razorbacks will keep them in touch with the top 8 whilst a victory for the Taipans will see them move into 4th position on the ladder.
The Razorbacks went into the game against the Taipans last week after facing Brisbane 24 hours earlier. Their effort was there in this game, grabbing 16 more offensive rebounds than the Taipans (30 to 14). Their shooting was not there (37% from the field, 26% on 3 pointers). They will need a better game from their other import, Troy De Vries (3 from 14 from the field and 1 from 8 on 3 pointers) to stretch the defence of the Taipans a bit more and create more space for his team mates to wreak havoc inside.
The Taipans once again will be without Darnell Mee (ankle injury). They are a chance at getting their second import, Jared Newson, cleared to take his place in this game. At 6 foot 5, he has been described by Coach Alan Black as athletic, capable of handling the ball and shooting it well. As a whole, the Taipans shot the ball a lot better than the Razorbacks last week, with Stephen Black (20 points on 6 from 12 from the field) and import Larry Abney (25 points on 10 from 16 shooting) leading the way.
If the Taipans can get Newson on the court, the -1.5 that is currently out there is value. Until I know that he is definitely playing, there will be no play for me. The points total does look a little high, not quite high enough for a play on the unders though.
Sydney v Wollongong
The Kings will be looking for their 4th win in a row as they host the Hawks, who will be looking to start a winning streak. The Hawks will also be keen to put in a good showing to attract some potential investors to come forward and assist them with their financial difficulties.
The Kings beat the 36ers in Adelaide by 12 points last Saturday after demolishing the Breakers in New Zealand a couple of days earlier. Glen Saville (20 points), Jason Smith and import Dontaye Draper (17 points each) were the standout performers. They let the 36ers score 68 points in the second half which saw a 30 point lead get trimmed to 6 at one stage in the 4th quarter which would have ticked off Coach Brian Goorjian. I would expect them to really focus on defence in this game as a result.
The small shareholder group that has been keeping the Hawks afloat has reached its limit. Unless an injection of funds from some source is found quickly, the Hawks are no guarantee of seeing out the season. Being a foundation club, this would be a shame if it occurred. Previous teams that have been in such a situation (namely the Canberra Cannons and more recently the Hunter Pirates) have really struggled to compete on the court; regardless of player personnel (the Hawks would arguably have the worst squad when compared to those Cannons and Pirates teams). Their last game saw them comfortably account for the Slingers at home, 93-72. Import Kavossy Franklin led all scorers with 23 points.
I expect the Kings to win this game and win it easily. The line betting seems to accurately reflect this. The points total looks spot on to me.
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