Heartland Hustle: Phoenix Looking for Payback Against Brisbane

The team head up to Brisbane this weekend looking to make it three wins in a row against the Bullets on Saturday night.

Phoenix are coming off back-to-back wins with a big win in Traralgon on Tuesday while the Bullets fell to United by 2-points on Wednesday.

Phoenix will be looking to redeem themselves after their loss to Brisbane two weeks ago.

Check out the latest from both sides.

(Phoenix will be looking to get the win over the Bullets after they loss to them last time two weeks ago.)

Key Details

Brisbane Bullets v South East Melbourne Phoenix

Where: Nissan Arena

When: Saturday 29 January, 8pm AEDT

Watch on ESPN via Kayo or Foxtel

The Teams

Phoenix

Zhou Qi was a late-out against the Taipans on Tuesday night with gastro. Zhou will miss Saturday's game as he continues to recover, he'll be replaced in the line-up by development player Tristan Forsyth.

Izayah Le'afa remains in covid protocols with Lachlan Barker coming into the side as a covid replacement player.

Bullets

Tyrell Harrison will return from injury for the game.

Players to Watch

Brandon Ashley v Robert Franks

Both are long athletic big men, who can shoot from range. Franks was a handful for the Phoenix last start. But the addition of Ashley will help the Phoenix as they look to limit his impact.

In two games with the Phoenix Ashley has shown he will be a major asset, in his first game he notched up 11 boards in 15 minutes and recorded 12 points and 4 rebounds after learning he was starting just before tip-off.

(Robert Franks was the difference for the Bullets the last time Phoenix met them.)

The History

Regular Season Head-to-Head: 4 - 5

South East Melbourne Phoenix – Brisbane Bullets

Last time out – Rd 8

82 – 100

Phoenix - Bullets

Phoenix

Creek 19p

Munford 17p

Broekhoff 13p

Adnam 13p

Bullets

Sobey 18p

Franks 17p, 10r

Drmic 14p

It was only two weeks ago when the two sides met with the Bullets taking the win. Phoenix were slow to start after their 28-day break but managed to match the Bullets bucket for bucket after the first quarter.

Franks was the difference in that game recording a double-double, with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Creek and Munford were the standout players for Phoenix on a night that coach Simon Mitchell could find very few positives.

Now with their legs back under them the Phoenix will look to deliver a far better performance than they did in round 8.

(Phoenix can watch the Round 10 game on ESPN via Kayo or Foxtel from 8pm.)

Quotes

“We have gone through the game earlier this morning and there are some alterations that we’ve made on how we want to defend them. Having said that when we played them the last time, we actually threw a bunch of different looks at them, none of which were overly successful, but I think that was more of a physical than a strategic issue.

Hopefully we can overcome those from the lay-off and we will be in a better position to execute this time.”

- Phoenix Head Coach, Simon Mitchell

“It’s clear that we have a lot of quality on this team and now it’s just about doing the small things, like we can’t turn over the ball like we are, we can’t give up offensive rebounds like we have been. Those things matter and at the end of the game when you lose a game by 2-points (against United).

We will chop up the video, we will sit it down and make sure everybody has an understanding of that, make sure we have recovered, and we start to prepare for South East. We want to get back on the winning track right now.”

- Bullets Head Coach, James Duncan

Phoenix Media (29/1/22)