Phoenix Preparing for "Finals Atmosphere" in Throwdown VIII

Saturday night’s Throwdown VIII is shaping as a pivotal game in South East Melbourne Phoenix’s quest for a debut finals berth.

The fourth-placed Phoenix have lost four of their past five games and square up in the John Cain Arena ring with a first-placed United team in red-hot form.

Part of the Phoenix’s recent struggles can be put down to player availability, which could be boosted by Keifer Sykes and Ryan Broekhoff pending fitness tests.

(A possible Keifer Sykes return would add some defensive punch for the Phoenix)

The team’s nine-day break between games is a rare luxury in this compact NBL season and one point guard Kyle Adnam believes will benefit the team heading into Saturday.

“This extended break has been a really good reset for us individually and as a group,” Adnam said.

“We’re going to come out fresh and fired up. The Throwdown is always a big spectacle for Melbourne basketball and us as players.

“We couldn’t ask for a better game. They’re on top, they’re rolling, and we’d love to be the team who puts an end to that.

“We’re really looking forward to the game Saturday to bounce back and show the things we’ve been discussing as a group in house.”

The previously comfortable spot the Phoenix held in the top four is now a dog fight with Sydney, Illawarra and Brisbane after a tough few weeks.

Adnam says his team needs to bring that same dog fight energy to Throwdown VIII to come away with a win.

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“We had to go back to square one with a few things and just discuss that these are our non-negotiables and at the moment we’re not getting them done,” he said.

“We’ve had pretty extensive video sessions and great chats amongst the group. It’s just about getting back to basics for us.

“We feel like we’re making strides and we’re still in a great position. We’re in the finals right now so we’re in a great spot and we don’t want to get too down on ourselves.”

The Phoenix have lost the rebounding count in their last four games, giving up second chance points which hurt the team’s ability to limit opposition scoring and also their chance to attack on the fast break.

Playing a naturally smaller style of basketball means the team isn’t expected to dominate on the boards, but it’s an area Adnam believes needs an uptick to flip their fortunes.

“In the last few games we’ve lost, we’ve given up a lot of offensive rebounds and transition opportunities.

(Mitch Creek always finds an extra gear in Throwdown games)

“When we take care of our transition defence and limit offensive rebounding, we put ourselves in a pretty good position to win as offensively we’ve been a great team all year.

“It’s a physicality thing. United are probably the benchmark in the league with their physicality so it’s going to be an amazing hit out this week. We’re going to bring it and they’re going to bring it.

“With that level of physicality and intensity it’s definitely going to look like a finals atmosphere come Saturday night.”

Melbourne United lead the Throwdown head-to-head five-to-two, winning two of the three played this season.

Saturday night will also take an extra layer of importance as the Phoenix host their annual fundraising game for the Starlight Children’s Foundation.

Fans can pledge a donation for every three-pointer the team makes to raise money for sick kids and their families.

Sam Bunn for Phoenix Media (05/05/2021)