NBL heavyweights Melbourne United and Perth Wildcats look to Game 2 of Grand Final series

After a tense opening chapter to this year’s Grand Final series, both Melbourne and Perth are looking to improve for Game 2.

The Wildcats will carry their home ground advantage into Game 2. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Melbourne United will focus on finding a way to get more scoring opportunities from the foul line in the remaining games of their NBL Grand Final series against the Perth Wildcats.

However, the Wildcats face an uphill battle to put a competitive unit on the court for Game 2 on Sunday, to be played in Perth.

With MVP Bryce Cotton sidelined, the Wildcats could ill afford injuries, but lost young gun Luke Travers before Friday night’s loss to United, also in Perth, due to a calf injury sustained in Monday’s semi-final series clinching win over Illawarra.

Then three-point specialist, Clint Steindl, injured his groin in the second quarter on Friday night and played no part in the second half.

Coach Trevor Gleeson was forced to look to his bench for large amounts of game time.

But he said that not having to jump on a plane ahead of Game 2 provided them with some chance of getting Steindl and Travers fit for it.

“To lose Clint and LT before the game is a big hit,” he said. “A black cat better not come near me.

“We’ll do everything we can to get them both on the court. Clint will have a scan (on Saturday) and Luke has to go through a test.

“It’s beneficial for us, Instead of jumping on a plane.”

Melbourne won its last NBL title in 2018. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

While Perth will focus on its medical issues and lowering its turnover count from 17 ahead of Game 2, Melbourne will be looking for ways of drawing fouls from Perth defenders when in offense.

Melbourne made 30 of 75 field goal shots in Game 1 of the championship playoff, compared to the Wildcats’ 23 from 58 shots.

Yet United won by just three points and that was only because Perth’s Jesse Wagstaff failed to drop a three-pointer as the final buzzer sounded.

The Wildcats scored 15 free points by way of the foul line, compared to Melbourne’s four. Perth had 22 attempts, to United’s six.

Jock Landale (three made from four attempts) and David Barlow (one from two) were the only United players to shoot from the foul line in Friday night’s win.

It’s something coach Dean Vickerman knows his side needs to improve on.

“Finding ways to get to the foul-line is something we will address,” he said after the win.

“We want to attack the paint. Late shot clock shots, our decision to shoot contested threes rather than really attack the paint, is something we’ll continue to look at as well.”

Getting to the foul-line has been an issue for Melbourne in games against Perth all season. In all five regular-season fixtures, the Wildcats enjoyed more foul shots than United.

In those five games, the Wildcats scored 82 of 105 free-throw attempts, to United’s 53 from 70 attempts – that’s an extra 29 points from that scoring avenue.

Melbourne will also work on tightening up its defence against Perth’s Todd Blanchfield for the remainder of the series. Blanchfield was the game’s highest scorer, with 27 points, going with his seven rebounds. He shot five of nine from long range and eight of 12 from the foul line, being fouled by United nine times.

Scotty Hopson had his hands full with the Perth forward, picking up four personal fouls.

Blanchfield has become the Wildcats’ focal point in attack since the injury of Cotton. In those five regular-season games against United, he averaged only 10 points, but that lifted to almost 20 points per game in the three-game semi-final series against Illawarra.

“Blanchfield was tough,” Vickerman said. “He got himself to the foul line. We’ll need to make some adjustments to the Blanchfield down screen.

“The other guys we did a good job on.”

Originally published as NBL heavyweights Melbourne United and Perth Wildcats look to Game 2 of Grand Final series