Melbourne United v Perth Wildcats
Sunday, November 23, 4.20pm AEDT
John Cain Arena
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Talking points
Lual-Acuil Jr’s Melbourne return
Perth big man Jo Lual-Acuil Jr played his first four seasons in the NBL with Melbourne United, helping the club win the 2021 championship.
Sunday’s blockbuster will not only mark his first game against his former club but also his first fixture back in Melbourne since his off-season signing with the Wildcats.
The South Sudanese international is producing career-best numbers in points (18.5), assists (1.6), steals (0.7) and field goal percentage (57), highlighting the importance he will have on the Round 10 fixture.
The intense rivalry continues
Sunday will mark the first time Melbourne and Perth have played since last season’s dramatic Playoffs series, which United won in three games (after holding on by one point in the decider).
These two sides have plenty of history between, including facing off in both the 2019 and 2021 Championship Series’.
Add in the fact United are 6-1 at home and Perth at 5-2 on the road and this has all the makings of a classic.
What they’re saying
United coach Dean Vickerman on matching up with Perth:
“Perth’s going to be a hell of a challenge. Like us they’ve got an injured point guard (Jaron Rillie), so how you manage around that is going to be a key part of the game.
“JLA (Jo Lual-Acuil Jr) coming back to Melbourne, it’s going to be a super fun, intense game.
“Right now I think we’ve beaten everybody in the league and this is the team we haven’t played, so going into the FIBA Window if we’re good enough to win this game, it’d be a nice spot to be in.”
Wildcats coach John Rillie on the importance of Sunday’s fixture:
“Sunday will be a great challenge to see where we’re at, at the moment. We’ve got to tidy up some things if we want to get to that championship level consistently.
“They’re (United) playing at a phenomenal level, they’re the best team in the league, but like most of us they’re dealing with injuries, bringing guys in and out, and they had a tough game tonight [Friday].
“We’ll prepare like we do for any other team, we’ve got to go in with a nice edge about ourselves and see where we’re really at.”
Missing in action
Melbourne
Shea Ili – Hamstring – Round 12
Perth
Jaron Rillie – Hamstring – 8 weeks
>> View full injury list
