Finals benching may spark shock exit; forgotten MVP threat can swing title — NBL Talking Pts

With one semi-final still to be decided, the Sydney Kings now await their opponent for the NBL Grand Final series as the pressure and intensity around the league reaches its peak.

Nathan Sobey delivered a career night to help the South East Melbourne Phoenix force a decisive Game 3 against the Adelaide 36ers, while questions continue to grow around the future of a 36ers big man following limited minutes late in the season.

Add in the impact of home-court advantage – which has seen both teams protect their floor to split the series 1-1 – and the stage is set for a dramatic finale.

We break down all the biggest moments in the latest edition of NBL Talking Points.

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36ERS BIG MAN ON THE WAY OUT?

Isaac Humphries began the season in outstanding form, enjoying one of the best starts to an NBL campaign of his career.

The big man thrived in the pick-and-roll alongside Bryce Cotton and looked to have rediscovered the confidence that made him such a force in previous seasons.

However, as the season has progressed, Humphries has fallen out of favour under head coach Mike Wells. In Game 2 of the semi-final series against South East Melbourne, Humphries played just six minutes.

In that time he scored four points and grabbed one rebound while picking up three fouls. Offensively he looked engaged early in the pick-and-roll with Cotton and was receiving touches, suggesting he could play a significant role in the contest, but the opportunity never fully materialised.

With Nick Rakocevic dominating against the Phoenix in both games of the series, Humphries’ reduced role may go largely unnoticed. However, the situation highlights a broader trend that has developed throughout the season.

In an episode of NBL Marketplace earlier this year, it was suggested that even contracted players could explore potential moves during the offseason – with Humphries among those who could consider their options.

“Don’t presume that someone who is contracted is unavailable. It seems like we should prepare ourselves for some, you know, the contract is worth as much as the paper is written on,” Olgun Uluc said.

“I think there will be some people stealing from other teams because certain players may want out of their current contracts.”

The remainder of the series – and the coming offseason – could prove telling for both Humphries and the 36ers.

KINGS CAPTAIN CREDITS SUPPORTING CAST AS GRAND FINAL AWAITS

The Sydney Kings have advanced to the NBL Grand Final series, where they will face the winner of the Adelaide 36ers and South East Melbourne Phoenix semi-final.

Following the Kings’ Game 2 victory, captain Xavier Cooks credited the team’s depth and supporting cast as a major factor behind their dominance this season.

One player in particular stood out for Cooks – NBA champion and four-time Australian Boomer Matthew Dellavedova – who produced a remarkable defensive effort against All-NBL forward Kristian Doolittle despite giving up size.

“I absolutely love it (having him as a teammate) and just watching him work his absolute tail off there for all the minutes he played and to ask for a sub because he’s trying so hard,” Cooks said.

“His physicality he brings and the wear down factor, to keep Doolittle to 3/15 who’s an All-NBL elite level player, I think it’s a wear down effect that Delly does and he just plays his arse off every single game.

“We’re lucky to have him.”

Alongside Dellavedova, Makuach Maluach also delivered a standout performance, finishing with a career-high 23 points and eight rebounds while continuing to grow into a bigger role following Bul Kuol’s injury earlier in the season.

“He just makes winning plays and I even go back to the last game and that block he had on JLA (Jo Lual-Acuil Jr), I think that won us the game with the momentum we had from that,” Cooks said.

“Then tonight, he made huge plays down the stretch with little mid-range pull ups, he plays his tail off and he’s guarding the best player and has a huge role on offence now.

“There’s no better person for it, he’s the nicest guy and he’s worked his absolute tail off to get here.”

With a Grand Final series looming, the Kings’ depth and star power will be on full display as they chase the NBL26 championship.

PHOENIX SUPERSTAR’S CAREER NIGHT

Nathan Sobey delivered the best performance of his NBL career in Game 2 of the semi-final series between the Adelaide 36ers and South East Melbourne Phoenix.

Sobey finished with a career-high 41 points, including 17 in the third quarter, helping the Phoenix overturn a 13-point halftime deficit and outscore Adelaide 39-20 in the period.

It capped a remarkable season for the Phoenix guard, who finished tied third in MVP voting behind Bryce Cotton and Kendric Davis after averaging 22.7 points, 4.8 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 43 per cent from the field and 35 per cent from three-point range.

If the Phoenix are to win Game 3 and advance to the first Grand Final series in club history, Sobey will need to maintain his outstanding form while receiving greater support from the rest of the roster.

South East Melbourne has relied heavily on its depth throughout the season, but will need more production from Owen Foxwell, Wes Iwundu and Jordan Hunter, who have struggled to make a significant impact so far in the series.

The Phoenix now travel to Adelaide for Game 3, with the home team winning each of the opening two games.

‘HOME COURT’ ADVANTAGE KEY FOR WELLS

At halftime of Game 2, the Adelaide 36ers appeared to be on their way to a Grand Final berth.

Instead, a dominant second half from the Phoenix saw them outscore Adelaide 57-35 to claim a 101-92 victory and force a decisive Game 3.

Speaking post-game, 36ers coach Mike Wells reflected on the dramatic shift in momentum.

“We did well controlling the pace in the first half, and in the third quarter, they (the Phoenix) got it on their terms, and they got going a little bit,” he said.

“You have to give them credit, they’re a good team, and it’s a possession game. We would have liked to re-establish ourselves as we did in the first half, but we weren’t able to do that.

“We were still fighting and engaged there in the fourth quarter, and we got some stops, but ended up with too many empty possessions on offence.

“But we head home now, and our crowd will be a factor in Game 3, and they’ve supported us all year.

“Nobody believes it, but we have been a good team. I’d rather be playing this game at home.

“We protected home court, they protected home court and this is why you play 33 games to get to have an elimination game on your home court.”

Game 3 will now be played in Adelaide on Tuesday night, with Wells highlighting the areas his team must improve.

“At the end of the day, if you have 18 turnovers and give up 18 offensive rebounds [it’s going to be hard to win],” he said.

“There’s a whole bunch that goes into their offensive rebounds, but a lot of it is from the amount of threes they take, and that is a strength of theirs to get second chances.

“[Despite all this] we did a lot of good things to be as close as we were in that game.”

With a Grand Final berth against the Sydney Kings on the line, the deciding clash promises to be a heated contest between two of the league’s best teams.