Match Preview: Sixers seeking to spoil United’s streak

The Adelaide 36ers will be looking to end Melbourne United’s four-game winning run when the sides face off at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Thursday night.

A win could see the fifth placed Sixers skip ahead of United into third on the NBL ladder.

It is a quirk of the fixture that the teams are meeting for the third time already this season, having split the games one each so far.

That Sixers claimed the Hungry Jack’s NBL27 season opener at John Cain Arena before United won the return fixture in Adelaide last month.

On that occasion, the Sixers started slowly and fell behind by 20 points before fighting back on the back of 33 points each from Bryce Cotton and Nick Rakocevic, only to fall short by seven.

Melbourne will come to Adelaide without any fear of the parochial crowd, having won six of its 11 visits including that game on October 7.

Thursday night’s game is the club’s Australian Defence Force Appreciation Round with the game falling the day after Remembrance Day.

The Sixers will wear a jersey featuring a poppy on the right shoulder and one on the back.

They'll also retail a special ADF Appreciation Cap, which can be purchased by pre-order, with part proceeds going to both the RSL and Legacy to support the incredible work those organisations do for veterans, ADF personnel and their families.

A traditional Remembrance Ceremony will be held before the game with players to be welcomed to the court by a guard of honour including ADF personnel and their families. Those families will also get an exclusive post-game clinic.

Adelaide 36ers Head Coach Trevor Glesson paused training on Wednesday at 11am for a moment of reflection, and says the significance of the occasion isn’t lost on his group.

“It’s a day that we remember the sacrifices everyone has made for this country, and I think it’s really important for this generation to reflect on that,” Gleeson said during an interview on SEN SA Breakfast.

“We get a chance to play a game and hopefully we can keep on continuing the good form from last game.”

Gleeson said given the quality of the opposition, having home court advantage and a strong home crowd behind them, would be vital for the Sixers.

“I’ve been on the opposition and in Adelaide, it can get loud,” he said.

“Last weekend was loud, you know, we need this to be a fortress.

“We need the help of our fans to get loud and intimidating.”

Wednesday night’s game gets underway at 7:00pm ACDT and you can get your hands on the last remaining tickets at Ticketek.

If you can’t be there, you can watch it live on ESPN via Kayo Sports or Disney+ or listen in to the SEN SA call of the game via the Adelaide 36ers app.

ADELAIDE 36ERS vs MELBOURNE UNITED
Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Wednesday, 7 October, 7:00pm ACDT
Live on ESPN via Kayo Sports or Disney+

‍OVERALL
Played 49, Adelaide 17, Melbourne 32

At Adelaide Entertainment Centre
‍Played 11, Adelaide 5, Melbourne 6

LAST FIVE MATCHES
‍Oct 7, 2026 – United 96 def 36ers 91 at AEC
Sept 19, 2026 – 36ers 97 def United 95 at John Cain Arena
Feb 7, 2026 – 36ers 87 def United 76 at John Cain Arena
Dec 12, 2025 – 36ers 114 def United 105 at AEC
Oct 26, 2025 – United 81 def 36ers 80 at John Cain Arena

KEY STATS

• The away team has won six of Adelaide's last eight games.

• Melbourne has won each of its last seven games when making 10+ three-pointers.

• Melbourne has won each of its last four games.

• Zylan Cheatham recorded a career-high 11 assists in his last appearance.

• Heading into Round 9, Adelaide ranks 1st in the league for assists per game this season (22.7).

• Adelaide recorded 30 assists against Illawarra on Saturday - team's equal-most assists in a game since Round 11, 2007/08.

• Heading into Round 9, Bryce Cotton ranks 1st amongst qualified players for points per game (27.3) this season.

• Heading into Round 9, Nick Rakocevic ranks 1st amongst qualified players for rebounds per game (11.6) this season.

• Nick Rakocevic has recorded 8+ rebounds in 13 consecutive appearances - longest active streak of any player in the league.

• Zylan Cheatham's 21-point, 12-rebound, 11-assist performance was the first triple-double recorded of the season.

• Nick Rakocevic recorded an equal-career-high six assists in his last appearance.

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