{"id":232036,"date":"2026-03-06T23:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/06\/injury-concerns-mount-for-rivals-wildcats-and-united-ahead-of-nbl-final\/"},"modified":"2026-03-06T23:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T23:00:00","slug":"injury-concerns-mount-for-rivals-wildcats-and-united-ahead-of-nbl-final","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/06\/injury-concerns-mount-for-rivals-wildcats-and-united-ahead-of-nbl-final\/","title":{"rendered":"Injury concerns mount for rivals Wildcats and United ahead of NBL final"},"content":{"rendered":"

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When two of the NBL\u2019s fiercest rivals meet in a do-or-die Play-In clash, both the Perth Wildcats and Melbourne United will be forced to navigate key absences and game-time injury calls.<\/p>\n

Watch live coverage of the NBL Finals with ESPN on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

Perth confirmed backup big man David Okwera will again miss the elimination final.<\/p>\n

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\u201cDavid Okwera (plantar fasciitis) will remain sidelined for tomorrow\u2019s play-in elimination game vs Melbourne United at RAC Arena (5pm tip-off). He will be replaced on the roster by DP Cameron Huefner,\u201d the Wildcats said.<\/p>\n

Perth are desperate for frontcourt depth after their loss to South East Melbourne, where Jo Lual-Acuil Jr\u2019s foul trouble exposed their lack of size and rotation options in the paint.<\/p>\n

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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 19: Jesse Edwards of United looks to pass the ball during the round 22 NBL match between Melbourne United and South East Melbourne Phoenix at John Cain Arena, on February 19, 2026, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Pockett\/Getty Images)<\/span>Source: Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Melbourne United face even bigger concerns.<\/p>\n

They defeated Tasmania without club MVP Jesse Edwards and coach Dean Vickerman revealed post game the reason he was ruled out and the hope he plays against Perth.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen he arrived here and moved around a little bit, he just had some sharp pains that didn\u2019t really allow him to stand up straight,\u201d Vickerman said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe hope is that we get him on the flight tomorrow and he can be with our physio and we can treat him as best we can.<\/p>\n

\u201cAgain, if he\u2019s not physically capable of getting on the plane, we\u2019ll try and find a flight that can suit him, whether that be on game day or not.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut the hope is that he sleeps well, gets the right kind of medication tonight and we\u2019re able to get him on the flight.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Roth: “I’m a crappy coach!” | 00:50<\/p>\n

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Chris Goulding is also battling through injury, though Vickerman is optimistic the veteran guard can shoulder a heavier load.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe got through. We managed him for a few days and it\u2019s just when it builds up with some fluid that it gets a little tougher for him to move the way he wants to move,\u201d Vickerman said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHopefully we can improve that by the time we play on Saturday.\u201d<\/p>\n

United hold a 2-1 edge in the season series, including a thrilling 74-73 win in Round 18.<\/p>\n

All eyes will be on Edwards\u2019 status. If he\u2019s ruled out, Perth gain a major edge inside. If he plays, United regain a proven matchup against Lual-Acuil.<\/p>\n

Either way, a semi-final series against the red-hot Sydney Kings awaits the winner in a best-of-three showdown.<\/p>\n

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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 05: Chris Goulding of United reacts during the NBL Play-In Qualifier match between Melbourne United and Tasmania Jackjumpers at John Cain Arena, on March 05, 2026, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Kelly Defina\/Getty Images)<\/span>Source: Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When two of the NBL\u2019s fiercest rivals meet in a do-or-die Play-In clash, both the Perth Wildcats and Melbourne United will be forced to navigate key absences and game-time injury calls. Watch live coverage of the NBL Finals with ESPN on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":232037,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6807],"tags":[156],"class_list":{"0":"post-232036","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-leagues-cups","8":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232036","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=232036"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232036\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/232037"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=232036"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=232036"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=232036"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}