Tip-off: Saturday, February 25, 7.30pm (local), State Netball & Hockey Centre, Melbourne

TV: ONE, 10.30pm (check local guides)

Last time they met: Melbourne 87 (Tragardh 20, Rush 18, Allen 12, Dorsey 12) d Adelaide 81 (Warren 31, Simpson 17, Johnson 13), Round 18, 2011/12, State Netball & Hockey Centre, Melbourne

Pride
Melbourne and Adelaide have proud histories in the iiNet NBL, but pride is all they have to play for now their playoff hopes are history.

The Tigers have fallen in a heap, the weight of playing undermanned and upheaval within the club wearing them down.

They have lost seven of their past eight with an average losing margin of 14.1 points. Before that their only double-figure loss was against Perth in Round 2.

Will Adelaide’s hard-fought 79-74 win over third-placed Townsville prove a spur for the remainder of the season or just another teaser for their frustrated fans?

Key questions

Can the big men dominate?
Cam Tragardh and Daniel Johnson have been amongs the best offensive big men this season, but Tragardh has averaged 11.5 points and shot only 43 per cent in his past four games, while Johnson has managed 13.3 points and 39 per cent in his past six.

A notable trend in the NBL has been teams’ ability to restrict form players through excellent scouting and executing defensive plans.

Can either of these two break the shackles? And will they get more help from their teammates to spread the floor?

Why can’t the Tigers rebound?
Coach Trevor Gleeson aimed directly at Tragardh when he said “to play 20 minutes without a rebound, that’s just ridiculous”.

After leading his team with 6.2 rebounds a game over the first 20 outings – including 11 straight with five or more up to Round 16 – Trigger’s past three games have produced a meagre total of six, with none last week against Cairns.

New import Myron Allen has stepped up with 28 rebounds in his first four games, but over the season the Tigers have just two players – Tragardh and Tommy Greer – averaging more than four rebounds. Perth, New Zealand, Cairns, Sydney and Gold Coast all have five players above that mark.

The Tigers lack a dominant rebounder but have not done it by committee either as their switching defence, which brought such success early in the season, opens offensive rebounding lanes for opponents.

Has Myron Allen been sussed out?
Allen’s first two games were impressive, but his past two have produced 12.5 points and 5.5 turnovers.

In contrast, his direct opponents have scored 57 points, shot 54 per cent from the field and been forced into just four turnovers in total.

To his credit, Allen has averaged 8 rebounds and 5.5 assists in those games, but Cairns negated his use of the pick-and-roll and the 32-year-old appeared exasperated by his dispirited team.

Regardless, Allen must “up” his defensive game and the Tigers need to give more help at both ends of the floor.

The wrap
Adelaide were the better team for much of the teams’ Round 18 clash, but committed eight turnovers in the final 14 minutes.

Melbourne scored eight of their last 21 points after 36er miscues as they steamrolled home.

In their win over the Crocs, Adelaide had a total of just five turnovers in the first and fourth quarters, holding the Crocs to a total of 28 points in those periods.

When they gave up 15 turnovers in the middle two quarters Townsville piled on 46 points.

If they can look after the ball, a victory is Adelaide’s for the taking, but beware the wounded Tigers, especially with the 36ers coming off a physical game against Perth the night before.

Prediction: Tigers by 4