A Sunday clash that feels like Finals

Sunday’s clash between the South East Melbourne Phoenix and Sydney Kings is shaping up to be an absolute blockbuster.

Arguably the competition’s two hottest teams will lock horns at John Cain Arena, with the winner claiming top spot on the ladder.

The Round 20 fixture also has plenty of sub-plots weaved into it, including a battle between two of the competition’s MVP frontrunners.

“It'll be interesting to see how Sobes (Nathan Sobey) and KD (Kendric Davis) go [against one another]. They’ve gotten into the last few times they’ve played one another, so I expect [Sunday] to be heated,” Adelaide guard Dejan Vasiljevic said on NBL Now.

Another is the addition of dynamic imports Ian Clark (Phoenix) and Torrey Craig (Kings).

“He [Clark] has won a championship in this league before and we know his accomplishments throughout his entire career in the NBA. Him coming in is a perfect kind of six man fit for them and gives them a scoring punch off the bench,” Vasiljevic said.

“Then Torrey Craig on the other side, is an even better pickup for Sydney. He's a bull defensively, but he can also shoot and create for himself. It's a massive pickup.”

Fellow Australian Boomer Aron Baynes believes Sunday will be a big test for the Phoenix to prove they’re serious championship contenders.

“I see the biggest Achilles heel for South East Melbourne right now [in their quest for a championship] is probably their emotions, their anger in particular,” Baynes said.

“Sobes lives with his heart on his sleeve and he can give the guys a lot of energy, but at the same time he can hurt himself with his anger.”

Echoing Baynes’ was two-time MVP Chris Anstey.

“Sunday probably matters more psychologically for the Phoenix having not been there before and for Josh King having not guided an NBL team to a winning Playoff Series yet,” Anstey said.

“[Whereas with Sydney] you've got Brian Goorjian at the helm and you've got NBA and championship-winning talent. They're proven and they know what it takes to win.

“I don't think it matters whether they finish first or second or in fact third for them to know that they've got a real shot at winning this thing.

“But I think it matters for the Phoenix. The higher they finish, the better chance they give themselves. If they give themselves home court advantage for the Playoffs, they increase [their championship hopes].”

Two-time Olympian Mark Worthington agreed, saying “Sydney look like they’re playing a championship brand of basketball right now”.

Sunday’s match tips off at 2.30pm AEDT, live on ESPN and Channel 10.