Match Recap: NBL22 Round 2 vs South East Melbourne Phoenix

Melbourne United have lost their second game of the season in one of the most intense Throwdown, delivered by DoorDash games ever against the South East Melbourne Phoenix.

The excitement levels at John Cain Arena were through the roof from the opening tip, as United fans celebrated the unveiling of their NBL21 Championship banner.

That energy reached a fever-pitch on Melbourne’s first possession, as Shea Ili lobbed a beautiful alley-oop to Jo Lual-Acuil Jrn for the opening basket.

It was a back and forth first term, with both sides attacking from inside and out, however the Phoenix were the ones able to pull ahead.

Zhou Qi (22 points, 10 rebounds, seven blocks) was wreaking havoc in the opening term, blocking shots and finishing around the rim, opening up opportunities for SEM’s shooters to launch from beyond the arc.

Closing the quarter on an 11-2 run, the visitors were able to take a 15-point advantage into the break.

Looking to build on their lead, the Phoenix came out firing, pushing ahead by as many as 18 points before Melbourne began to turn the tide.

Led by Delly in his first home game, United cut the lead down to just 11 points thanks to some aggressive play inside.

The NBA Champion guard scored nine points in the term while providing his usual brand of hard-nosed defense.

With the momentum firmly on United's side coming out of the major break, the defending champs went on an exciting run, cutting the deficit to just three points within the opening three minutes of the term.

With the crowd hype at an incredible level following a Shea Ili ankle breaker and three-pointer to tie the game, the intensity boiled over following an unsportsmanlike foul from Phoenix forward Mitch Creek,  which resulted in Mason Peatling being ejected after standing up for his teammates.

The momentum remained with United following the incident, with a Caleb Agada triple helping Melbourne cut the Phoenix lead to just one point going into the final 10 minutes.

After trailing for so much of the game Melbourne finally pulled in front thanks in part to some big plays from Delly, who finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
Leading by three points mid-way through the term, SEM took control back, going on a run to pull back ahead by 11, before a quick 5-0 scoring burst from Shea Ili pulled United back within six points.

Ultimately, the comeback was simply not to be as Phoenix were able to hold on down the stretch and come away with the eight point victory.

Melbourne will look to bounce back in their next game against long time rivals, the Sydney Kings, on Thursday evening at John Cain Arena. Secure your tickets here.