Mitsubishi Match Recap: NBL25 Round 17 v Illawarra Hawks

Melbourne United have dropped their opening game of Round 17, going down to the Illawarra Hawks.

Looking to come out and play aggressively, Shea Ili slashed to the hoop to draw a foul, knocking down the subsequent free-throws to give Melbourne the opening score.

Three-pointers from Rob Loe and Chris Goulding followed, while an Ian Clark steal and layup kept the Illawarra crowd quiet.

The home side was however able to respond throughout the second half of the term, pulling ahead late.

A Tanner Krebs triple reduced the deficit, pulling United back within four points to close the period.

The breakneck pace of play continued to start the second, resulting in three consecutive threes for Melbourne; one for Krebs and two for Goulding.

A Matthew Dellavedova floater and Jack White dunk kept United within four points of the Hawks, however the home side took advantage of their opportunities on the offensive glass and on the fast break, extending their lead to 12 ahead of half-time.

Needing to put the clamps on Illawarra coming out of the major break, Melbourne faltered, giving up a scoring run to start the second half.

One bright spot in the period was the play of Shea Ili, who weaved his way through the Hawks defence to bring his total up to 12 points.

Four of these came in the final 10 seconds, as he cashed in from the free throw line before making the most of a Loe steal and connecting on a floater.

This brought Melbourne back within 19 points ahead of the fourth quarter.

Ili continued this play to start the fourth, getting to the hoop with his speed and creating opportunities for others.

While he was able to score effectively, the Hawks were able to score at will, ultimately running away with a 95-117 victory.

United will be back on the court on Wednesday 22 January for a clash with the Perth Wildcats from 9:30pm.

Fans can tune in on ESPN.