Mitsubishi Match Recap: NBL25 Round 20 v South East Melbourne Phoenix

Melbourne United have claimed a win in our final game of the regular season in Throwdown XXVIII.

Stepping into the starting lineup for Jack White, Kyle Bowen brought the sold out John Cain Arena crowd to their feet immediately, throwing down a dunk on the opening play of the game.

Following a pair of Shea Ili layups, Bowen provided a spark again, this time fighting on the offensive glass to find Chris Goulding for a long-range make.

The success from long range continued after this, with Ili, Flynn Cameron, Akech Aliir and Tanner Krebs all finding the bottom of the net from deep.

This, along with some great hustle plays, allowed United to lead for the entire period and take a 30-26 advantage into the second quarter.

Unfortunately for the home side, this offensive flow slowed down in coming out of the break.

The Phoenix were able to produce some impressive plays at the defensive end, while capitalising on their second-chance opportunities.

An and-one finish from Bowen and five quick points from Ian Clark kept Melbourne in front through the opening five minutes of the term, however it was SEM that would head into halftime with a 46-54 lead.

While the Phoenix were able extend their lead to 12 points across the first two minutes of the third, a ferocious 12-2 run turned the game on its head.

This came on the back of great play from Melbourne’s starting group, who locked in on defence while finding each other for great looks.

United ultimately hit the front through Ili, who onced again sliced through the paint for another layup.

A Matthew Dellavedova three followed, however after the Phoenix hit back with a three of their own, it was Ili who tied up the contest with an and-one finish to beat the buzzer.

After capturing the lead with a Tanner Krebs three on the first play of the final quarter, United never looked back, holding off every run from the Phoenix.

Krebs put together one of his best performances of the season, finishing with 16 points in less than 20 minutes off the bench.

When it wasn’t Krebs doing damage from the outside, it was Dellavedova making plays in the paint.

Tallying 14 points and six assists of his own, the star guard helped lead United down the stretch to a 103-93 victory in Throwdown XVIII. This brings the overall Throwdown record 19-9.

The win locks in second spot on the ladder for United heading into the finals. This means we will host a best-of-three against the winner of Tuesday night’s matchup between the Perth Wildcats and South East Melbourne Phoenix after the February FIBA window.

The best way to stay up to date with all the relevant finals information is to keep your eyes on our Finals Hub.