Mitsubishi Match Recap: NBL25 Round 4 v Adelaide 36ers

Melbourne United have picked up their first home win of the season in Chris Goulding’s 450th NBL game, thrashing the Adelaide 36ers by 27 points.

Shea Ili got his side on the board at the free-throw line before Ian Clark got going from deep, knocking down back-to-back triples.

A personal 7-0 run from Jack White and a three-pointer from Matthew Dellavedova had the fans inside John Cain Arena on their feet, however a late push by the visitors flipped the lead and gave Adelaide a five-point advantage after 10 minutes.

Clark, along with Rob Loe, worked hard to reclaim the lead, as the pair combined for 16 points in the opening five minutes of the second term.

Scores from Jack White, Flynn Cameron and Shea Ili kept United’s momentum up, helping the home side go back ahead.

Chris Goulding also got in on the action, tallying seven quick points to see him move into 25th all-time in NBL scoring and give Melbourne a 58-52 lead at the major break.

With the offence humming, United’s defence went to another level after half time.

A quick 9-2 run forced an Adelaide timeout, however nothing could stop the onslaught from Dean Vickerman’s squad, who would ultimately restrict the Sixers to just eight third-quarter points.

Marcus Lee was immense at both ends, throwing down huge dunks and challenging everything at the rim on the other end as Melbourne took a 19-point advantage into the final term.

The dunk-party continued in the fourth, with Loe getting up for a slam before White and Lee skied high for a pair of monstrous alley-oop throw-downs.

Clark continued to increase his points tally, working for good shots in the mid-range and at the hoop. The American finished with a game-high 18 points.

With the game in hand, United’s reserves kept the fans entertained by draining threes until the final horn, with 106-79 the final margin.

Melbourne United will next face the South East Melbourne Phoenix in Throwdown XXVI on Sunday 20 October from 2:30pm.

The game will also see the club celebrate its Multicultural Game. Tickets remain available here.