WWAG Match Recap: NBL23 Round 15 v NZ Breakers

Written by Melbourne United Media 

Melbourne United have registered their ninth consecutive win over the New Zealand Breakers after a hard fought clash in Christchurch.

United got off to the perfect start, executing their opening set of the game flawlessly to find Mason Peatling on the wing for a triple.

After scoring that opening basket, Peatling showcased his ability to impact the game all over the court, swatting Derek Pardon’s layup attempt leading to another MU three before lobbing the ball to Marcus Lee for a slam.

After the starters worked to establish a buffer, United’s bench stepped up to help them maintain their advantage.

Cal Dalton, Xavier Rathan-Mayes, Brad Newley and David Okwera all came into the game and found the bottom of the net, either from the field or from the free-throw line to push Melbourne in front by five points after 10 minutes.

Looking to build on their lead, United showed that all of their players can be a threat to score, as after Chris Goulding sunk three free-throws, every player who had come into the game had hit the scoresheet.

XRM and Newley led the way for the visitors, combining for 20 points off the bench.

With this pair commanding attention, opportunities opened up for Marcus Lee, who finished a trio of alley-oop passes for six points to go along with four assists, three rebounds, a steal and a block.

With time winding down in the second term, XRM went to work, putting an exclamation point on his first half performance with a tremendous and-1 finish to give United a 43-30.

Coming out of the major break both teams dialled up the defensive intensity in what had already been a physical game.

After over two-and-a-half minutes of play United finally got on the board through Chris Goulding, who cashed in on his first make of the evening with a triple from the wing.

Following this, it was just more of Melbourne’s bench stepping up.

Rathan-Mayes and Newley continued their brilliant performances, sinking more big shots to keep MU in front.

With the Breakers struggling, Izayah Le’afa shot the home side back into the game, knocking down three big triples in the third period to bring New Zealand back within striking distance with 10 minutes remaining.

While the final term was by no means a pretty one for United, it was good enough to get the job done in Christchurch.

Big-time plays from the likes of Shea Ili and Rayjon Tucker propelled Melbourne to a comfortable lead, and clutch free-throw shooting from Goulding sealed the deal, as MU came away with a 77-65 victory.

This is United’s seventh win in nine games, bringing the side back up to a 12-12 record heading into another clash with the Brisbane Bullets on Saturday evening at Nissan Arena.

Fans can tune in from 5:30pm on ESPN via Kayo and Foxtel.