Bulla Recap: Melbourne take momentum into finals with win over 36ers

Melbourne United had already locked in top spot prior to their final game of the regular season on Sunday afternoon in Adelaide, but that didn’t affect their intensity as they came out with a real thirst for the contest.

With playing time being shared around, it was a total team effort that got United the win over the 36ers and Melbourne now heads into Finals in impressive form.

It was a different looking United starting five as Shea Ili, Sam McDaniel, Scotty Hopson, David Barlow and Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. got things underway for the 2021 NBL Regular Season Champions.

Lual-Acuil Jr. was busy early and when he scored his third bucket within four minutes, Melbourne was out to an 8-0 lead. Adelaide finally got on the scoreboard when Daniel Johnson drove to the bucket four and a half minutes into the game.

When Jock Landale checked into the game, he immediately had an impact with a pair of buckets, while Ili connected on back-to-back triples to give United a nine-point lead, 22-13, with just under two minutes to play in the opening term.

It was raining threes late in the term as both teams traded buckets. Tony Crocker got going for Adelaide, while McCarron drilled a long-range shot and Hopson nailed a triple as time expired to give Melbourne a 28-20 lead after a quarter of play.

The 36ers scored the first four points of the second term, but then a United three-point party transpired as the team drained four triples in a row without missing. It was Goulding who led the charge with two threes in that span, but he wasn’t done as he drilled his third triple of the game four minutes into the second quarter, catapulting United to a 17-point lead, 43-26.

As Melbourne looked to really put the foot down, Johnson answered the challenge for Adelaide as the big man scored key buckets to end the first half.

At the main break, United held a 13-point lead, 53-40. Lual-Acuil Jr. and Hopson (10 points each) led the scoring for Melbourne, while Johnson (14 points and 9 rebounds) was dominant for Adelaide.

United’s scoring got underway in the second half with a Barlow triple and while Landale scored another bucket early, the 36ers made a run to get back to within eight points, 58-50, after a Crocker three.

Then Landale took over. The big man scored three buckets in a couple of minutes, highlighted by finishing off a beautiful no-look pass from Goulding with a dunk. At the final break, Melbourne held a 77-61 lead.

Crocker drained a pair of threes in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter to help keep Adelaide within touch. Ili then got to work by dishing out an assist to Hopson, who finished with a thunderous dunk, and when Ili hit a triple halfway through the term, Melbourne’s lead stood at 14 points, 86-72.

Goulding and Hopson hit threes down the stretch to see Melbourne come away with a convincing 102-80 win. Landale (19 points and 9 rebounds) put together another dominant performance, while Hopson (19 points and 2 rebounds) continued his stellar recent form.

Ili (11 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds) and Goulding (12 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds and 2 blocks) both stuffed the stat-sheet and Lual-Acuil Jr. (16 points and 4 assists) kept the scoreboard ticking over. It was a total team effort for United on the eve of Finals, as all nine players who got on the court scored at least five points.

Crocker (27 points and 5 rebounds) was on fire from deep for the 36ers, while Johnson (18 points and 13 rebounds) was a beast on both ends of the court.

Attention now shifts to Finals for Melbourne and depending on the result of Tuesday’s game between South East Melbourne and Brisbane, United will face either the Hawks or the Phoenix in the first round.

After the game, Landale had a message for the Melbourne faithful ahead of what is sure to be a blockbuster Finals campaign.

“Stay with us,” he said.

“You guys have been our support all year and we really appreciate all that you’ve given us. Hopefully, being on the road away from families, away from our friends, away from our fans, we can continue to win and bring home the cup.”

Melbourne, it’s time to unite!