Match Recap: NBL23 Round 4 vs Sydney Kings

Written by Melbourne United Media

Melbourne United have fallen short against the Sydney Kings to close Round 4 of the NBL23 season.

In front of a sold-out crowd for the Grassroots Game, United got off to a terrific start, as Rayjon Tucker put in the first five points of the game, before Isaac Humphries added six quick points of his own.

After pulling ahead by 10 in the opening term, the Kings fought back, tying the game in a hard-fought battle.

The ever-reliable David Barlow came through in a big way, knocking down a great look from deep to close the period and give United a 25-22 advantage.

Tuck looked to stay hot to start the second, sinking a sweet fadeaway to keep Melbourne in the lead.

The visitors however showcased their toughness, putting together a strong run to overcome the deficit and pull in front.

Another Barlow triple eventually broke Sydney’s momentum, before Chris Goulding went to work in the mid-range.

Six points from CG43 combined with some great effort plays from David Okwera off the bench cut the Kings lead to just one heading into the major break.

Goulding and Okwera stayed hot coming out of half-time, as both sunk triples to give Melbourne back the lead, however Sydney continued to attack United inside, leaving Isaac Humphries with four fouls and needing to sit for the majority of the quarter.

Without their big man in the middle, the Kings pulled ahead, leading by as many as 12 points before a late Goulding three-pointer reduced the margin to nine.

Needing a monster effort, Tuck came out in the final period looking to score, putting in six quick points.

Despite this, Melbourne just couldn’t seem to get stops inside, allowing 50 points in the paint across the game.

With United’s trademark defence faltering, Sydney pulled away down the stretch, taking home the 18-point victory.

Melbourne will now enjoy a six-day break before heading on the road to face the Illawarra Hawks in Wollongong on Saturday 29 October.

Fans can tune into the game live on Kayo via ESPN.