Match Recap: Round 14, Indigenous Round v Brisbane Bullets

Melbourne United have extended their winning streak to five games, beating the Brisbane Bullets at John Cain Arena on Saturday evening.

United got off to the perfect start after Chris Goulding found a cutting Matthew Dellavedova for the opening basket of the game.

This, combined with some highlight plays from the likes of Ariel Hukporti and Shea Ili, had the John Cain Arena crowd on their feet for much of the quarter.

This excitement reached a fever pitch when Delly hit JLA on a great pass for a three-pointer.

Despite this, Melbourne struggled to find a consistent offensive rhythm, and failed to capitalise on opportunities at the free throw line.

The defending champs went just 3-7 from the line in the quarter, which allowed Brisbane to closely close the gap and tie the game heading into the main break.

It was more of the same in the second quarter, as United worked hard to find open looks but simply couldn't capitalise.

Robert Franks led the way for the Bullets, scoring nine points and knocking down a pair of triples.

Shea Ili did his best to hold Brisbane at bay, scoring nine points of his own off the bench, however another poor free-throw shooting quarter from United as a team gave the visitors a 37-36 lead heading into the major break.

Coming out of half-time, it was clear getting to the free-throw line and attacking the rack was high on Melbourne’s priority list.

United started the term with back to back to back and-1 finishes, setting the tone for the term.

One of those buckets came from Jo Lual-Acuil Jr, who went to work across the quarter.

JLA had nine points and a pair of big-time blocks to get the crowd going and help United pull ahead by as many as eight points.

With momentum on their side, Melbourne were able to hold off all of the Bullets' runs heading into the final 10 minutes of action.

The final quarter was a rock-fight, as both sides fought hard to come away with the win.

JLA knocked down a sweet fade-away from the post, before CG43 and Jack White each knocked down triples, breaking a Brisbane run.

When Big Jo sat down, Big A stepped up. Hukporti finished with 14 points and four rebounds, including a number of nice finishes in the fourth quarter.

With the game still on the line with five minutes remaining, Melbourne’s trademark defence shone through.

Shea Ili and Caleb Agada both ripped away key steals, while CG43 pulled out a highlight for the ages when he came up with a clutch block.

This was followed by a spectacular White alley-oop slam, which was truly the cherry on top of a hard-fought 95-83 win.

The victory keeps United on top of the competition ladder heading into their next game, a Thursday night Grand Final rematch against the Perth Wildcats.

Tickets are on sale here, and three and five game memberships remain up for grabs here.