Match Recap: Round 15, Indigenous Round v South East Melbourne Phoenix

Melbourne United have pulled off a come-from-behind victory over the South East Melbourne Phoenix in Throwdown XV, delivered by DoorDash.

United’s first possession was a sign of things to come, as Matthew Dellavedova knocked down a triple to get the defending champions rolling.

This was quickly followed up by Caleb Agada, who splashed a three-pointer of his own, before each man got to the rim for baskets, accounting for Melbourne’s opening 10 points.

This hot shooting continued even after the pair went to the bench, with United hitting on seven of their 11 attempts from beyond the arc in the first quarter.

Despite this, and a huge put-back jam from Ariel Hukporti, Melbourne struggled to stop SEM on the defensive end, finding themselves trailing 29-30 at the end of the term.

The second quarter mirrored the first in many ways, as United started well with back-to-back buckets from Jo Lual-Acuil Jr, but gave up damaging runs to the Phoenix.

SEM scored 10 unanswered points before Delly continued his strong form.

The NBA Championship winning guard got inside time and time again for floaters, which he made the most of with his silky touch. 

When the defence sagged and played him for the drive, Delly pulled the trigger from beyond the arc, dropping in a three-pointer just before the half-time horn to give United a 54-49 advantage.

Looking to maintain this momentum, Melbourne faltered, giving up a 9-0 start to SEM as the likes of Mitch Creek (27 points) and Xavier Munford (24 points) did damage.

Foul trouble forced United into playing some different lineups, including a twin-towers look with JLA and Big A on the court.

This provided a defensive boost for Melbourne, who were able to slow the Phoenix’s run and keep the deficit to just seven points heading into the final 10 minutes.

United’s prospects of coming from behind didn’t look any more promising as the fourth quarter started, falling behind by 12 points quickly.

In need of a spark, Chris Goulding lit the fuse.

CG43 scored eight points in quick succession, before the bench duo of Big A and Shea Ili broke the game wide open.

Entrusted with closing the game, Hukporti made plays time and time again, including a block and bucket to reduce the lead to just five, before great D from Ili drew an unsportsmanlike foul on Creek.

This all led to a Delly (22 points) three from the corner which tied the game, followed by a Shea Ili (19 points) stepback to cap off a 21-6 run and give United a three-point advantage.

With the game still up for grabs, CG43 (13 points in the fourth quarter) put the result on ice, draining a ludicrous three-pointer in the grill of Zhou Qi to put the game out of reach.

The 98-90 win keeps United on top of the NBL22 ladder heading into The Multicultural Game next Sunday 20 March against the Adelaide 36ers.

Tickets are available here.