Melbourne continues winning form against New Zealand

Melbourne United made it four wins on the trot with a three-point win over the New Zealand Breakers at John Cain Arena on Friday night.

Jock Landale and Mitch McCarron led their side to victory as Melbourne was able to combat a dominant offensive performance from New Zealand’s Tai Webster.

It was a tight and tough first half as both teams found it hard to get any breathing room. Shea Ili scored first for Melbourne with an and-1 basket, but it was New Zealand’s Tai Webster who came out hot, scoring 11 first-quarter points.

A powerful Scotty Hopson dunk levelled the scores with a minute left in the term, while a Landale triple and Sam McDaniel jump shot helped United gain a three-point edge, 23-20, at the first break.

The second quarter was a defensive slog as both teams struggled to get going offensively. With Melbourne having scored just eight points in almost seven minutes of play in the term, it was McCarron who came up with a big triple that got the scoreboard ticking over again.

Late in the quarter, Tom Abercrombie gave New Zealand the lead with a three-pointer, but Hopson answered with a triple of his own with just under a minute left on the clock.

At the main break, scores were tied at 39. McCarron (7 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists), Landale and Ili (9 points each) were leading the way for Melbourne, while Tai Webster (14 points) was looking dangerous for New Zealand.

It was a slow start to the second half for United, but a Landale triple, followed by a Yudai Baba steal and fastbreak dunk helped the team regain the lead, 46-44, after three and a half minutes of play in the term.

Back-to-back McCarron jump shots were important midway through the quarter, while Landale and Hopson converted key buckets too. Mason Peatling, who continues to prove he is capable of playing vital minutes for United, scored with one minute to play and at the final break, Melbourne held a one-point lead, 59-58.

Peatling was dominant in the opening stages of the final term, scoring three buckets in under one and a half minutes, two of which came about by outworking the opposition with big offensive rebounds.

To New Zealand’s credit, they wouldn’t go away and when Tai Webster drained a three-pointer after four minutes of play, the Breakers trailed by just one-point, 67-66.

From there – with the game on the line – it was the star trio of Landale, McCarron and Hopson who delivered down the stretch for Melbourne.

A Landale triple kickstarted a 10-0 United run that included an and-1 play from Hopson and stepback jump shot from McCarron. That run changed the complexion of the game as Melbourne jumped out to an 11-point lead, 77-66, with under four minutes on the clock.

Once again, the Breakers attempted to make a run, but Landale – who was involved in everything on both ends of the court – dunked with 1:51 remaining to give United some breathing room, 81-75.

McCarron calmly iced the game in the final minute with a pair of free throws and a layup as Melbourne claimed a three-point win, 87-84.

Landale (career-high 23 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals) scored nine crucial points in the final term, while McCarron (17 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists) continued his scintillating form. Hopson (16 points) and Ili (13 points) were also important.

Tai Webster (32 points) led the way for the Breakers.

The win sees Melbourne improve to 10-1 on the season to sit on top of the ladder and after winning three quarters and the game, United sit second on the NBL Cup ladder with 23.5 points.

Next up for Melbourne is a sold out match-up against the Brisbane Bullets on Sunday at John Cain Arena. Tip off is at 2pm and will be broadcast live on SBS Viceland, SBS on Demand, NBL TV & Twitch.