Mitsubishi Match Recap: Hungry Jack’s NBL26 - Round 11, Game 1 v Perth Wildcats

Melbourne United have fallen to begin Round 11, going down against the Perth Wildcats on the road.

It was a slow start to the game for United, as the Wildcats raced ahead to an 8-0 lead across the first three minutes before Jesse Edwards got the visitors on the board.

Needing a spark of energy, Tanner Krebs caught fire, coming in off the bench and scoring 16 points on a blistering six-for-six shooting clip.

Despite this, turnovers and defensive lapses meant Perth continued to control the quarter, holding onto a 20-33 advantage after 10 minutes of play.

After conceding the opening bucket of the second, United’s stars got to work cutting into the margin.

Finn Delany got to the basket for a layup before connecting from deep; a shot that marked the 200th three-pointer of his career.

Milton Doyle got on the offensive glass and finished his look inside to cut it to nine, however that would be as close as Melbourne would come, as the Wildcats found some rhythm of their own.

Krebs continued his career night, scoring nine more points in the period to bring his first half total to 25 points, the most of his 157-game tenure in the NBL.

This allowed United to keep the Perth lead to 14 points, leading 42-56 heading into the major break.

Mirroring the second period, Melbourne started positively, with Edwards rising high for a slam and Doyle knocking down jumpers from all over the court.

This however didn’t last, as the Wildcats pressure continued to cause issues for the visitors, which they were able to capitalise on at the other end.

Perth were able to push the margin out to a game-high 21 points at the end of the quarter thanks to a late three-pointer, giving United a significant target to chase in the fourth.

It was a positive start to the final term for Melbourne, with Krebs, Edwards and Walker and Doyle all doing their part to cut into the deficit.

This allowed United to get within 13 points, however as they had the entire evening, the Wildcats had the answers, controlling the flow of the contest to run away with a 84-96 win.

Melbourne United will be back on the floor for an away Throwdown against the South East Melbourne Phoenix on Sunday afternoon from 2:30pm.

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