Mitsubishi Match Recap: Hungry Jack’s NBL26 - Round 20 v Adelaide 36ers

Melbourne United have fallen short in their lone game of Round 20, going down to the Adelaide 36ers.

Dash Daniels brought up the first points of the game with sheer hustle, attacking the offensive glass and finishing a layup.

Chris Goulding knocked down his first triple of the night following this, which was emulated by both Tyson Walker and Finn Delany to put United ahead by five points.

The 36ers fought back quickly, going ahead by four before some Shea Ili brilliance brought the crowd to their feet.

The star guard swiped the ball from Bryce Cotton, raced down the court, and fed Milton Doyle for a powerful dunk.

Despite this and a pair of late layups, Adelaide maintained command of the lead, taking a 23-29 advantage into the first break.

Walker worked quickly to cut into that deficit in the second, scoring at the hoop with his speed.

Daniels and Ili continued their great defence, forcing an eight second violation and denying easy opportunities, allowing Melbourne to gather some momentum.

Goulding was the man to feed off this energy, first fighting through contact for an and-1 bucket before breaking free for a pair of triples to push United back in front.

A late surge from Adelaide once again flipped the lead, giving the visitors a 39-41 lead at the major break.

While it was back and forth early in the third, with a Walker layup and Goulding three getting the period started, hot shooting from the 36ers allowed them to extend their margin.

A Doyle score and Tanner Krebs three-ball gave United some life midway through the quarter, but it was all Adelaide heading into the final 10 minutes, with Melbourne trailing 53-67.

Needing to play with urgency, United looked to their stars to cut into the deficit.

Doyle cashed in twice from deep and hit a turnaround from the midrange, while Walker scored off a nice feed from Goulding.

Working off the back of great defence, the pair continued to claw United back into the game, and following two long-range makes, Melbourne found themselves down by just three points.

Ultimately, it would not be enough, as Adelaide were able to make enough plays down the stretch to finish as 76-87 victors.

United’s next game will come on the road against the Cairns Taipans on 12 February from 7:30pm. Fans can tune in via ESPN.