Mitsubishi Match Recap: Hungry Jack’s NBL26 - Round 21 v Cairns Taipans

Melbourne United have opened Round 21 with a road victory, taking down the Cairns Taipans in Far North Queensland.

Melbourne were without Dean Vickerman (appendicitis) for the contest, with Rhys Carter stepping up for his first experience as a Head Coach in the NBL regular season.

After a fast start which saw Chris Goulding and Finn Delany score on United’s opening two possessions, buckets became hard to find for both sides.

Milton Doyle and Tyson Walker were both able to connect from the mid-range, but it was the former who helped Melbourne stay in touch of the Taipans when the home side hit some shots.

Doyle added a layup and a three-ball to bring his total up to seven points.

Still trailing to close the period, Shea Ili injected much needed energy into the contest, getting to the rim for a pair of tough makes, the second of which came on the buzzer and tied the game at 19-19.

While Malith Machar was able to put Melbourne ahead to start the term, it was Cairns who controlled the majority of the quarter.

The Taipans marched to the free throw line for much of the period, leaving United in a tough spot when attempting to make a comeback.

Doyle got to the midrange to try and give Melbourne some life, while Walker and Tanner Krebs each connected from deep.

Back-to-back layups from Ili brought the visitors back within one, however the guard would ultimately suffer an injury on the second of the two, removing him from the rest of the contest.

Two late free throws from Delany would set the score at 40-46 heading into the major break.

It was a slow start to the second half for United, as two free throws from Walker and a putback from Jesse Edwards were the team’s only scores across the first few minutes, which allowed the Taipans to go ahead by a game-high 10 points.

The trio of Doyle, Krebs and Tom Wilson helped cut down that lead across the end of the term, going on a 12-2 run to tie up the contest once again.

Late free throws would allow Cairns to push back ahead, but Melbourne appeared to have the momentum leading into the final quarter.

With the game up for grabs, the combination of Doyle and Walker propelled United forward, with the duo playing an aggressive style of basketball.

The pair combined for 21 of Melbourne’s 33 points, making timely shots time after time.

This, combined with some key defensive plays and work on the offensive glass, put the visitors in a strong position to secure the win.

It was Walker who connected on perhaps the biggest shot of the game, splashing a triple to put United up by five in the final minute.

A couple of forced turnovers and two late free throws from Krebs ultimately sealed the 89-85 victory, improving Melbourne’s record to 19-12.

Melbourne United will next hit the floor against the Illawarra Hawks on Sunday afternoon from 2:30pm inside John Cain Arena.

The game is already sold out, but fans not in the arena can tune in via ESPN or Channel 10.

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