Mitsubishi Match Recap: NBL25 Championship Series Game 4 v Illawarra Hawks

Melbourne United have fallen short in Game 4 of the Hungry Jack's Championship Series.

Jack White got United on the board through pure energy, swatting a shot at one end before running the floor for a layup at the other end.

This would unfortunately be Melbourne’s only score throughout the first six minutes of play.

Needing something to kickstart our offence, Matthew Dellavedova made his presence felt, scoring nine points to close out the period.

Add in a strong take to the hoop from Flynn Cameron, United were able to cut Illawarra’s lead to just three points at the first break.

A Dellavedova three got the second period started, which was followed by some stout defence, which allowed Melbourne to take the lead and hold onto it for the remainder of the term.

Cameron was again strong in his minutes, while Ian Clark and Rob Loe also contributed well.

Leading by two points with only a couple of seconds remaining, Jack doubled United’s advantage, grabbing an offensive rebound and connecting on a fading jumpshot as time expired to give Melbourne a 32-28 lead .

Coming out of the major break, the Hawks seized all momentum, going on a 7-0 run.

A White dunk and a pair of Chris Goulding triples helped United claw back to within one point, however a late score from Illawarra gave the visitors a 51-48 advantage.

A Goulding triple tied the game on the opening possession of the final period, however from there, the Hawks slowly pulled away, finishing with 80-71 win to force a Game 5 on Sunday afternoon in Wollongong.

Fans can tune in on ESPN and 10 Bold from 2:30pm.